Andrey Arshavin leaves behind his compatriots Yuri Zhirkov and Roman
Pavlyuchenko to win Sport Express' Zvezda award in June.
European tournament turned to be the key sports event in
June, as Russiaan team benefited from performance of such players as Andrey
Arshavin, Yuri Zhirkov, Roman Pavlyuchenko, Igor Akinfeev, Sergei Semak,
Konstantin Zyryanov and Alexander Anyukov, who occupied Zvezda award table
this month.
Andrey Arshavin cemented himself as a national icon to be admired by all
Russians and people abroad.
The sports journalists from fifteen countries voted Zenit playmaker the
best player from Russia and CIS nations in June, as he got 71 points,
which is fifteen points ahead of second-placed Yuri Zhirkov.
Arshavin's first coach from St. Petersburg football school Smena Sergei
Gordeev talked to Sport Express about this star forward.
"Frankly speaking I believed that Guus Hiddink would cap Arshavin
for Russia's third group game against Sweden after Andrei missed the opening
two through suspension", said Gordeev.
"It's evident that the team needs Arshavin to play from the starting
minutes of the match till the last."
"UEFA voted him the Man of the Match twice already, so it means he
deservedly had pretensions of becoming one of the best players of the
tournament."
"It's a pity of course that he didn't have an opportunity to take
part in all Russia's games, since in this case he would have demonstrated
his best qualities."
