Andriy Shevchenko - The Milan Legend (THT Heroes)

Shevchenko, the ball-boy from Dynamo has been one of the best and most feared strikers in the modern game. Having traveled all over Europe and won almost everything there is to win at club level, Shevchenko now leads his country to the European Championships about to commence from June. In this trip down memory lane, we celebrate a gentleman, whose humble yet meteoric rise took the world by storm.

Shevchenko ai??i?? The Beginning and move to Milan

Shevchenkoai??i??s first tryst with Kyiv came as a ball boy while watching his idol, Oleg Blokhin, score goals after goals. His first trial was unsuccessful but he was eventually taken into the Kyiv youth system after he caught the eye of a scout. Strongly built and having the anatomy of a boxer, Shevchenko helped in his quest for greatness by none other than the legendary Valeriy Lobanovskyi. In the five years that Shevchenko played in the senior team, Kyiv won the national league on each occasion. Needless to say, this only increased the bonding between Shevchenko and Lobanovskyi.

Shevchenko

Shevchenko

So much so, that even after his move to Milan in 1999, Shevchenko was in constant touch with Lobanovskyi, whom he considered to be a father figure in his life. Following his death in 2002, Shevchenko vowed to score a goal in his name in the match against Internazionale. In one of the most touching moments in football, after he won the 2003 UEFA Champions League, he left his medal by the grave of his mentor. The same was seen when he won the Ballon dai??i??Or in 2004.

Shevchenko and the tale of two penalties

The spot from 12 yards out is one of the most dreaded and feared portions of any football field and needless to say, Shevchenko has been both a hero and villain from the spot. The first of the two penalties takes place at Old Trafford, Manchester where Milan faced off against Juventus in an all-Italian final. In one of the most thrilling semi-finals ever witnessed in recent history, Milan went through to the finals defeating Internazionale on away goals having played both the matches at home.

The final proved to be a different ball-game altogether as the two Italians giants went against each other with everything they had. Juveai??i??s 4-4-2 neutralized Milanai??i??s 4-3-1-2 with Inzaghi and Conte coming close to equalizing for both sides. The game remained goal-less and it headed for the dreaded penalty shootout. Milanai??i??s first penalty was converted by Serginho and after misses from Trezeguet, Zalayeta and Miontero, it was up to Shevchenko to bring the coveted cup to Milan. Up stepped the star from Ukraine, and after looking four times at the referee, took his shot. As the ball bulged the back of the net, Shevchenko ran to Dida to celebrate. Serginho joined in soon after, and hence was won Shevchenkoai??i??s first and only Champions League.

Shevchenko

Fast forward to 2005 and this time the opponent was Liverpool. Milanai??i??s 4-4-2 diamond formation was up against Liverpoolai??i??s 4-4-1-1 at the AtatA?rk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul. The 120 minutes that followed is widely regarded as one of the greatest finals in Champions League history. 45 minutes into the match, Milan were up by 3 goals to nil, the last of which came off an exquisite chip by Crespo off a Kaka assist. Surely Milan mustai??i??ve thought that the match was in the bag, that it had been put to rest.

As soon as the whistle blowed for the start of second half, Liverpool were a different team altogether. Replacing a right back with a midfield player, Liverpool switched to a 5-man midfield in order to stifle Milan. And in a space of 6 minutes, Milan was left high and dry. Liverpool had equalized and now the match was on. While no team was able to score any more goals, the game went to the penalty spot for the second time for Milan in successive finals.

While Pirlo missed from the spot, the deciding shot of the match fell on Shevchenko. Memories rushed in from the night at Manchester with Buffon under the bars. Surely Dudek was no match for the Italian legend. But this time, Shevchenko missed. Any guesses as to who took the first penalty for Milan? It was Serginho. The same pattern was found in the 2003 and the 2005 finals, but this time the result was against Milan.

The Chelsea ordeal

In the summer of 2005, smoke arose of a rumor that Chelsea owner, Roman Abramovich had offered Milan as much as 75 million Euros to sign Shevchenko. Abramovich was a long-time admirer of the golden-haired Ukrainian and hence the deal was made, not of 75 but of 30 million Euros. What was seen by many as a dream transfer soon came crashing down. After the initial euphoria died down, it was down to how much Shevchenko will be able to gel with his new team-mates and more importantly, with Mourinho. After the initial few games proved that Shevchenko is a different material than what Mourinho has handled so far in his career, he soon found his time on the bench to increase exponentially.

Shevchenko

However, upon pressure from Abramovich, Mourinho was forced to play Shevchenko. But it was just not meant to be. The 3-year spell at Chelsea yielded less than 10 goals, a stark contrast to the 127 he had scored for Milan. While he did have some breath-taking moments in the blue shirt, a distant clamor rose of his impeding return to Milan. The inevitable happened when he was loaned back for one season and in that one season the detrimental effects of the London club was apparentAi?? on one of the best strikers of all time. Not only did he fail to find the net even once, he was downright pathetic and appalling.

However, his misery was about to end. With Ancelotti taking the reins over at Chelsea, Shevchenko was sold off to Dynamo Kyiv, his first club. Having worked for years with him, Ancelotti understood the only way to resurrect his career was to send him to a place where he was at peace, where he was one with the surrounding and where he wonai??i??t be hounded for every single mistake he made on the pitch.

Shevchenko and the return to Dynamo Kyiv

Shevchenkoai??i??s return to Kyiv in 2009 was nothing short of a heroai??i??s homecoming. After having won the Ukrainian Premier League under the guidance of Lobanovskyi for five consecutive years, the prodigal sonai??i??s return was hailed by one and all. The years that followed were kind to him and he found his goal-scoring form once again. However, any further trophy has eluded him so far. Now 35 and surely at the twilight of his career, Shevchenko wishes to make a successful swansong out of the upcoming Euros to be hosted jointly by Poland and Ukraine.

But has he postponed his retirement for too long knowing very well that age has caught up with him? Maybe. Maybe not. Every player wants a perfect swansong where they can ride into the sunset on their own wish and Shevchenko is no different. However, the reality might be a stark contrast to the high standards he has set throughout his career.

When we see Shevchenko we donai??i??t dwell on the fact how slow or old he has become, we are constantly reminded of the times when he ran havoc through the legendary Juventus defense before chipping the ball over Buffon; of the times he scored against our most hated rivals and ran off the celebrate with the Curva Sud; and of the million moments of joy and jaw-dropping brilliance that has given us countless golden memories to recall on a warm Sunday afternoon.

Even though Shevchenko has left Italian shores a long time back, in our hearts he will forever be a Milan legend.

Tags: AC Milan Chelsea FC Kyiv Shevchenko

Andriy Shevchenko – The Milan Legend (THT Heroes)

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