Former striker of the Russian national football team and “Zenith” of St. Petersburg Alexander Kerzhakov said in an interview with journalist Nobel Arustamyan about his decision to leave Russia in the fall of 2022.
The footballer and his family first left for Dubai, in February 2023 he received an invitation to lead the coaching staff of the Cypriot football club Karmiotissa. In April, Kerzhakov left this post.
Kerzhakov noted that the move to Dubai was not a change of residence and emigration.
“We left, but that doesn’t mean we went there to live, we don’t have anything there. It was just an opportunity to leave, we understood that in this current situation we want to go where it is hot and just be there, and not in Russia, ”explained the footballer.
He stressed that the departure was not an escape or an attempt to “deny” Russia, but a desire “to just leave during this time and stay somewhere far away”.
Kerzhakov added that it was “very difficult” for him and his wife because of what was happening in Russia and Ukraine. “Because every day you see it, read it, you come to understand and realize the magnitude of everything that’s going on. It got really tough on me, and my wife got really tough, and we went there, ”said the athlete.
Responding to Arustamyan’s question about what is not specifically suitable for Kerzhakov in what is happening in Russia, the footballer admitted that he was afraid.
“I’m scared. I could never in my life believe that this is possible. When they asked me what your main desire was, the only thing I asked was that there be no of war in the world. Because I don’t understand how it is possible that now, in such a modern and progressive society, what is happening now can happen,” Kerzhakov said.
Alexander Kerzhakov from 2001 to 2017 played for St. Petersburg “Zenith”, he also played for Spanish “Seville”, Moscow “Dynamo” and Swiss “Zurich”.
In 2017, the footballer ended his playing career and went to training. He worked with Russia’s youth team FC Tom and Pari Nizhny Novgorod.
Kerzhakov remains the top scorer in the history of the Russian national team, sharing first place with Artem Dzyuba.
