EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Zinchenko on Ukraine war and life at Arsenal

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Oleksandr Zinchenko is the beating heart of Ukraine and he sits down to talk war, why he refuses to reference Russia by name, and why he is continuing to have hope of a brighter future

• Oleksandr Zinchenko sat down with Sportsmail to discuss a host of key issues
• One at the forefront of his mind is Ukraine’s invasion from Russian forces 
• Another is Arsenal’s league title bid – and why he wants to celebrate with fans

Oleksandr Zinchenko slips through the door and holds out his hand. He offers an apology for running late. He lays down his coffee. And then this beating heart of Ukrainian football makes one thing clear: after 13 months of war and despair and destruction, he will no longer utter a few dirty words.

Russia. ‘I don’t want to even say the name,’ Zinchenko says. ‘I’m just going to say: “terrorist country.”‘

Vladimir Putin. ‘I don’t want to talk about…’ He pauses. ‘This person at all.’

The 26-year-old would rather erase, too, those years he spent across the border, making friends and playing football, which helped steer him towards this hotel in west London and Sunday’s opening Euro 2024 qualifier against England. 

‘I am grateful to FC Ufa for everything they’ve done for me. But since the terrorist invasion, I don’t want to have any memories of that time,’ he adds. ‘Honestly I don’t want to hear anything about this country. Because every single day Ukrainian people are dying because of them, because of their bombs.’

Oleksandr Zinchenko sat down with Sportsmail to discuss troubles back in his native Ukraine

Zinchenko remains deeply troubled by the invasion by Russia, a country who he is no longer willing to refer to by name

Unfortunately, for Zinchenko and his compatriots, some ties are tough to untangle. Trauma is forever stitched into their story and their psyche.

‘There is no one in Ukraine who didn’t lose something,’ the midfielder says. ‘This war touched all of us and our mind completely changed since then.’

Zinchenko stares into the distance as he counts the cost of the past year, since Russian tanks rolled into Ukraine and his people were plunged into this new normal. He lets out a sigh. 

‘Unfortunately, we already get used to it,’ the Arsenal star says. But? ‘Still we don’t lose our hope that everything will be good in the near future.’

Nor has Zinchenko lost sight of why days like today matter.

‘I would like to say a massive thanks to our Ukrainian army for this opportunity,’ he begins.

‘That we can still play football, still play for Ukraine. To represent our country on this level, of course everyone understands the pressure… every single opportunity we have to play against someone, we play for our badge, our country. We all understand the responsibility.’

A thousand more reminders will greet Ruslan Rotan’s players at Wembley: Ukrainian refugees, and the British families who opened their doors, are guests of the FA. Many more will be watching from afar.

Zinchenko is grateful to neighbours such as the UK who have stood in solidarity. 

‘Even now it’s so difficult but without your support, I can’t even imagine what would be,’ he says.

‘I remember, the first month after the invasion, I was going to the shop and little kids were coming to me and saying: ‘We are all with you, we are praying for you. And we hope everything will be good.’

They were only around 10 years old.

‘For me, these kind of things are most sensitive than any other events,’ Zinchenko continues. ‘It means even little kids are living with you this situation.’

Zinchenko recalls one specific episode in the first month after Russia’s invasion where he was approached by two young children at a shop who said they are standing with him amid fight

Ukrainian servicemen fire with a D-30 howitzer at Russian positions near Bakhmut, eastern Ukraine, on March 21, 2023, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine

The 26-year-old has been a powerful voice over the past 13 months; he has poured money, aid and his soul into the war effort.

‘I’m trying to do my best. That’s it,’ says Zinchenko, who was born in Radomyshl, west of Kyiv, and has a message for those forced to flee. ‘Be strong and for sure we’re going to win… everything will be fine in the future. That’s for sure. Because I know the spirit of all Ukrainians.’

A spirit that has defied Putin and seen this team and their people close ranks. ‘I’m so proud to say I’m Ukrainian,’ Zinchenko says. 

‘We understand the competition, the qualification for the Euros but also, for us, the most important thing is that we know the Ukrainian people are watching us. And we play for them.’

Last May, when the national team reconvened following the invasion, they came armed with harrowing tales: of surviving in underground car parks and nursing newborn babies to a soundtrack of sirens.

Back then, Zinchenko began his day by checking his phone and rarely put it down thereafter. Now? ‘Still the same, of course.’

There is no need for team-mates to discuss all they have lost.

‘Everyone understands what’s going on and we’ve lived with that already for more than one year.’ Everyone has their own coping mechanisms, too. Zinchenko leans on his wife and young daughter.

‘When I’m in trouble sometimes – mentally, physically, whatever – who is going to help you? If you cannot sort everything out by yourself? Obviously your family.’

They were the reason he resisted the urge to return home and fight.

He is bursting with pride to be Ukrainian and is now seeking to deliver a place at Euro 2024

It remains very raw and emotional for Zinchenko (right), who says ‘I need to carry on, to represent my country as well as I can, just to make Ukrainian people sometimes smile.’

‘It wasn’t easy for everyone to carry on, to do what we like the most,’ he explains. ‘In the end, I was thinking: there are two options. You carry on what you’re doing and try to help as much as you can… or you’re going to give up. So I choose the first one.’

The midfielder’s voice begins to crack before he adds: ‘I need to carry on, to represent my country as well as I can, just to make Ukrainian people sometimes smile.’

Last June, however, a nation wept when their World Cup dreams were ended by Wales. That heartache came a year after Zinchenko lost the Champions League final with Manchester City.

‘I remember one conversation with Fernandinho,’ the 26-year-old says.

It was about the fallout from Brazil’s 7-1 defeat by Germany at the 2014 World Cup.

‘Almost on all social media, his picture – touching the net – was on the first page,’ Zinchenko recalls. ‘(That) was so painful and obviously the criticism they received was incredible. He said to himself: “What should I do? Give up and put my nose down and keep going like that? Or should I just turn this page and go again.” So that’s what he did.’ And that’s what Zinchenko did.

A year after that European final against Chelsea, he helped Manchester City land the Premier League crown.

Nine months after defeat in Cardiff, Zinchenko is leading Arsenal towards the title.

With 10 games to go, they sit eight points clear. After Sunday’s victory over Crystal Palace, Zinchenko drove past a horde of supporters, wound down his window, and roared.

‘This is one of my favourite corners in London,’ he explains. ‘Every time I’m passing this pub – because it’s the way to my home – and every time there is a lot of Arsenal fans.’

He adds: ‘Every time I try to put my window down and scream because after (a game) I have incredible energy. And you just want to share these emotions with them.’

Zinchenko shouts ‘Come On’ to Arsenal supporters after their recent Crystal Palace win 

You can hear the sirens already: time and again this season, the celebration police have come for Arsenal. In August, after a late winner over Fulham, Zinchenko’s wild reaction earned him a warning from the FA.

‘We are not robots, we are human beings. We’re just doing our job and when this job is successful, why are we not allowed (to celebrate)? I don’t understand,’ he says.

‘Of course we didn’t win the Premier League yet and there are still a lot of games to play. But every single game in the Premier League is so tough… that’s why we celebrate.’

Both Zinchenko and Gabriel Jesus joined from City last summer. Both have changed how Arsenal play and think.

‘Since I arrived, the quality I’ve seen from everyone including the staff, players, anyone… I said: “We have everything to achieve big things and we don’t have to think about top four.” Everything started here.’ Zinchenko gestures to his head. ‘Before you go to bed, you’re just trying to visualise something. Or since you were a kid, you’re dreaming about something. Which is good. You have to. Because one day it can happen – everything is possible in this life.’

Within Mikel Arteta’s young squad, Zinchenko is an older head at 26.

But the Ukrainian insists: ‘We have plenty of leaders.’ Zinchenko highlights unsung heroes such as Mohamed Elneny.

‘It’s not about making the difference on the pitch. A leader could be in the dressing room, it could be the guy who doesn’t play much but still he’s with the team – giving energy, support, advice. Because it’s impossible – impossible – to win the game, title, competition, whatever, by yourself.

He adds: ‘Imagine someone is playing and the other guy in your position is just sitting separate, doesn’t talk to you at all, doesn’t help you? No.’ Not in Arteta’s cultural revolution.

‘I remember when Mikel was leaving City (in 2019),’ Zinchenko says. ‘I didn’t hold my emotions.’ He pauses. ‘I couldn’t because this guy was so special to me.’

Arteta was supposedly behind the idea to convert Zinchenko from a midfielder to the left-back-cum-playmaker who now conducts Arsenal’s play.

On the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Zinchenko was Arsenal’s captain

‘He taught me a lot,’ the Ukrainian continues. ‘As a human being he was incredible and the way he was working with us young players after every single training session, the advice he was giving everyone, was something incredibly important for me.’

So what makes Arteta so special? ‘The way he sees football – his vision, his character, his mentality. He’s a winner and everyone likes to win… as simple as that,’ Zinchenko says.

‘I said to my circle: “If one day I’m going to leave City and I’m going to stay in the Premier League, it will be only one manager: Mikel Arteta.”‘

So it proved last summer. ‘That’s what I said to him when he called me for the first time in that transfer window.’

Whatever happens, Zinchenko will rank among the season’s most significant signings.

In January, the Gunners tried and failed to land his compatriot Mykhailo Mudryk.

The winger made plain his desire to join Arsenal; in the end, they were outmuscled by Chelsea.

‘I told him: “It’s gone already, it doesn’t matter what you wanted, what the other guys wanted”,’ Zinchenko says.

‘Now you’re a Chelsea player, you signed a long-term contract and you have only one option, only one way: direct and forward.’

Zinchenko adds: ‘Unfortunately he didn’t become an Arsenal player – as I wanted personally! – but it’s life.’

Starting on Sunday, he and Mudryk will hope to drag Ukraine towards another major tournament.

Zinchenko played when they last met England at Euro 2020. That quarter final already feels like a relic of a different world. Two years on, Ukraine’s players will arrive at Wembley drained, distressed. But not defeated. ‘We can’t give up,’ Zinchenko insists. ‘We need to carry on until we win. That’s it.’

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