Revaz Chelebadze, former forward of “Dinamo” Tbilisi and Soviet Union team, gave interview to football magazine. The interview is about Jano Ananidze (Chelebadze is Jano’s official agent). You can find out from this interview why Jano could not get in “Bayern” Munich and “Shakhtar” Donetsk.

- Revaz Vladimirovich…

- Please, call me Rezo.

- Is it true that foreign clubs invited Jano Ananidze?

- Of course, Germany and England.

- Which clubs?

- For example, “Bayern” and “Dortmund”. It was recommendation of Herbert Zanker (coach of Georgian U-17 team). Zanker saw talent of Jano and took care of him.

- How did it happen that Jano came to “Dinamo” Kiev before “Spartak”?

- All European clubs contacted us with agents. Amiran (father of Jano) and I wanted to talk to them in private. We talked to Evgeny Gradilenko in “Spartak”. He is a great man and I respect him.

- Smolentsev?

- He is former technical director of “Spartak”. It is a great pleasure to work with him.

- Where did you meet Jano?

- Jano’s mother is Russian, his father was born in Kobuleti. Amiran Ananidze played for that club where I was president.

- Was Jano’s father a great football player?

- He was a great player in Georgia. He could have played for “Dinamo” Batumi but Amirani entertained with girls and he was late for the meeting. Then he returned to Kobuleti and became captain of the club. After that, he was appointed as a head coach. The club of Amiran moved to Supreme League and besides that, he was bringing up a son!... I have seen Jano when he was a little boy and he did such things with the ball that I was astonished.

- How did Jano get in the academy of “Dinamo” Kiev?

- First he played in Tbilisi. At the age of 14, we took him in Kiev. He trained for one week and Joseph Sabo noticed him: “Who is this boy? I should take him, he is an amazing talent”! Jano spent one year in youth team of “Dinamo” and became champion of Ukraine. At that time, he received an invitation from Georgian U-17 team but Anatoliy Kroshchenko, head coach of “Dinamo” Kiev, said: “Jano will not go anywhere. He will not play in the name of Georgia”! I got angry: “What does it mean that he will not go anywhere?” Kroshchenko said: “Then you can leave “Dinamo” Kiev”.

- And did Jano go to Georgian team?

- Of course, he did. After two weeks Jano received a letter: “Jano Ananidze is expelled from the school of “Dinamo” Kiev. So, we went to “Spartak”.

- How do you think, do they regret loss of such talent?

- I do not know. Then we found out that they threatened us with that letter. Perhaps, they thought that I would have stood on my knees and asked them to let my player return to the club.

- Was the management of “Dinamo” Kiev informed with it?

- They do not observe boys. Coaches of the youth academy do this job. After that Ukrainian press wrote that Chelebadze was lying. I have never told a lie!

- By the way, “Torpedo” Moscow could not notice talent of Marat Izmailov and coach was dismissed because of that. Does Kroshchenko work for “Dinamo” Kiev again?

- Yes, he does. Let him work and save his family. “Dinamo” Kiev was like family for me and I wanted the club to know the truth. They expelled a little boy from the club and we went there where people respected talent of Jano.

- Did they offer Ukrainian citizenship to Jano?

- Yes, they did. Surk wanted Jano to become Ukrainian citizen.

- What did Jano answer?

- He refused. Then, Jano and his father were taken to one of the Ukrainian villages to convince them to become Ukrainian citizen. At that time, Jano was called up in Georgian youth team and he was happy. Perhaps, Jano was expelled from “Dinamo” because he did not agree on Ukrainian citizenship.

- Did anyone offend Jano in “Spartak”?

- Jano will not let anyone do it.

- Is he a courageous boy?

- He is a proud boy. Amiran and I taught him that he should listen to elders at trainings.

- Whom should we thank that Jano is in “Spartak” now?

- In my opinion, Smolentsev.

- What would happen if not Smolentsev?

- Jano would have played in other club.

- Where? In “Bayern”?

- After “Kiev” events, I talked to Vladimir Ploskina – head of selection department of “Shakhtar”…

- Ploskina died unexpectedly…

- When I heard about it, I was shocked. He had a cancer. If not “Spartak”, perhaps, Jano would have been player of “Shakhtar”. We thought about it – in Moscow or in Donetsk. Besides that, we did not exclude versions of European clubs. One day my friend told me that Smolentsev was looking for me. Smolentsev told me to arrive in Moscow because they were waiting for us. So, we went there…

Ilia Nanobashvili