To be honest, I didn’t really understand what I was doing.

“During my first season in England, I picked up in injury while playing for the national team," Hleb revealed. Alexander Hleb has admitted he 'behaved like a fool' during his time at Barcelona and only has himself to blame for his failure.. [3][4] A full international for Belarus since 2001, he has won over 70 caps for his country.
Aleksandr Hleb former footballer from Belarus Attacking Midfield last club: Isloch Minskiy Rayon * May 1, 1981 in Minsk, UdSSR

He is known for his passing, agility and dribbling ability. As for footballing fathers, Wenger will always be Hleb's.

At the time, Hleb spoke out about his frustration at a lack of game time but he has since come to the realisation that he was at fault for not earning a regular spot in the team. In 2016, the pair welcomed his first child together at the age of 36, a daughter, and they have another daughter from her previous marriage. Hleb believes this exposure to radiation caused his father's ill health. "It was absolutely devastating. [15] In May, Hleb became the first ever Belarusian footballer to play in the Champions League final.

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I could understand him because I didn’t behave well enough myself. His competitive debut was made in August 2005 against Chelsea in the 2005 FA Community Shield, and then he made his league debut as a substitute against Newcastle United. In 2002, he was voted Belarusian Footballer of the Year.[9].

Hleb admitted his offence, ending his season. In July 2009, Hleb returned to VfB Stuttgart on a one-year loan. [31] The club confirmed he would leave at the scheduled end of the loan on 31 December 2011. For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click here.

I think there are very few guys who might say that they haven’t enjoyed working with him. The Belarusian midfielder left Arsenal in 2008 after spending three years with the London club, He made 36 appearances for Barca during four years at Camp Nou and left by mutual consent. In a documentary about his life, he revealed: "We played beautifully.

At the age of 17, he signed for BATE Borisov, a Belarusian Premier League team from Barysaw. Arsene completely trusted me, it was idyllic.

Aleksandr Hleb admits he regrets his time with Barcelona.The former midfielder, who announced his retirement last week, joined Barca from Arsenal in 2008.

In June 2005, Hleb joined English side Arsenal for a sum which had the potential to reach €15 million, on a four-year contract. [43] In summer 2016, he married Sviatlana. Don’t even think about things like that.’ Honestly?

He said, "I am right in the best years of my career and I do not want to spend those years on bench. “It’s still difficult for me to explain why I left Arsenal,” Hleb told Planet Football.

Alexander Hleb's medals are in Minsk, his ambitions lie in Birmingham City but his heart remains firmly in north London, despite leaving them for Barcelona. They got hitched in 2008, but six years later their romance was headed for divorce. However, he was part of the side that won the La Liga, Champions League and Copa Del Rey treble in 2008-2009. [44] Sviatlana's daughter from a previous marriage lives with the couple. Hleb's natural and preferred position is attacking midfielder or "in the hole" behind the strikers, but he is often deployed on the wing. On 26 July 2012, Hleb signed a contract with BATE Borisov and won the 2012 Belarusian Premier League in his return season. I myself behaved like a fool.

He made his full international debut as a substitute in a 1–0 defeat against Wales in 2001. After suffering an injury in his first season at the Emirates, his confidence was drained and he wanted to move back to the Bundesliga, where Arsenal had bought him from Stuttgart.

Hleb returned to the Premier League in 2010, spending a season on-loan at Birmingham City and also had spells at Stuttgart and Wolfsburg. There were high expectations of the Belarusian when he arrived for £12million but he failed to hit the ground running as Barca went on to have on of their most successful periods in history.
To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. Spotted by scouts, Alexander and his younger brother Vyacheslav were signed in 2000 by German Bundesliga side VfB Stuttgart for approximately €150,000. [8] Despite only making six league appearances in his first season with Stuttgart, Hleb became a regular at the club in his second season there and went on to establish himself as an important player for the team. He played 130 times for the Gunners from 2005-08, scoring 10 goals, then moved to Barcelona for around £12million. But it was incredibly painful.”.

Hleb featured briefly in the Copa del Rey final but did not play when Barcelona went on to beat Manchester United 2–0 in the Champions League final. “I was absolutely happy there.

On 31 August 2010, Hleb returned to England by signing a season-long loan deal with Premier League club Birmingham City. 'He did everything possible to help me quickly adapt to the country and the group, and to learn the language.

I never spoke to Guardiola after that.

[38] In the summer of 2008, Alexander Hleb made what appeared to be a dream move from Arsenal to Barcelona. [35] However, he remained playing for BATE in the 2013 season. Hleb, however, rejected any suggestion that he was a "prima donna".

[7] He made his Bundesliga debut on 5 September 2000 in an away match at 1. "The Sun", "Sun", "Sun Online" are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited.

On 16 July 2008, a medical examination was held for the player at FC Barcelona, with his transfer completed later that day for a fee of €15 million plus an additional €2 million if Barcelona won the La Liga title in 2008–09 or 2009–10 (which they did in 2008–09, bringing his total fee to €17 million). The former Arsenal midfielder became one of Pep Guardiola's first signings when he made the move to Camp Nou in 2008. It really felt like I had wings. “When Arsene said that it was a matter of hours, I felt devastated. [44] His first child, a daughter, was born in December of that year. I remember talking with (Thierry) Henry, and he said, ‘I get it, I get it. Wenger did everything to make me stay at Arsenal. However, things did not go according to plan. “I was on vacation and agents and managers convinced me that I had to go to Barcelona.