Hleb: "I know that scoring is my problem"

Barcelona player Alexander Hleb gave an nterview to Catalan newspaper El Periódico.





When did you know that Barcelona wanted you?
At the start of the holidays, in May. I talked with Arsène Wenger to tell him that I wanted to leave and that Barcelona was interested but he was first and said that he would fight so I would stay. I could understand him. Flamini was on his way out, there were rumours about Adebayor leaving. It wasn't easy for him.

When you arrived in Barcelona, you said that it was a dream come true.
When you're a little boy and you play on the street, you dream about playing for a big club. When Stuttgart signed me, that was already a dream come true. Back then, I didn't think I would join Barcelona one day, but here I am. Step by step, I got there. It proves that sometimes dreams come true.

That dream was about Barcelona or only about a European top club?
It was Barcelona. Because of the stadium, the team. Since the time of Stoichkov and Romario. It was fantastic. They were real stars and children dream about being a star. Little by little, working hard, with the support of my family, I achieved it.

And the other boys you played with?
Although there were a lot who were talented, none of them made it. Life has different roads for all of us, one gets injured, another starts drinking... I concentrated on football, on training and watching games on television. There weren't many games broadcasted at that time, only on Sunday afternoon. When the Soviet Union disappeared, you could see a lot more games by satellite: games from Spain, Italy and other leagues.

You scored 13 goals in 137 games with Stuttgart and 8 goals in 119 games with Arsenal.
That's not a lot, no (laughs).

How come?
I know that scoring is my problem. I know I need to shoot more, be more selfish in the box. It's a problem. I'm often going to shoot but when I hear "Alex", I change the plan and I give a pass. I don't have the mindset of a goalscorer like Eto'o.

Are you too generous or don't you believe enough in yourself?
I don't know. When I give a good pass and a goal comes out of it, I'm very satisfied. People are telling me that I should change that mentality and score more goals and I'm aware of that. I know it.

What has been your best game?
Several ones. I can't think of one. If we would have won, the Champions League final in Paris against Barcelona would have been the best. I will have to wait for another chance.

How was your youth in Minsk?
I had problems at school. Like all children I guess, since nobody likes to study. We all wanted to play. We didn't have a shortage of anything if that's what you wanted to know. But of course, in the old Soviet Union there wasn't any luxury, we didn't have as much as children have now.

I asked it because your father had to go and work abroad.
Yes, he had to work in Chernobyl because he was ordered to. He had to go there immediately after the nuclear accident. You couldn't refuse. It was an order. He received a letter and he had to leave. He had some physical problems, but now his health is more or less ok. He needed to follow a treatment in a hospital, but in a certain way he was lucky. Some of his friends and people he knew died there.


This was the second and last part of this interview. Read the first part here:
Hleb: "I'm speaking Russian with Toure"