Andriy Shevchenko facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Hero of Ukraine Andriy Shevchenko OS
Андрій Шевченко
Shevchenko as Ukraine manager in 2017
President of the Ukrainian Association of Football
Incumbent
Assumed office 25 January 2024
Preceded by	Oleh Protasov
Personal details
Born	Andriy Mykolayovych Shevchenko (1976-09-29) 29 September 1976 (age 48) Dvirkivshchyna, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union (now Ukraine)
Political party	SDPU(u) (1998–2005) Ukraine – Forward! (2012)
Spouse	Kristen Pazik ​ (m. 2004)​
Children	4
Relatives	Mike Pazik (father-in-law)
Occupation	Footballer manager sports administrator
Association football career Height 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) Position(s) Striker Youth career 1986–1993 Dynamo Kyiv Senior career* Years Team Apps (Gls) 1993–1996 Dynamo-2 Kyiv 51 (16) 1993–1999 Dynamo Kyiv 117 (60) 1999–2006 AC Milan 208 (127) 2006–2009 Chelsea 48 (9) 2008–2009 → AC Milan (loan) 18 (0) 2009–2012 Dynamo Kyiv 55 (23) Total 497 (235) International career 1994–1995 Ukraine U19 8 (5) 1994–1995 Ukraine U21 7 (6) 1995–2012 Ukraine 111 (48) Managerial career 2016–2021 Ukraine 2021–2022 Genoa *Club domestic league appearances and goals

Andriy Mykolayovych Shevchenko is a famous Ukrainian former football player and manager. He was born on September 29, 1976. Many people think he is one of the best strikers ever. He is also considered Ukraine's greatest football player. Shevchenko holds the record for the most goals scored for the Ukraine national team, with 48 goals.

He started his career at Dynamo Kyiv and won many league titles. Later, he joined AC Milan in Italy. There, he became one of Europe's top strikers. He won the Serie A league title in 2004 with Milan. He also won the UEFA Champions League with Milan in 2003. He later played for Chelsea in England. He won two domestic cups with Chelsea in his first season.

In 2004, Shevchenko won the Ballon d'Or award. This award is given to the best football player in Europe. He was also named one of the top 125 greatest living footballers by FIFA. As captain, he led Ukraine to the quarter-finals of the 2006 FIFA World Cup. This was Ukraine's first time in the tournament. He also played in UEFA Euro 2012 when it was held in his home country.

Shevchenko is the second-highest goalscorer in AC Milan's history. He scored 175 goals for the club. He is also the top scorer in the Derby della Madonnina, the big match between Milan and Inter Milan. After retiring from playing, he became a football manager. He coached the Ukraine national team from 2016 to 2021. He led them to the quarter-finals of UEFA Euro 2020. In January 2024, Shevchenko became the President of the Ukrainian Association of Football.

Early Life and First Steps in Football

Andriy Shevchenko was born in a small village called Dvirkivshchyna in Ukraine in 1976. His family moved to Kyiv when he was three years old. In Kyiv, he started playing football at a local school. When he was nine, he joined a football section coached by Oleksandr Shpakov.

Around that time, the Chernobyl nuclear accident happened. Andriy and his sports group had to leave the city for a while. When he was young, he also enjoyed boxing. He was a competitive boxer in a junior league. But in the end, he chose to focus on football.

Club Career Highlights

Starting Strong at Dynamo Kyiv

In 1986, Shevchenko tried to join a special sports school in Kyiv. He didn't pass a dribbling test. However, a scout from Dynamo Kyiv saw him playing in a youth tournament. The scout was impressed and brought him to the club. Four years later, Shevchenko played in the Ian Rush Cup for Dynamo's under-14 team. He was the top scorer in that tournament. He even won a pair of boots from the famous player Ian Rush.

Shevchenko started his professional career at 16. He played his first game for Dynamo-2 Kyiv in May 1993. He became the top scorer for Dynamo-2 in the 1993–94 season. He scored 12 goals. He also scored his first hat-trick in a game against Artania Ochakiv.

He made his debut for the main Dynamo Kyiv team in November 1994. He was 18 years old. In his first season, he helped Dynamo win the national league title and the cup. He won the league title with Dynamo in all five of his seasons there. In a 1997–98 UEFA Champions League game, he scored three goals against Barcelona. Dynamo won that game 4–0. He scored 33 goals in all competitions in the 1998–99 season.

Becoming a Star at AC Milan

In 1999, Shevchenko moved to the Italian club AC Milan. It was a very big transfer at the time. He quickly became a top scorer in Italy. In his first season, he scored 24 goals in 32 matches. He was the best goalscorer in the Serie A league. He continued his great form in the next season, scoring 24 goals again.

Shevchenko with AC Milan during a UEFA Champions League game in 2004

In 2003, Shevchenko helped Milan win the Champions League. He was the first Ukrainian player to win this important trophy. He scored a key goal against Inter Milan in the semi-final. Then, he scored the winning penalty in the final against Juventus. After winning, he took his medal to Kyiv. He placed it by the grave of his former coach, Valeriy Lobanovskyi. He also scored the winning goal in the 2003 UEFA Super Cup against Porto.

Shevchenko was the top scorer in Serie A again in the 2003–04 season. He scored 24 goals. Milan won the league title that year. In 2004, he won the Ballon d'Or award. This made him the third Ukrainian player to win it. In November 2005, he scored four goals in a Champions League game against Fenerbahçe. This was a rare achievement. Milan reached the Champions League final again in 2005. However, they lost to Liverpool in a penalty shootout. Shevchenko missed the deciding penalty. He finished his time at Milan with 175 goals in 296 games.

Time at Chelsea

In May 2006, Shevchenko moved to Chelsea in England. It was a very expensive transfer. He wore the number seven shirt. He scored in his first game for Chelsea in August 2006. He also scored his first Premier League goal that month. He scored 14 goals in 51 games in his first season. He helped Chelsea win the FA Cup and the League Cup in 2007.

Shevchenko with Chelsea in 2007

His second season at Chelsea was affected by injuries. He scored five league goals in 17 games. He also played in the Champions League final with Chelsea. They lost to Manchester United on penalties.

Loan Back to AC Milan

In 2008, Shevchenko was loaned back to AC Milan for one season. He didn't score any league goals during this loan. He returned to Chelsea in 2009.

Leaving Chelsea

After a short time back at Chelsea, he decided to leave. His former Milan manager, Carlo Ancelotti, was now coaching Chelsea. Ancelotti said Shevchenko would likely leave to play more often.

Return to Dynamo Kyiv

On August 28, 2009, Shevchenko signed a two-year deal with his old club, Dynamo Kyiv. He scored a penalty in his first game back. He often played as a left winger or central midfielder. In October, he was named the best player in the Ukrainian Premier League. He scored his 15th career goal against Inter Milan in a Champions League game. On July 28, 2012, Shevchenko announced he was retiring from playing football.

International Career for Ukraine

Shevchenko celebrates scoring against Sweden at Euro 2012.

Shevchenko played 111 games for the Ukraine national team. He scored 48 goals, making him their all-time top scorer. He played for Ukraine in the 2006 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2012. He first played for Ukraine in 1995. He scored his first international goal in May 1996.

He scored six goals in the qualifiers for the 2006 World Cup. This helped Ukraine reach their first major tournament. He was the team captain at the World Cup. He scored in Ukraine's first World Cup win, a 4–0 victory over Saudi Arabia. He also scored the winning penalty against Tunisia. Ukraine reached the quarter-finals, where they lost to Italy.

In May 2012, Shevchenko was part of the Ukrainian squad for Euro 2012. In Ukraine's first game, he scored two goals against Sweden. Ukraine won 2–1. After Ukraine was eliminated from the group stage, Shevchenko announced his retirement from international football. He was both Ukraine's youngest and oldest goalscorer.

Player Profile

Style of Play

Shevchenko's number 7 Milan jersey in the San Siro museum

Shevchenko was a fast, hardworking, and energetic striker. He was very good at scoring goals. He usually played as a main striker. But he could also play anywhere across the front of the attack. He was known for his speed and smart movement without the ball. He could also dribble well and shoot powerfully with both feet.

Even though he wasn't known for heading often, he was good in the air. He was a strong player with a great eye for goal. He was also good at passing to his teammates and helping them score. Many experts compared him to the famous Dutch striker Marco van Basten.

Reception

Many football experts believe Shevchenko is one of the greatest strikers of all time. They also consider him one of the best players of his generation. He is widely seen as Ukraine's best player ever. In 2004, the legendary player Pelé named Shevchenko as one of the top 125 greatest living footballers.

Coaching and Managerial Career

Coaching the Ukraine National Team

In November 2012, Shevchenko was offered the job of head coach for the Ukraine national team. He initially turned it down. From February to July 2016, he worked as an assistant manager for the team. On July 15, 2016, Shevchenko was appointed as the head coach of the Ukraine national team. He replaced Mykhaylo Fomenko. Shevchenko signed a two-year contract. He brought in former players and coaches to help him.

On October 14, 2019, Shevchenko led Ukraine to qualify for UEFA Euro 2020. They beat Portugal 2–1 at home. At Euro 2020, Shevchenko guided Ukraine to the quarter-finals. This was the first time in their history they reached this stage. They beat Sweden in the round of 16. They then lost to England in the next round. Despite their success, Shevchenko announced he was leaving the role on August 1, 2021.

Managing Genoa

On November 7, 2021, Shevchenko became the new head coach of Genoa, an Italian club. He signed a contract until 2024. His first game was a 2–0 loss to Roma. On January 15, 2022, Shevchenko was sacked after just two months. During his time there, his team won only one match and lost seven.

Political and Olympic Roles

After retiring from football in June 2012, Shevchenko joined a political party called Ukraine – Forward!. He was second on their list for the October 2012 Ukrainian parliamentary election. However, his party did not win enough votes to enter parliament.

Shevchenko became the Vice President of the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine on November 17, 2022. He left this role in January 2023. This was because he disagreed with the results of the election for the new President. In January 2024, Shevchenko was elected President of the Ukrainian Association of Football.

Personal Life

Shevchenko in a poster campaign for the Ukrainian branch of UNICEF, 2012

Andriy Shevchenko's first name is spelled Andriy on his official website. This spelling is also used by UEFA and FIFA. Shevchenko is married to American model Kristen Pazik. She is the daughter of baseball player Mike Pazik. They met in 2002 and got married on July 14, 2004. They have four sons, born between 2004 and 2014.

Shevchenko is good friends with fashion designer Giorgio Armani. He has modeled for Armani and opened two stores with him in Kyiv. He also started an online shopping website with his wife. Shevchenko became an ambassador for the SOS Children's Villages charity in 2005. He also has a foundation to help orphaned children. In 2022, he became an ambassador for United24. This is a government-supported aid organization in Ukraine.

Shevchenko enjoys golf. He played in his first professional golf tournament in September 2013. He also played in a charity football match called Soccer Aid in 2014. Besides Russian, Shevchenko speaks English and Italian. He is also working to improve his Ukrainian. Shevchenko has spoken out to ask for an end to the War in Ukraine.

Media Appearances

Shevchenko is featured in EA Sports' FIFA video game series. He was on the cover of FIFA 2005. He was also included as a special "Ultimate Team Legend" in FIFA 14. He remained an "Icon" in the game until FIFA 18. He has also appeared in various versions of Konami's Pro Evolution Soccer video game series.

Honours and Awards

Dynamo Kyiv

• Ukrainian League: 1994–95, 1995–96, 1996–97, 1997–98, 1998–99
• Ukrainian Cup: 1995–96, 1997–98, 1998–99
• Ukrainian Super Cup: 2011
• Commonwealth of Independent States Cup: 1996, 1997, 1998

AC Milan

• Serie A: 2003–04
• Coppa Italia: 2002–03
• Supercoppa Italiana: 2004
• UEFA Champions League: 2002–03; runner-up: 2004–05
• UEFA Super Cup: 2003

Chelsea

• FA Cup: 2006–07
• Football League Cup: 2006–07
• UEFA Champions League: runner-up: 2007–08

Individual Awards

• Ballon d'Or: 2004
• Ukrainian Footballer of the Year: 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2004, 2005
• UEFA Champions League top scorer: 1998–99 (8 goals), 2005–06 (9 goals)
• UEFA Club Forward of the Year: 1998–99
• UEFA Team of the Year: 2004, 2005
• Serie A Foreign Footballer of the Year: 2000
• Serie A top scorer: 1999–2000 (24 goals), 2003–04 (24 goals)
• Golden Foot: 2005
• FIFPro World XI: 2005
• FIFA 100 (named by Pelé as one of the greatest living footballers)
• AC Milan Hall of Fame
• Italian Football Hall of Fame: 2023

Orders and Honors

• Hero of Ukraine: 2004
• Commander of the Order of the Star of Italy: 2018
• National Legend of Ukraine (2022)

Images for kids

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  Shevchenko presented with a Ukraine shirt before making his 100th appearance in 2010.

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  Anatoliy Tymoshchuk and Shevchenko being honoured by UEFA in 2011 for their 100th cap. They are the first and third, respectively, most capped players in the history of Ukraine.

See also

In Spanish: Andriy Shevchenko para niños