One of the most controversial characters in Russian football, Alexander Kokorin, is doing well in the Cypriot championship. There were rumors that in the foreseeable future, he might even get the citizenship of the island nation. The forward has already refused to play for our national team, is he really ready to finally break ties with his homeland?

Returned to football for real

Kokorin was without a doubt one of the most talented players of his generation in Russia. All experts noted his high potential, but parties and expensive cars worried Alexander much more than football itself. At times, he really played brilliantly on the field, scoring for our team at the World Cup. And in general, there have never been any special complaints about its playing qualities.

However, outside the stadium, Kokorin regularly got into scandals. One of them ended in a prison term, after which Alexander returned to football anyway and was even quite good in the same Sochi. After a local take-off, the player was even invited by the Italian Fiorentina, but a business trip to Florence turned out to be a terrible failure. Kokorin was sitting on the bench without the slightest chance of becoming a player in the main team.

After Italy, Alexander was warmed up in the Cypriot club Aris, in which the management and coaching staff speak Russian. We must pay tribute to Kokorin – he really really returned to football and is now the third scorer of the Cypriot championship, as well as the best player in his team.

Photo: © FC Aris Limassol

“I don’t want to play for the national team”

It is no secret that the level of Cypriot football is significantly lower than not only Italian, but also Russian. Nevertheless, great miracles were no longer expected from Alexander, and he began to play stably and score in the new championship. On the wave of success, there was talk about the return of the football player to the Russian national team, but he himself said that he was not interested in this.

– I will be realistic, because today, in the current conditions, the national team is unlikely to play official matches in the near future, perhaps this will continue at least until 2025. In this context, I don’t want to play for the national team. If they call me, I will, of course, talk to the coach, but I want to know why I was called, ”Foot Mercato quotes Kokorin.

It would be possible in this case to end his career in the national team, but Kokorin raised the question as if he would decide when he would come to the national team and under what conditions. In general, in recent months, the Russian legionnaire of the Cypriot team began to behave painfully defiantly. Alexander regularly argues with fans on social networks and sometimes answers them quite rudely.

Photo: © Personal archive of Alexander Kokorin

“He found his country”

Not so long ago, Kokorin gave a controversial interview in which he literally stated that “every man should serve time in prison.” Fans only had time to digest this resonant statement, as another reason for surprise appeared. According to football agent Alexei Safonov, the football player may soon become a citizen of Cyprus.

– He does not want to return to Russia. He wants to get Cypriot citizenship. I think if it weren’t for the scene “12 chairs”, he would still play at Zenit. No problem. Unlike Dziuba, he has speed. He could achieve a lot. By nature, he was given 10 times more than everyone else in Russia. I have never seen such talent. Football is different in Italy, but in Cyprus he found his country. Scores. Why would he leave? Now he will buy 2-3 houses, they are happy there, – Safonov said in an interview with Match TV.

The words of the agent could clarify a lot in Kokorin’s statements in recent months. Cypriot citizenship would theoretically allow him not to return to Russia. But is Alexander really ready to break all ties with his homeland, feeling like a hero in a new country?

It is too early to put an end to this issue – the representative of the player Timofey Berdyshev did not confirm the information about Kokorin’s imminent change of citizenship. In addition, the striker will still not be able to play for Cyprus, if we focus on the current FIFA rules. So in any case, our football does not lose anything, potentially Alexander will still be able to strengthen the national team. Another thing is whether the head coach and fans now want to see the scandalous player in the national team.