Shevchenko ends football career

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Published time: July 28, 2012 09:07
Edited time: July 28, 2012 13:07

One of best footballers from the post-Soviet space, Andrey Shevchenko, has announced that he’s quitting the game to become a politician.

­“Recently, there were a lot of rumors about me signing a new contract with Dynamo Kiev or going to play abroad,” Shevchenko told Sport.ua. “But I can say with confidence that none of this will happen. I have decided to finish my football career and turn to politics.”

The 35-year-old’s deal with Dynamo expired in June this year, but the Ukrainian had plenty of offers from China and the MLS.

During his 19-year career, Shevchenko has grabbed five Ukrainian titles with Dynamo and won the UEFA Champions League and Serie A with AC Milan.

In 2004, the striker received the Golden Ball, which is awarded to the Best Footballer in Europe.

With 374 goals in the bag, Shevchenko is the top scorer in the history of Ukrainian football.

Euro 2012 proved to be the legend’s swansong. Co-hosts Ukraine failed to progress from the group sates, but the fans were once again impressed by the forward’s skills as he netted both goals in their 2-1 win over Sweden.