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oleksandr zinchenko has disclosed Manchester City Despite playing a role in two title-winning campaigns, he was placed on an “academy contract” during his first three seasons at the club.
Zinchenko joined City in 2016 From Russian club Ufa, he was spotted by club scouts a year earlier playing for Shakhtar Donetsk in the Youth Champions League against his current club, Arsenal.
The Ukrainian jumped at the chance to join City, but says he was initially told he would have to stay on youth wages until he broke into the first team. He was sent on loan to Dutch club PSV before returning. consecutive Premier League wins Under Pep Guardiola, but claims he was not awarded a professional contract until June 2019.
I am writing in my new book faith, Zinchenko explains: “City’s lawyers said: ‘Look, this is an academy player contract, right? As soon as you make your first official game for City, we’ll extend your contract with real money that we can make. Pay the professionals in full. This is not a deal, so trust us. Of course I said yes. But do you know when my next contract came? I played 43 games in the Premier League! Won Premier League titles.”
Zinchenko also revealed how he learned not to cross from manager Pep Guardiola after working hard in training.
“I said out loud: ‘Sir! Like, I just made a bad pass, you know?’ And his reaction was incredible,” Zinchenko writes in his book. “Oh, sorry, sorry, Mr. Zinchenko.” ‘ And he went in, finished the training, all because I talked back.’
Zinchenko was sent off in the next game and later apologized to the manager.
“Listen, first of all, I wasn’t right,” he explained Patron“I understood immediately, but it would have been foolish if I had gone straight to his office and apologized. It was the first day of the game and I knew his mind was completely on the gameplan. But I apologized after the game.
Their relationship became so strong after this incident that Guardiola phoned Zinchenko on the night that City won the treble the previous year – by which time the defender had been an Arsenal player for the entire season – to say thank you for his contribution. .
Manchester City has been contacted for comment.