Arshavin still gives opponents a hard time

When he flew out from Vienna’s Schwechat Airport via St. Petersburg and Astana to his new destination in early March, he didn’t know what to expect. Now 21 years old, Július Szöke can talk about Kazakh football and the country itself for quite a while. He’s adapted well, plays full matches, and recently scored his first goals. Thanks in part to them, his club is likely to finish the league without major trouble.

You scored the second goal for your team in Oral, which turned out to be the winning one. No need to ask about your feelings, right?

"I have to say it was an important win. Akzhayik Oral had won five games in a row before that and were climbing up towards us. It was also our second away win, and the fact that I scored was the cherry on top. I don’t usually find myself in attacking positions. This time it was intuitive. The ball was on the wing, I made a run from my position, right-back Michalkin crossed first-time, and even though I didn’t see the ball’s flight, I volleyed it past the keeper."

You’ve scored two league goals this season, both in September. The first came against Zhetysu in a wild finish.

"We were the better team all game. They got one chance near our goal and scored from a corner in the 82nd minute. We pushed again and I equalized in the 90th. Then, in the 94th minute, we scored the winner."

You're in the relegation group, sitting 3rd with 33 points, the same as Atyrau. Tobol Kostanay leads by five. You’re seven points ahead of Akzhayik, who are in the playoff spot. Four rounds to go – you should be safe, right?

"Probably, although it’s still theoretically possible to slip. But we have it in our own hands, and the teams below us still have to play each other, so they’ll drop points. We say among ourselves that three more points should do it."

What was the preseason goal?

"There were no big ambitions. The plan was to try and make the top six, and if not, it wasn’t a disaster. Everyone’s satisfied with where we are now."

You play regularly – 26 of 28 games.

"I missed the 8th round at Ordabasy due to four yellow cards, and then a few games ago I was out against Tobol because of an injury. Other than that, I’ve played full games and I’m very happy."

You have teammates Štefan Zošák and Filip Serečin. Do you live together?

"Yes, at the club’s base. They’re in the next room and our Slovak fitness coach Michal Lacina is two rooms away. We spend all our time together. The whole team moves to the base the day before a match, whether home or away. After Friday training, we stay. Shared lunch, shared dinner. Everyone has their own room."

How are your Slovak teammates doing?

"Well. They joined mid-season, so have fewer minutes. Zošák started every game. Filip had knee issues and needed surgery, so he missed time. If he were healthy, he’d be playing too."

Your coach used to be Jozef Vukušič, now it’s Aleksei Eremenko. Has anything changed?

"Yes and no. The team is the same, we still play possession football and aim to dominate, but now we’re a bit luckier. We’re scoring goals we didn’t before. I’ve scored two myself, as a defensive midfielder, and our left-back has scored too. It’s just clicking better now."

Do you always play as a defensive midfielder?

"Yes. Under Vukušič, I always stayed back, barely supporting the attack. Now we play 4–1–4–1, but when we build from the back, another midfielder drops to me, which gives me more chances to get forward."

What’s your impression of the Kazakh league?

"It’s more physical and faster than in Slovakia, but less tactical."

Big names are joining the league – Tymoshchuk and Arshavin are at Kairat. Who impressed you most?

"Arshavin! He’s a legend, especially for me as a lifelong Arsenal fan. When I played against him, I thought – wow, this is unreal. And he’s still got it. Very quick, especially with the ball, and really tough to defend."

By the way – Shakhter, Shakhtar, Shakhtyor?

"No, it’s Shakhter. That’s the correct form."

Okay, so when Shakhter played Celtic, they sacrificed a sheep before the match. Not unusual in Kazakhstan, but it shocked the Scots. Have you experienced that?

"I have. Three or four times. When things go badly, something has to change – so a ram gets sacrificed. We sit in a circle, a shaman comes and speaks in Kazakh. We Europeans stop watching at that point – the sheep is then slaughtered and we look away."

Did it work?

"You know what? It did! Maybe coincidence, but things improved afterward."

Then the other team sacrifices one, and your form dips again…

"Ha, ha, something like that…"

How are you enjoying your Kazakhstan adventure?

"Really well. I didn’t know what to expect when I came. Friends asked me why I was going to Kazakhstan. I was curious what kind of football would be played, what life would be like. It’s far from Slovakia and a huge country. We fly to most games, travel a lot. The 2–3 hour trips in Slovakia seem like nothing now. I’m happy with life and football. The bigger cities are comparable to European ones. Karagandy is a nice, sprawling city. But in my free time, I prefer to rest."

Karagandy is known for extreme weather changes.

"Exactly. When I arrived, it was minus ten. That wasn’t a problem – winters here get even colder. But in April, temperatures jumped from minus ten to plus 25 in just two weeks – that’s a 35-degree swing! Now it’s around 20, but teammates warn me that it might snow next week. Seasons here are wild. It’s like there’s no spring or autumn – just a straight jump from summer to winter and back."

Who is Július Szöke

Július Szöke was born on August 1, 1995, in Hnúšťa. In his youth, he played for FK Iskra Hnúšťa, Rimavská Sobota, and Podbrezová. As a senior, he played for Podbrezová and had loan spells at Ružomberok and Zlaté Moravce. He debuted in Slovakia’s top league for Ružomberok against Žilina on March 22, 2014. In Zlaté Moravce, he even served as captain. He represented Slovakia at U19 and U21 levels. His agent, Jozef Tokos, also intermediated his transfer to Kazakhstan in March.

Shakhter Karagandy are two-time champions of Kazakhstan (2011, 2012), winners of the Kazakh Cup (2013), and Super Cup (2013). They first appeared in European competitions in 2006, playing 29 matches to date. In 2013/14, they almost reached the Champions League group stage, losing to Celtic in the playoff round (2–0, 0–3) and played in the Europa League group stage. In 2014/15, they exited in the third round of the Europa League. Their most famous result is their home win over Celtic.