Midfielder of “Manchester United” Zakari Baumann spoke about how the option to change his football citizenship appeared, commented on his debut for the youth national team of Ukraine, and also admitted how he feels about the nickname “Ukrainian Scholes”.
Zakari Baumann— Congratulations, Zak, you are now a Ukrainian. How did you come to the decision to represent the homeland of your parents?
— This decision was completely thought out and conscious; we had time to discuss it with the family and agree. For me, Ukraine has always meant a lot; all my friends knew that this is the country where my family is from. And although I was born and raised in the UK, in England, we speak Ukrainian at home. My mother taught my brother and me the Ukrainian language, and we were very pleased when Ukraine achieved success in football, in song contests, in culture.
— When did such a proposal first arise for you to represent Ukraine?
— More than a year ago, my mother received a call from the Ukrainian Football Association, where they informed her that they were monitoring my successes and offered me to play for the youth national team of Ukraine.
— Your impressions?
— Of course, I was very happy, and everyone in the family was too! We accepted this offer with gratitude and kept in constant contact. I played knowing that I was being followed back home. The process of resolving all the paperwork and the possibility for me to play took some time. But personally, I and my family accepted this decision with joy.
— Were you nervous when you went to the first training camp? What did you learn about the team and Dmitry Mikhailenko, with whom you will now work?
— Of course, I followed and was interested in which team I could get into. However, the real acquaintance happened just now — when I am in the team, when I work with the guys. I really like this atmosphere. In my opinion, if a footballer is called up to the national team — it is not only an honor but also great progress in his career. I can learn a lot of new things, develop as a player. Receiving such international experience and practice is a great benefit for a player.
— What, in fact, connects you with Ukraine?
— My mother is from here. Here, in the city of Kolomyia in the Ivano-Frankivsk region, live my grandmother and grandfather, to whom I want to send greetings and my best wishes.
— Have you been to Ukraine?
— Of course. My mother and I periodically visited my grandparents. The last time we were here was four years ago. We wanted to come, imagine, just in the winter of 2022, but just before our arrival, the full-scale invasion began — and that derailed our plans.
However, in general, I have been to Ukraine many times; for me, they are always joyful trips. We are very concerned about Ukraine; here in the UK, people understand how hard it is for Ukrainians. The support of the English is definitely on the side of Ukraine.
— Tell us a little about your family. Where did you grow up, do you have footballers in your family?
— No, there were no footballers in our family before me. However, my brother, who is a bit older than me, and I have loved playing football against each other since childhood. Believe me, those were very good matches!
My mother works in a hospital. My brother works in a telecommunications company. I grew up in the city of Bolton.
— Bolton… How did it happen that you ended up not in the Wanderers but in “Manchester United”?
— When I was about five years old, I was noticed by MU scouts and invited to the club. So, I can say that all my football life has been spent in Manchester. I have been at the club for a long time, I have gone through many coaches and have become who I am at MU. Therefore, I certainly respect the city of my birth and its main club, but it has happened that I am a Mancunian. I can definitely say that I am not just a player for “Manchester United” but a dedicated supporter of the club.
— You probably already know, but in Ukraine, they have managed to call you “our Scholes”. How fair is this nickname regarding your playing style?
— I am ginger, and Paul is ginger. We are both central midfielders and play for “Manchester United”. Yes, there are indeed reasons to call me that.
How do I feel about such a nickname? With gratitude! I dream of following the same path in football as Paul Scholes.
— What is similar and what is different in the playing styles of Scholes and Baumann?
— We play in the same position. I definitely want to be able to strike from various positions like Paul, and to work adeptly across a vast area of the field. However, there are also differences: while Scholes predominantly played vertical football, I am now practicing combinational play, passing, low passes. I won’t start comparing myself to Paul — that’s too early. I still have a lot of work to do to earn such an honor.
— Did you immediately become a central midfielder, or did you have to search for your position for some time?
— Yes, I tried a few different positions as a child — the coaches let me express myself in various spots on the field. But when I was about 11-12 years old, my main position was defined as central midfielder (“eight” in conventional football terminology, — Note by A.V.).
I think it was a precise hit because I feel comfortable playing in the center of the field; I have the necessary qualities for it and feel natural in that position.
— Did many coaches work with you at MU? How significant is the rotation in the club's academy in this regard?
— When I was 9-12 years old, our team was coached by Eimen. A very good coach, I have wonderful memories. Later, coaches began to change — practically every year and a half. So, indeed, we are not attached to one coach; in the various age teams, we encounter new specialists.
— Up to Adam Lawrence, with whom you played for U-18?
— I even played for the U-21 already.
— Have you had the opportunity to cross paths with MU legends? Is there such a practice for “Manchester” hearts to work with young recruits?
— No, legends of the club have not worked with us yet. But just in the team up to U-21, we worked with a specialist like Tom Huddlestone. He is best known for his performances with “Tottenham”. He also played for “Derby”, “Wolverhampton”, “Hull”. He played four matches for the national team of England under Fabio Capello and Roy Hodgson. Moreover, he was a great midfielder, so this experience was even more beneficial for me.
— You play with Jack and Tyler Fletcher — sons of the famous midfielder, technical director of MU Darren Fletcher. Does the legendary midfielder come to your matches?
— Not often, but it happens. Of course, it motivates us all; we want to perform as well as possible.
— The national team of Ukraine is in a difficult situation. What do you think of our group, and do you see a chance for success in the Nations League?
— I believe everything will be fine. The national team of Ukraine has the quality to beat Georgia and Albania, though it gets harder with every match. In my opinion, Ukraine's player selection is high quality; these are players well-known in Europe.
— Do they know in Great Britain the likes of Dovbyk, Tsygankov, Malinovskyi, Sudakov, or Shaparenko?
— I assure you they do. In Great Britain, football is a beloved, cult game. Everyone watches highlights of foreign leagues and knows that Dovbyk became the top scorer in the Spanish league and transferred to such a famous Serie A club as Roma. Similarly, Tsygankov is well-received. Many other footballers are also recognized and remembered. The national team of Ukraine in recent years has consistently participated in European Championships.
— We in Ukraine are very proud of the fact that so many of our legionnaires are currently playing in the EPL — probably the best national club league in the world. How is this perceived in England? Zinchenko from Arsenal, Mudryk from Chelsea, Zabarny from Bournemouth, Mykolenko from Everton, even young Yarmolyuk from Brentford are seen as worthy players, or is there a bit of criticism?
— This is football: there are different matches, different opponents. More successful, less successful. But in general, all these players are known, which is great — when a player comes to the EPL and can announce himself. I cannot say that any of them is met with hate.
— And personally, who do you like the most? Who do you follow?
— Oh, that’s a tough question! I am very glad to see Ukrainians in the EPL, and I support all of them when I attend matches they participate in. I probably keep a closer eye on Mudryk since he plays for Chelsea, a strong team, a direct competitor of MU. I am interested in following him; “Mikey” has many wonderful qualities, and above all, speed. Yes, sometimes he has good matches, sometimes not. However, no one doubts that he is a very talented, unconventional player.
— Let’s pay tribute to the wonderful game “Football Manager.” Here’s your budget, and here’s the list of players. Who among Ukrainians would you invite to MU right now?
— To the first club team? Let me think for a moment… I would name Zabarny because Ilya is a very cool young defender, strong and with a good pass. And the new head coach of MU Amorim, as we hear, will favor a three-center-back formation, as he did in his previous team. So, Zaba would come in handy for him.
— Have you already seen Amorim at the club base?
— I haven’t seen Amorim, as I was already called up to the youth national team of Ukraine at that time.
— Have you been training with the first team of MU?
— Previously, I trained several times with the first team under ten Hag. He had a practice that, whenever there were many injuries, he would invite players from the youth setup. I have had that honor several times.
— And in the times of van Nistelrooy?
— No, I never had the opportunity. But he was there for a short time. But I will work, prove my level. Of course, I hope to work with the first team and play for it.
— I’m trying to sort out the statistics of your performances. Having reviewed the numbers from several statistical platforms, I’m confused: you play as many matches in a season as adult footballers! How so?
— Generally, our team participates in seven tournaments — briefly, from U-18 to U-21 leagues, both at the British level and locally. Indeed, there is plenty of match practice — and that’s super! I am very satisfied; it interests me.
— How do you find the transition between these teams? This could mean quite new teammates, new tactical requirements...
— Oh, no! The teams at MU play under a common tactical formation, and I know the guys, one way or another. Therefore, the transitions between the teams happen very smoothly; I could even say that in my age category, this distribution is more conditional — we are essentially one team.
— We all know Ukrainian legionnaires in the EPL. These are already quite loud names. What about young footballers of Ukrainian descent? Have you encountered any?
— Yes, I have met them. Just a few weeks ago, we played against Sunderland, and there played a technical, fast guy — Timur Tuterov. We got to know each other and chatted. It was very nice.
— Younger brother of Max Kilman is also at Chelsea, and Ivan Struk was at the “blues” academy, then ended up at Sunderland.
— Yes, there are Ukrainians — and I am pleased to meet them when such an opportunity arises.
— One of them is Kristiyan Shevchenko. He can definitely help you with adaptation and support a conversation in fluent English! Have you had to play against him?
— As surprising as it is, not yet! For some reason, it happened that I never faced Watford and didn’t come against Kristiyan on the field. But we are acquainted; we became friends; we added each other on Instagram quite a while ago. Without a doubt, for me, Kristiyan is a big advantage and a bonus that he is in the national team. He really speaks excellent English, helping me with my adaptation.
Kristiyan is a nice guy! (a wonderful guy, — Eng.). He is now my great friend and roommate in the national team of Ukraine.
— You are a debutant of the national team of Ukraine. Was there something new you had to get used to? Especially in football terms...
— There are things I am getting used to or learning. However, overall, I was received wonderfully, and the credit for that goes to such friendly guys as Kristiyan. In general, I strive to become one of the team and am adapting. But in football terms, everything is at a high level, and there is nothing that I would perceive with misunderstanding.
— Your new head coach in the youth national team of Ukraine, Dmitry Mikhailenko, was once a solid central midfielder at the international level: he played for Dnipro, Dynamo, and the national team, gaining experience as a legionnaire. Did you have a conversation with him?
— Of course! When talks about my naturalization were ongoing, Dmitry Mikhailenko was one of those who I spoke to personally. I am very grateful to him for his words of support and assurance that I am needed by the national team. This means a lot to me and had a very significant impact on my choice.
— Did Dmitry Stanislavovich give any specific advice?
— Every session with the coach, every analysis of the opponent or pre-match instructions — this is the useful information we, the national team members, need. In a week, I have seen and heard a lot, but I am very interested in working, and I want to become one with the national team.
— You have quality competitors: Tsukanov from Shakhtar, and they speak with great respect regarding Lenya from Fortuna about his sporting prospects. Have you already felt this level of competition?
— As I said earlier, I am a newcomer. I essentially need to constantly prove my level and show myself. The guys that have gathered are strong; it is evident from all that they have a good background and know a lot about football.
— Then why did you lose to Kazakhstan?
— Such things happen in football. Anyone who watched the match will agree with me — the national team of Ukraine exerted great pressure and played until the last.
— You managed to touch the ball during all minutes on the field plus added time, feel the style of the national team?
— Yes, of course, but in fact, everything is still ahead. I have not shown anything yet, and I am looking forward to our next opponents with interest.
— The tournament standings are complicated. What do you expect from the matches against Slovenia and the Netherlands? And, most importantly, what should the fans expect?
— I ask the fans to support the national team, watch our matches, and worry about us. We need to win the next two matches and take six points; that is obvious. And we will do everything to give the national team its chance to qualify.
Arthur Valerko
