Zenit's Colombian defender Kevin Andrade described the process of learning Russian.

Kevin Andrade, a Colombian defender and new transfer of Zenit, one of the Russian Premier League teams, made sincere statements about the process of learning Russian. The footballer, who spoke to Match TV, stated that for now his vocabulary is limited mainly to on-field communication. Although he has been able to learn commands on the pitch and tactical terms, he expressed that he still struggles to talk about daily life and different topics. Andrade admitted that he has difficulty understanding, especially when native speakers speak very fast or swallow the ends of words.

The 23-year-old footballer attracted attention with his performance while wearing the Baltika jersey and was transferred to Zenit in May. The St. Petersburg team made an important investment for the future by signing a five-year contract with Andrade. According to Transfermarkt data, the market value of the 27-year-old defender is currently shown at the level of 3.5 million euro. This transfer went down in history as a remarkable development in that it was the tenth Latin American footballer added to Zenit's squad.

Andrade, who assumed a very active role on the pitch for Baltika last season, played in a total of 33 matches in the league. In these matches, he supported his team in defense and also contributed to the offensive line, managing to score one goal. His move to a big club like Zenit is considered a new page for both his career and language skills. The Colombian player, who tries to communicate with the technical staff and teammates, tries to get through the adaptation process with minimal damage.

One of the biggest challenges for players in their careers abroad has always been the language barrier, and Andrade's experiences constitute a typical example of this situation. Although it is possible to agree with football on the field, knowing the local language is of great importance for changing room conflicts, training instructions and the flow of daily life. Andrade's statements revealed the communication difficulties experienced by newly adapted players.

Zenit continues to build a strong squad with footballers brought from South America in recent years, and Andrade is one of the latest links in this structure. The successful defender, who aims to eliminate his deficiencies in Russian over time, is focused on contributing to the team with his performance on the field. His transfer to Zenit, which can be counted as a new step in his career after leaving Baltika, continues to be followed as an interesting development both for himself and for Russian football.