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By Keira Daley
9 June 2010
Arsenal’s Russian playmaker, Andrei Arshavin, currently in South Africa on lobbying business for the Russian bid to stage the 2018 World Cup, has given a Q&A interview on his personal website in which he talks about his admiration for Liverpool, his confusion at a supporter carving his name on themselves with a knife, and his update on his supposed interest in Barcelona.
On Liverpool Arshavin says: “It’s a club with great traditions.”
On Barca, he says: “As a child I supported Barcelona, I do not deny that. Actually I continue to root for Barca in the Spanish championship. As for the English championship, I’ve always liked Arsenal, so when I had an opportunity to join this club, I happily agreed. So I’ve never seen myself as a player of any other English club. Again, I am a Gunner, and I am satisfied with everything.”
One fan, Polina95, says in the Q&A: “Andrey, I have your name carved on my arm with a knife! Did I do it for nothing or not? What do you think? And this is not a joke; I spent the whole day carving it!”
Arshavin replies: “I do not understand it. Actually, I do not even like when people make tattoos. If it is not a joke, it’s sad. There are many other ways to express your sympathy to me.”
Arshavin’s Q&A sessions can have a surreal air. This following exchange came from another Q&A recently.
From ‘Aliv’: “Life is so difficult and incomprehensible. Why do some people achieve their goals and some people don’t. Does it depend on the number of gray matter cells in the brain or they are just losers? I think everyone has asked himself this question: what do I live for? To save the world from aliens or to save the neighbor Clara from falling icicle. I’ve been trying to answer these questions one hundred times and yet can’t find the answers … Now you try to answer, Andrey ….”
Arshavin replied: “I think that saving the world from aliens is, of course, the right thing to do, but still, the world would be a better place if each of us could save some neighbor Clara.”
Meanwhile in South Africa, Arshavin will be part of a Russian delegation tomorrow that will be “headed by Deputy Prime Minister Shuvalov [and] will present the merits of the Russian bid to the worldwide football family, united at the FIFA Congress and consisting of association members, confederation representatives, observers and various dignitaries.”
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