Andrey Sergeyevich Arshavin (Russian: Андрей Сергеевич Аршавин ; born 29 May 1981) is a Russian former professional footballer who played as a winger or midfielder.
Arshavin began his career at Zenit Saint Petersburg in 2000. He went on to win numerous trophies with the club such as the Russian Premier League, League Cup, Russian Super Cup, UEFA Cup and the UEFA Super Cup. During his time with Zenit, Arshavin was also named as the Russian Footballer of the Year.
He had a breakout performance at UEFA Euro 2008 where he impressed throughout Russia's run to the semi-final of the tournament, and also finished 6th in the 2008 Ballon d’Or. Arshavin thereafter signed for English Premier League club Arsenal during the 2008–09 winter transfer window, becoming the most expensive player in Arsenal's history at the time, with a fee of £15 million. Arshavin eventually rejoined Zenit, at first on loan and then permanently in 2013.
Arshavin was born in Leningrad, now Saint Petersburg, on 29 May 1981. His father Sergey Arshavin played as an amateur footballer. Arshavin survived an accident that could have killed him when he was hit by a car as a child. His parents divorced when he was 12, with Andrey having to sleep on the floor of a cramped flat with his mother. It was his father who persuaded him to pursue a career in football after his own failure to become a professional football player.
Arshavin began playing football at an early age and at seven years of age, he was enrolled in the Smena football academy of Zenit, his hometown club. As a schoolboy before football became his sole focus, he was a talented draughts player. Arshavin's father died of heart failure at age 40. He has written three books, including one titled 555 Questions and Answers on Women, Money, Politics and Football. Arshavin also has a degree in Fashion Design. He often misbehaved at school, commenting, "I behaved badly at school. When I was in the second grade, I tore down the registering journal of the class." It was this incident described by Arshavin that saw him expelled.
Arshavin carried the Olympic Flame during the St. Petersburg leg of the torch relay for the 2008 Summer Olympics.
Arshavin and his former common-law wife Julia Baranovskaya met in 2003. They have three children, two sons named Artyom and Arseniy. and daughter Yana. On 14 August 2012, Arshavin confirmed on his official website that he and Julia had their second son, Arseniy. In September 2016, he married Alisa Arshavina, with whom he has a daughter. After a year of marriage, the couple reportedly divorced.
1999-2009 |
2002-2012 |
2009-2013 |
2012 (Loan) |
2013-2015 |
2015-2016 |
2016-2019 |
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