One of the most famous coaches in Russian football, Yuri Semin, who became a three-time champion with Moscow’s “Lokomotiv,” expressed surprise in an interview with “Sport-Express” at why Uzbekistan defender Abdukodir Khusanov of “Manchester City” had not been discovered earlier in the Russian Premier League.
Semin noted that Khusanov is not an ordinary player, but a true discovery with great potential. In his opinion, the player developed step by step in Europe: first in Uzbekistan, then in Belarus, later in France, and finally reached England.
The coach raised the question: “Where were our scouts? How could such a talent be missed?” — he criticized the situation.
Semin emphasized the importance of being able to see football and footballers properly, recalling that Khvicha Kvaratskhelia was also once missed by “Lokomotiv.”
According to him, Pep Guardiola correctly assessed Khusanov’s talent and brought him into the team.
The specialist separately highlighted Khusanov’s versatility — he can perform equally effectively both as a central defender and on the wing, which is a rare quality.
“Guardiola saw this ‘diamond’ and brought him into his team. Khusanov can play both in central defense and on the wing without losing quality — this is a rare and unique talent.
Despite the fact that Abdukodir is still very young, a coach of Pep’s level trusts him in the most important matches,” said Semin.
According to Semin, the young footballer has managed to find his place even in conditions of strong competition, high pressure, and full stadiums at Manchester City.
“Khusanov was named player of the month twice — this is not by chance. He is playing well. But the most important thing is that he had to be seen without stereotypes. If he had been invited to the RPL, he would have definitely gone. But they did not notice him — that is the main problem,” Semin said.
It should be noted that Abdukodir Khusanov began his career at the Bunyodkor academy, then started his professional path at the Belarusian club Energetik-BGU. In 2023, he moved to the French club Lens.
After one and a half years in the French league, where he demonstrated his potential, top European clubs showed interest in him. Manchester City won the race for the player, paying around 40 million euros.
Khusanov quickly became a key player for the “Cityzens.” Within just over a year in England, he was named Manchester City player of the month three times.
In addition, under Pep Guardiola, Khusanov won his first club trophy — the English League Cup.
