These are heartbreaking photos: they were taken in Yerevan three years and 3 months ago when the Georgian U-21 team beat Armenia 3:2 in the qualifying round of European Championship. One year after this match Henrikh Mkhitaryan became a football player of “Shakhtar” Donetsk. Later, he was named as the best player of the club. This summer Mkhitaryan transferred to Champions League finalist “Dortmund” where he was given No.10 shirt of Mario Gotze who transferred to “Bayern”.
In the first photo there is Irakli Klimiashvili (“Skonto”) behing Mkhitaryan. In the second one there is Nika Kvekveskiri (“Spartak” Tskhinvali). Kvekveskiri and Klimiashvili held that match perfectly. Nika scored a beautiful goal.
“Dortmund” and “Spartak” Tskhinvali… Unfortunately, we are used to such contrasts. Let us remember, Sandro Iashvili and Gocha Khojava were in the symbolic team of European U-17 Championship with Cristiano Ronaldo. Valeri Gagua was one of the best top scorers of European U-18 Championship. “Palermo” bought Levan Mchedlidze
One fact from the Donetsk career of Mkhitaryan is worth mentioning: at first he had the lowest salary in the club and lived on “Shakhtar” base. Then, his salary has increased but lived on the base again. He was nicknamed - “director of the base”.
“Of course, the club chose a flat for me but I preferred living on the base. I am more concentrated. It does not take me a long time to get to the practice. Besides, I do not have a girlfriend”.
Only a good play is not enough for success in football career. There are important nuances in the life of Mkhitaryan which made him one of the best players of Bundesliga.
Education was important in his family: Monika, sister of Henrikh, is an assistant of Michel Platini in the UEFA. She studied in Lyon. The football player speaks 5 languages – Armenian, English, Russian, French and Portuguese. He studied English at school, French in France while living with his father and Portuguese while his internship in “San Paulo”. Yes, Mkhitaryan has practiced in “Sao Paulo” for 4 months. When he transferred to “Shakhtar” and met Brazilian football players there, they were surprised how the Armenian spoke Portuguese fluently.
The father of Mkhitaryan was a good player. Hamlet Mkhitaryan played for “Ararat” in the 80s.
“My parents taught me a lot. I have read a lot of book at the age of 10-11. I have never read a book without interest. Even when it is out of my genre, I read it carefully because I compare myself to the characters of the book. It helps me in my life. When I find an interesting sentence in the book, I underline it with a pen and remember”.
We often hear that we do not have a player like Mkhitaryan. It is true. Neither Russians nor Ukrainians have.
So, football is not only kicking the ball. Patience and overcoming barriers are taught behind the field.
Ilia Nanobashvili
