The President of the Ukrainian Football Association, Andriy Shevchenko, has been honored for his contributions to Italian football and inducted into the Italian Football Hall of Fame.
According to the official website of the Italian Football Federation, Shevchenko joined a prestigious lineup of legendary foreign players in the Museo del Calcio. He received this recognition as part of the 12th edition of Italian football’s esteemed honorees.
Shevchenko was inducted into the Hall of Fame in the "Foreign Player" category, joining past inductees like Platini, Van Basten, Batistuta, Maradona, Ronaldo, Falcao, Gullit, Zanetti, Boniek, Rummenigge, and Zidane. On this occasion, he delivered a brief speech.
“Dear Milan, thank you for believing in me. From the first day, I felt like a family member. Together, we achieved many victories, and I met remarkable people, including the Berlusconi family, Adriano Galliani, Ariedo Braida, and the Maldini family. Being inducted into the Italian Football Hall of Fame is a huge privilege, and I am grateful to all my Milan teammates, the management, and the fans,” Shevchenko said.
Andriy Shevchenko with AC Milan
The Ukrainian forward moved to San Siro in the summer of 1999 for $25 million. In his debut season, he became Serie A's top scorer with 24 goals.
Shevchenko won his first trophies with the Rossoneri in the 2002/03 season. Under the management of Carlo Ancelotti, AC Milan claimed the Italian Cup and triumphed in the Champions League. In the following season, Shevchenko's team secured the UEFA Super Cup and the Serie A title. The Ukrainian striker became the top scorer in the Italian league for the second time in his career.
Shevchenko’s successful 2003/04 season earned him the Ballon d'Or. Before the 2006/07 season, he transferred to Chelsea in London but returned to Milan on loan in the 2008/09 season. In total, he played 322 matches for Milan across all competitions, scoring 175 goals.
Shevchenko's Trophies in Italy:
- Champions League 2002/03
- Italian Cup 2002/03
- UEFA Super Cup 2003
- Serie A title 2003/04
- Italian Super Cup 2004
- Paolo Rossi Award 1999/2000, 2003/04
- Ballon d'Or 2004
