The first part of the 2023/2024 club season for Ukraine defender Ilya Zabarny at English club Bournemouth can be safely described in one word - phenomenal.
Ilya Zabarnyi (photo: uaf.ua)The main reason for this formulation is that our footballer played from the starting to the final whistle of the referee all the matches that the team played during this period of time in two tournaments. Bournemouth no longer have such performers.
As for the Cherries' results, until the beginning of November, they were in the relegation zone of the English Premier League, but immediately after a crushing defeat against the current champions Manchester City (1:6), they went on a brilliant seven-match unbeaten run (six wins), which allowed them to finish 2023 in a high 12th position in the Premier League standings. As you can see from the amount of playing time Zabarnyi has received, the contribution of the Ukrainian defender Andoni Iraola, a Spaniard, to this leap is very difficult to overestimate.
