Five Unforgettable Years: A message from Manos Papadopoulos

Life always goes in cycles. I’ve been here for five years, and now I feel it’s time to be closer to my family.

My years in Zenit and St. Petersburg were among the most beautiful in my life. I truly feel that I became part of the Zenit family.

I want to say a big thank you to the Zenit fans who always believed in our team.

Thank you to all the players I’ve worked with over these five years — including some of the best in Europe.

I especially want to highlight the Russian players. They’ve always shown great professionalism and strong character.

It was a real pleasure to work with players like Sergey Karasev and Georgy Zhbanov. I’m very happy that Zhora will stay more years in St. Petersburg.

I also want to mention Sasha, who has a bright future ahead of him, and Denis, with whom I worked for many years. Every single day, he showed professionalism and great character.

It was a great honor and pleasure to work with such an experienced and disciplined player as Andrey Vorontsevich — and of course, with the Russian star Aleksey Shved.

My sincere thanks go to all the team staff. Especially in recent years, when we truly felt like a family — with the heart and soul of that family being Slava Belgesov, who was always there for everything and everyone.

I also want to thank the members of the Board and our President, Mr. Alexander Medvedev — a true leader and sportsman who supported us not only in victory but also in defeat.

Special thanks to Mr. Pavel Oderov — the most important people I’ve ever met. He believed in me from day one and made me feel not just like an employee, but like a true part of the Zenit family and its history.

To Mr. Alexander Tserkovny — who became not just a good friend but a true brother. And he will always be a brother to me.

I wish all the best to the Club, the fans, and the city.

Let’s go, Zenit!