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ARSHAVIN: ONE MONTH IN ENGLAND
The Sport Express correspondent met Andrei Arshavin in London and asked
how the Arsenal forward spent his first month in the English capita.
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Andrei Arshavin shakes hands with Arsenal
mascot "Goone" Photo REUTERS
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- Can you confess now when did you understand that you should
learn the very English language?
- If you think that I started to learn English because of the transfer
than you are wrong. I began the studies about two years ago.
- And were there any plans about your possible move to London?
- I had no solid plans. But I already thought about England and moreover
English is an international language and can turn out handy everywhere.
All experienced people said that the better you know the language the
easier it will be. An even if I have not left Russia, knowledge of a foreign
language cannot be a waste.
- But you could have got to Spain and there you would hardly need English.
- Yes, there I would have had to learn Spanish. But that is wonderful
to know not one but two foreign languages.
- What does your practice show: were you learning English properly?
- I had a very good teacher. And now everybody is saying that I construct
phrases correctly. Of course I have accent, and lack vocabulary but Brits
are surprised at how I construct sentences. They got out of this habit
and keep making phrase easier and simpler.
- And how well did you know English football before you came here?
- I watched the matches that were broadcast in Russia whenever possible.
To tell the truth it seemed less difficult on TV. Only now I understood
how dynamic and hard the football is here.
- Did you support any English club in particular?
- Not really. But in the last months I was watching Arsenal more intensely.
- Did you know that you would get there?
- I wanted it very much. But the fact that I eventually found myself in
Arsenal can be named nothing but a miracle. Everything hung by a thread
till the very last moment. But I don't want to return to that story for
it has frayed my nerves a lot.
- A year and a half ago having won the English national team in Luzhniki
could you imagine that you had just upset the country you were going to
play in?
- I had no such thoughts. I thought only about Euro where we able to take
part.
- Can you phrase your first impressions of the country and its capital?
- But I have not seen London almost at all in this month. And all my impressions
are of my first visit to London in December when I had an opportunity
to look around the city. At the moment all my impressions are connected
with football only. There were no special events in the outside-field
life with the exception of the birthday of Bacary Sagna and watched how
the holidays are celebrated here.
- Do you have any global task for the season?
- Main task now is to get into the Champions League of the next season.
- This is the task for the entire club. And what are your personal plans?
- I would like to score as soon as possible. Everybody expected Arshavin
to score at the very first match but that never happens especially with
me. But nothing was easy and immediate for me. Arsenal is no exception.
So I need patience and hard work now.
Sport
Express Daily, 03 Mar 2009
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