Oleksandr Zinchenko (footballer)

1.1. Early Life and Background

Zinchenko was born on 15 December 1996, in Radomyshl, Zhytomyr Oblast, Ukraine. His first football coach was Serhiy Boretskyi at the Youth Sportive School Karpatiya in his native Radomyshl. Due to the War in Donbas, Zinchenko and his parents relocated to Russia. After leaving Shakhtar Donetsk, where he was still under contract, he spent five to six months playing in amateur leagues in Moscow. He later trained with Rubin Kazan, but the club did not sign him, fearing a transfer ban due to his existing contract with Shakhtar. Following this, Shakhtar took the case to FIFA's Dispute Resolution Chamber, which ordered Zinchenko to pay approximately 8.00 K EUR in compensation to his former club for terminating his contract.

1.2. Youth Club Career

Zinchenko progressed through various youth football clubs and academies. After starting at Karpatiya, he moved to FC Monolit Illichivsk before joining FC Shakhtar Donetsk. At Shakhtar, he rose through the ranks to become the captain of their youth team. A notable achievement during his youth career was scoring a goal in a 1-1 draw against Manchester United in the 2013-14 UEFA Youth League on 9 December 2013.

2.1. FC Ufa

On 12 February 2015, Zinchenko signed his first professional contract with Russian Premier League club FC Ufa. He made his professional debut for Ufa in the Russian Premier League on 20 March 2015, in a match against FC Krasnodar. On 25 July 2015, he scored his first goal for the club in a 1-2 defeat against FC Rostov. During his time at Ufa, he made a total of 33 appearances and scored 2 goals across the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons, contributing to their Russian Cup quarter-final run in 2016.

2.2. Manchester City

Zinchenko's transfer to Manchester City marked a pivotal point in his career, where he evolved his playing position and became an integral part of a dominant team under Pep Guardiola. He initially joined Manchester City for an undisclosed fee, believed to be around 1.70 M GBP on 4 July 2016. The move surprised some, but a Russian football scout described him as a "real talent," noting that Borussia Dortmund had also been monitoring his development.

2.2.2. Breakthrough and Key Role (2017-2019)

Zinchenko returned to Manchester City for the 2017-18 season. He made his club debut on 24 October 2017, playing the full match, including extra time, in a 0-0 draw with Wolverhampton Wanderers in the 2017-18 EFL Cup. His Premier League debut came on 13 December 2017, when he appeared as a substitute in a 4-0 away win against Swansea City. On 18 December 2017, he scored the winning penalty in a shootout against Leicester City in the EFL Cup, sending Manchester City to the semi-finals.

He gained an extended run in the team, particularly at left-back, following injuries to key defenders Benjamin Mendy and Fabian Delph. This period saw him deliver consistent performances, establishing himself in the position. He made his first appearance of the 2018-19 season in a 3-0 away win against Oxford United in the EFL Cup. In the same week, he made his first league start of the season against Brighton & Hove Albion. On 9 January 2019, he scored his first goal for Manchester City in a dominant 9-0 home win against Burton Albion in the EFL Cup semi-final. In June 2019, he signed a new contract, extending his stay with the club until 2024.

2.3. Arsenal

On 22 July 2022, Zinchenko signed a long-term contract with Arsenal for a reported fee of 30.00 M GBP, potentially rising to 32.00 M GBP with add-ons. He made his club debut on 5 August, registering his first assist for Arsenal in a 2-0 away win against Crystal Palace in the Premier League.

On 18 February 2023, Zinchenko scored his first goal for Arsenal and his first in the Premier League, Arsenal's second in an eventual 4-2 away win over Aston Villa. This victory helped Arsenal extend their lead at the top of the Premier League table. However, Arsenal eventually finished second to his former club, Manchester City, despite leading the league for the majority of the 2022-23 season. On 25 February 2023, for a match against Leicester City marking one year since the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Arsenal captain Martin Ødegaard suggested that Zinchenko wear the captain's armband in a gesture of respect for Ukraine. On 20 September 2023, he played his first UEFA Champions League match for Arsenal in a 4-0 victory against his former loan club, PSV. On 6 August 2024, it was officially announced that he would change his jersey number from 35 to 17, a number he considers special as he wore it during his youth career and often requested for the national team.

3.1. Early Appearances and Record

Zinchenko made his international debut for Ukraine on 12 October 2015, in a UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying match against Spain. He scored his first international goal in a friendly match against neighboring Romania in Turin on 29 May 2016, which Ukraine won 4-3. At the age of 19 years and 165 days, Zinchenko became Ukraine's youngest player to score an international goal, breaking a record previously held since 1996 by the legendary Andriy Shevchenko.

3.2. UEFA European Championship Campaigns

Zinchenko was included in Ukraine's squad for UEFA Euro 2016. He appeared as a substitute for Viktor Kovalenko in Ukraine's first two matches against Germany and Northern Ireland. Ukraine struggled to score in the tournament and was the first team to be eliminated.

He was later included in the squad for UEFA Euro 2020. On 29 June 2021, in the Euro 2020 round of 16 match against Sweden, he scored the opening goal and assisted the second goal, which led to a 2-1 victory for Ukraine after extra time. For his performance, he was awarded the Star of the Match. This victory secured Ukraine's first-ever quarter-final appearance at a European Championship and their first quarter-final at a major tournament since the 2006 FIFA World Cup.

Zinchenko also participated in UEFA Euro 2024. Despite Ukraine securing 4 points in the group stage, they were eliminated, becoming the first team with 4 points to be knocked out at the group stage since the tournament expanded to 24 teams.

3.3. Captaincy and World Cup Qualifiers

On 24 March 2021, in a match against France, Zinchenko became Ukraine's youngest captain in history at the age of 24 years and 98 days. He participated in the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification playoffs, which were delayed due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. In the first round, Ukraine defeated Scotland, but they were unable to overcome Wales in the second round, missing out on qualification for the World Cup for the first time in 16 years.

4.1. Family and Beliefs

In August 2020, Zinchenko married journalist Vlada Sedan. The couple welcomed their first child, a daughter, in August 2021, and their second daughter in August 2023. Zinchenko identifies as an Eastern Orthodox Christian.

4.2. Political and Social Activism

Zinchenko has been a staunch and vocal opponent of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. On 24 February 2022, the day the invasion began, he posted on his Instagram account that he wished for Russian President Vladimir Putin to die "the most painful of deaths." The post was subsequently deleted, with Zinchenko claiming it was removed by Instagram, not by him. In an interview with the BBC in April 2024, Zinchenko expressed his readiness to fight for his home country if called upon, and revealed that he had donated approximately 1.00 M GBP to aid people affected by the war in Ukraine. In October 2023, he publicly expressed support for Israel during the conflict with Gaza, which reportedly led to some backlash from fans. His contributions have also been recognized through his role as a United24 Ambassador, a global initiative to raise funds for Ukraine.

4.3. Esports Venture

In 2023, Zinchenko diversified his interests by establishing his own esports organization, Passion UA. The organization currently competes in professional gaming titles such as Counter-Strike 2, Apex Legends, and Dota 2. In a notable instance, Zinchenko himself stood in for his Counter-Strike team in a YaLLa Compass Spring 2024 Contenders match against Bleed Esports on 8 February 2024, though his team ultimately lost. On 24 November 2024, Passion UA achieved a significant upset by defeating Astralis to qualify for the Perfect World Shanghai Major 2024.

5.1. Club

Manchester City

• Premier League: 2017-18, 2018-19, 2020-21, 2021-22
• FA Cup: 2018-19
• EFL Cup: 2017-18, 2018-19, 2019-20, 2020-21
• FA Community Shield: 2019
• UEFA Champions League runner-up: 2020-21

Arsenal

• FA Community Shield: 2023

5.2. Individual

• Ukrainian Footballer of the Year: 2019
• United24 Ambassador

6.1. Club Statistics

6.2. International Statistics