“Naturalization? When players come in, I have a negative attitude.”

Ukraine National Team Coach Andrey Shevchenko In an interview with journalist Viktor Vatsko, he spoke about the naturalization of footballers for the Ukraine team:

“Naturalization is primarily an initiative of the players. If a footballer plays in Ukraine long enough, he deliberately goes and receives a passport to get a passport. Connect your life with our country. You know the language, your children go to school here. If you have been playing here for six years, this is a significant moment, then I think you are Ukrainian.

I have my own vision on this and I expressed it. I will not argue with anyone, challenge, impose an opinion on anyone. And when they bring in players especially, and two years later they’re trying to get some kind of passport, then they are forced to play, then I have a negative attitude towards this kind of naturalization.

And if a footballer came to our country, he stayed here at a difficult time, he moved to his family, his children go to school here. If they have been playing here for 6-7 years, they decided to get a Ukrainian passport, then for me they are Ukrainians, they play in our country at a difficult time. “

In recent years, Brazilians Moraes and Marlos received Ukrainian passports and later became players for the national team.