Van Lam told Russian newspaper: "I feel more like a Vietnamese than a Russian"
Báo Dân trí•03/09/2024
(Dan Tri) - Goalkeeper Dang Van Lam had an interview with Sport Express (Russia). Dan Tri would like to translate the answer of the goalkeeper of the Vietnamese national team.
Hello! Should I call you Lev Dang or Dang Van Lam now? - Good question! I have two passports, Vietnamese and Russian. In Russian, my name is Dang Lev Shonovich, and in Vietnamese, my name is Dang Van Lam. In Russia, my friends often call me Lev or Leva. Why is Shonovich in your name? - My father's Vietnamese name is Son. In his Russian passport, his name is Sean. It's that simple.
Van Lam is about to have an emotional encounter with the Russian team (Photo: Tien Tuan).
How is life in Russia different from life in Vietnam? - Russia and Vietnam are completely different countries in terms of mentality and lifestyle. I was born in Moscow and studied in Russia, before moving to Vietnam at the age of 18. At that time, I was exposed to a different culture. It took me about 3, 4 years to adapt. Everything was not simple. Is it true that your parents named you Lev because they idolized the legend Lev Yashin? - I heard this information in the press. I know my mother likes Lev Ivanovich Yashin but I am not sure that I was named after this legend. Is your mother a fan of Dynamo Moscow? - Maybe. My mother is crazy about Lev Yashin. She let me read books and biographies about him to understand how he became a goalkeeper and how he overcame difficulties? In the moments when I failed, she always told me the story of Yashin or let me read books about him. After that, I was able to study at the Yashin Academy. So is Lev Yashin your idol? - Yes, I look up to him as an example, but I don't want to turn myself into anyone. Yashin was a kind and authoritative man.
Van Lam loves life in Vietnam (Photo: VFF).
Is there a photo of you with the Golden Ball in your profile? - If it was the World Golden Ball, I would have become a legend. It was just the Vietnamese Bronze Ball award. I was awarded after a top season. It has been a long time since a goalkeeper received such a valuable award. Did your father help develop your career? - My father always supported me. He often took me to practice and bought me training equipment. My mother supported me psychologically. Did you often visit your relatives in Vietnam when you were young? - I first visited Vietnam when I was 9 months old. My father was a dancer and my mother was an actress. They met in Moscow. When I was born, my father could not return to Vietnam because he was busy taking care of me. At that time, there was no Internet, FaceTime or other quick ways to contact relatives. We only communicated through letters. In Vietnam, everyone waited for information from my father. Relatives really wanted to meet me. I still have a photo of my relatives holding me. At that time, not many foreigners came to Vietnam, so I was considered strange. They were also curious about what my father did in Russia. The second time I came to Vietnam was when I was 5 or 6 years old. And the third time I came here to start a business. When was the last time you were in Russia? - In 2021. How are Hanoi and Moscow different? - They are two different worlds. The weather in the two countries is different. In Vietnam, there are many motorbikes. It would probably take me a few hours to finish telling everything. In Vietnam, you can live both expensively and cheaply. Street food here is very developed. Pho is everywhere. As far as I know, Russians also love to eat this dish. I tried beef pho in Russia. It was delicious but not as good as in Vietnam. I recommend everyone to come to Hanoi to try beef pho. Just go to Ho Chi Minh City, the taste of pho is different. A bowl of pho costs about 2 USD, plus 1 USD for drinks. That way you will be full. That's how Vietnamese people eat breakfast. They mainly eat pho in the morning.
Van Lam feels more like a Vietnamese than a Russian (Photo: Manh Quan).
Such a breakfast is not good for your health at all? - Why? Besides, I like to eat beef noodles. There are few overweight people in Vietnam. It took me a long time to get used to breakfast in Vietnam. Now, we have come to Hanoi to join the team. The first thing I want to do is enjoy beef noodle soup. Do you feel more Vietnamese or Russian now? - I choose 50/50 so that neither my parents feel uncomfortable. Perhaps, this depends a lot on the country I am in. I flew to Moscow and recovered within a week, my vocabulary immediately returned. But when I returned to Vietnam, I got used to life here. Of course, now, I feel more Vietnamese. Because I lived and grew up in Vietnam. And I also defend the colors of the Vietnamese team. Thank you Lam for the interview!
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