Futsal player Ivan Chishkala, who plays for Benfica, talked about freely communicating in Portuguese with his teammates and also confessed teaching his teammates curse words in Russian.
"I can speak Portuguese pretty well, not to say that I'm fluent, but I have a good basic level. I can speak a little awkwardly, but if I need to explain an idea or say something, I can easily communicate, and they will understand me. There is no barrier, no problems. And that's the most important thing - no barriers, I'm not afraid to talk, and when they say something to me, I can understand about 90% of it. We can all have fun together, laugh, and I feel absolutely comfortable at the table when we're having lunch because I understand everyone,” said Chishkala.
Did I teach your teammates any funny Russian words? They know all the dirty words (laughs). We have great communication; they already know what each word means, and they already understand when you say something like that.
Ivan Chishkala exclusively for Telecom Asia Sport
Chishkala has been playing for Benfica since 2020 after transferring from Gazprom-Ugra. The player has won the UEFA Futsal Cup, been a double Russian champion, a four-time winner of the country's cup, as well as a vice-champion in Portugal and winner of the Portuguese Cup.
With the Russian national team, Chishkala has been the vice-world champion and the Grand Prix silver medalist. He has scored 24 goals in 42 matches for the national team.