Evgeniy Levchenko
Evgeniy Levchenko (Lev) grew up in a loving family in Ukraine, the son of a Russian father and a Ukrainian mother. While the Soviet Union was about to collapse and daily life was dominated by poverty and violence, Lev was determined: he wanted to become a professional football player.
His dream came true when he signed a contract with CSKA Moscow. Following this, as a young talent he transferred to Vitesse in The Netherlands. As this was Lev’s first time in Western Europe, the culture shock was huge.
Lev played for various clubs in the Dutch premier league as well as for the Ukrainian National Team several times. As he started feeling more and more at home in The Netherlands, naturalising as a Dutch citizen in 2001, falling in love and being confronted with the glamor of being a football professional, war broke out in Ukraine. Lev has a fascinating life story full of willpower, as someone who has to find his way in a world of extremes.
