Great interview with Vejle's new investor: Rate me on my qualities
Photo: Ida Munch / Polfoto
Andrew Zolotko is the name of the money man who will help Vejle Boldklub back to the top of Danish football. Tipsbladet.dk has received an exclusive interview with the man who, with an investor group in the back, has spat millions in Vejle Boldklub.
He's actually called Andrei Zolotko. It is in his passport, but he prefers Andrew Zolotko himself. Because when 30-year-old Andrew Zolotko goes abroad, everyone says 'Andrew', as he himself says. And then there is the surname, which in some places is spelled as 'Zolotko'. Other places 'Zolotco'. It has something to do with the fact that the letter is different in some places around the world.
So formalities are like in place, and we can instead go to the fun: Namely to tell about the man who will be drawing Vejle Boldklub in the future. Andrew Zolotko is the man with the majority shareholding in Vejle Alliance A / S - the company behind VB - where he and his partner Jin Chang are new members of Vejle Boldklub's board. The two come with a big bag of money and an investor group behind them.
Also read: Vejle Boldklub sold to moldover
Here is Andrew Zolotko's own story of experience in the football environment, worked as an agent and whether he is a playboy as it has been laid out.
Why did you choose to invest in Vejle Boldklub?
- You need to make sure you write correctly. First, we have a large investor group behind us. Secondly, I have a great deal of experience with Denmark and Danish football and I am the face of the project. I know Denmark, and it is a country where things are done according to the book. There is nothing underneath - nothing that can break clubs out of the blue. Vejle was for us a club with great traditions, but also a club that previously had problems. However, we see great potential in the club if the right setup is created. If we get the right administration and if we get the right team around the team. Then we can deliver results in the long term. But it's about building up, and then we have to see how long it takes.
How long have you been in dialogue about taking over the majority shareholding?
- We have had dialogue for more than half a year. In fact, we started already at the beginning of last season, but there the club did as it did. There were three teams that moved up in the Super League, so the club already had plans and it would go after the plans. But it is a club ready for a rebirth. For something fresh. And now it becomes an interesting adventure. Now comes the hard work.
How much have you paid for the majority of the shares?
- In our agreement there is a clause that we must not say anything about the price. It's confidential. So unfortunately I can't answer that.
Who is in the investor group?
- There are many with. Me and my partner are the faces, but it's a great setup. But their names probably do not tell you so much. Lucas (Jin Chang, ed.) And I presented them to the idea and they quickly liked it. There were some tough negotiations because people want the best for the team and the club. And so will we. Therefore, this is not a business setup. We will do what is best for the team. And we want to develop the club.
What is your knowledge of Denmark?
- I have been working in Denmark for 10 years. For me, Denmark is not just a country - it was the first country where I worked as an agent. I know Denmark and have a special relationship with Denmark and Danish players, coaches and clubs. You can ask around and people will know me. A club in Denmark was therefore our first choice.
How is your network in Denmark and Vejle?
- The world of football is all about networking, and we work with people. You can quickly feel that Vejle matters. You can see the club in town and the fans help the club So it's more than a club and we want players who want to work hard for the club. But there must also be synergy between past, present and future. We can't look back too much on the mistakes that were made earlier - but we have to lean on the people who are legends in this club and matter to the club. We must have that respect.
Will there be a conflict of interest in relation to the players you represent in the Danish market and the club you now represent?
- No. I'm not going to work as an agent in the Danish market.
Will you pick up players for Vejle that you represent?
It is definitely not the idea - we want to avoid that. It's all about developing this club. We will not 'use' the club to show our players. It's not the goal. We want to develop talents here in Vejle, and the players we download get everyone a fair chance. Whether you are black or white does not matter. But the young people are our top priority - this is our philosophy.
You are a young person. 30 years and from Moldova. What more can you tell?
- I have been working in the agency industry for 13 years - since I was 17 years old. Currently we represent coaches like Fabio Cannavaro, Dan Petrescu, Ciro Ferrera. Our work is a lot in Russia and China, and we were some of the first to establish a line between Russia and Europe. Denmark is also a good market for us. In general, I think there has been too much focus on my age and where I come from. It's about experience - that's the most important thing. And I have experience from this brance. I hope people will also look at it. Yes, I'm 30, and yes, I'm from Moldova. But ask about, and people will say good things about me. The only difference between Denmark and Moldova is that Denmark has a better economy and that there is better weather in Moldova.
Pictures from your Facebook profile have been run around the social media. You are posing among other things with guns in your hand. Why?
- I want to start by saying that I am really annoyed by the procedure. It's not okay. The girl on the pictures is my girlfriend for almost two years, so I do not understand why anyone takes my private photos from Facebook. People get a completely wrong image of me when they see the pictures, and I don't think it's okay. Regarding the image with the guns, it is important to say that I did not shoot and that the picture is taken somewhere where it is legal.
- My private life belongs to me, not others, and I do not harm others with the way I am living and living. I really want people to see me as a professional. That they don't judge me. You can easily present a false reality with a picture - then you can angle the image as you like. But people should understand the full picture. I'm not a playboy, and the woman is my girlfriend. Nor is it okay that she should be brought into this.
- I'm here because of the football, and hopefully people see me as a football person with experience. A professional. I do not come with a lot of family money - we come with serious money and an investor group that expects results. It's not for fun, this one. It's serious. And it is important for me that people understand it.
Andrew Zolotko says he does not intend to do more about it. But he appeals to people writing about him as a professional. He also says he has closed his Facebook profile because he wants to talk about 'professional things' and not Zolotko's privacy.
- If they had asked me about law before, it was probably not a problem, but the media has put me in a bad light, and it is not okay when they have not talked to me about it.
And then Andrew Zolotko tells that he expects to have a coach in place at Vejle Boldklub this summer.
Below is Vejle's new money man together with Marcos Urena, which he got from Krasnodar to FC Midtjylland.
