Andrey Vorontsevich: "A huge thank you to our dear fans"

Blue-White-Sky Blues forward Andrey Vorontsevich summed up the 2024/25 season. In an interview with Zenit TV, one of the most experienced players in the St. Petersburg team spoke about how he manages to stay in excellent physical shape and shared his impressions of the year spent in the Northern Capital.

— Andrey, how would you rate the season’s closing event with the fans? Did you feel the love?

— First of all — I was pleasantly surprised. Honestly, I didn’t expect so many people to show up. A huge thank you to our dear fans. The entire stand was filled with our wonderful supporters — some of the best in the country. Of course, we play first and foremost for the audience. In the last games, and I think throughout the entire season, there was a full house regardless of the opponent. No matter who we played against — the arena was always packed. So, guys, thank you so much for your warmth, your energy, your support, and for always being with the team. That means a lot.

Of course, the warmest interaction comes right here, after the season’s end, when everyone is in a heartfelt, emotional mood, and there’s a special atmosphere. A bit of light-hearted fun, but also a touch of sadness, since everyone’s heading off on vacation. Some will stay, others will move on to play for different teams. I’d love to keep the coaching staff and all the players together as much as possible — but we’ll see how it goes. Once again, a deep bow of gratitude to our dear fans.

— We know how eloquent and thoughtful you are, but could you sum up the season briefly?

— Briefly? All in all, everything was great. But there’s always room to grow.

— You and Alex Poythress played in every game this season — 60 in the League and 3 in the Super Cup. How did you manage that?

— First of all, motivation — that’s number one. Love for the game — number two. Good sleep, proper nutrition, and of course, a professional approach and preparation. Credit goes to our coaching staff, the medical team, and, naturally, my own professionalism. It’s experience, guys. We understand that we need to peak physically by the end of the season. Though I’m probably talking more about older players now — but I don’t count myself among them. And honestly, everything I do is from the heart.

— You already answered our next question. We were going to ask you to share the secret behind your energy. Do you feel like a veteran? Though it seems the answer is clear.

— Do I feel like a veteran? No, I don’t. I feel more like a senior research fellow (laughs).

— You've spent nearly your entire career playing against Zenit. What are your impressions of the club, the city of St. Petersburg, and the organization as a whole?

— Zenit is a fantastic club. A top-tier organization. Probably one of the best clubs in Europe. Everything here is great. What more could you ask for? We’ve got warm fans, professional management, our own arena — it’s awesome. The city is incredible. It’s full of authenticity, historical significance, poets, theaters, cinema — everything. Everything is here. The fans here are kind, soulful, and warm. And I love the faces I see on the streets of St. Petersburg — there’s no arrogance, just this sunny kind of energy. No matter what people say about it being the Northern Capital, to me it’s a very warm city.

— What would your ideal summer look like?

— Honestly, when summer arrives — it’s already perfect. There’s joy in any weather. For me, ideally, it’s about spending more time with family and focusing on my kids, so they get to spend time with their dad. All my kids live in Moscow, I miss them, and they miss me. I’ve got five kids, as you know. And I want to give each of them as much attention as possible — as much as the schedule allows. The kids have their own summer plans too, so both together and separately — this summer will revolve around the children.