Natalia Ignashevich The wife of football player Sergei Ignashevich Country: Russia

Natalya Ignashevich: A Biography

Natalya Ignashevich is the wife of football player Sergey Ignashevich. She is known for opening the "Style" section on Sports.ru, which focuses on the beautiful and fashionable side of sports that is rarely shown on television. In an interview with Football Magazine, Natalya shares stories about her husband, including how he watched the TV series "Friends," made exclusive gifts from Monopoly, and fed Pavel Mamaev with week-old cutlets. Natalya also talks about her own career as a journalist and her decision to return to work after the birth of their child.

Natalya reveals that she started a project called "The Diary of His Wife" on "NTV-Plus," where footballers' wives talk about their husbands. She explains that she has always been interested in journalism and had planned to return to it after having a child. However, taking care of their son and renovating their new apartment proved to be more challenging than she expected. Natalya also mentions that many footballers' wives engage in creative activities, such as interior design, while dedicating most of their time to their families.

Natalya shares her experience of being a football fan and attending games. She admits that she used to find football uninteresting but became more engaged when she had personal connections to the players. She mentions her friendship with Marat Izmailov and Malhaz Asatiani, which led her to occasionally follow Lokomotiv matches. Natalya also discusses her relationship with the wives of other footballers, such as Tanya Kallinenko and the wife of Honda, with whom she shares a love for calm and attentive game watching.

Regarding her own work as a journalist, Natalya reveals that she met Sergey during the filming of her show "Non-Football Stories," where she interviewed footballers and their wives. She shares her initial worries about not recognizing Sergey when they first met and how surprised she was to learn that he had seen her on TV and had the thought that they would meet one day. Natalya describes their relationship as unexpected but sees her husband as an open and sincere person, and she appreciates his honesty and authenticity.

Natalya also talks about her involvement in creating Sergey's website, which aims to showcase his true personality and life beyond the football field. She explains that she wanted to combat the negative image that had been created of him and to share his interests, such as traveling, reading, and photography. Despite Sergey's reluctance to be a public figure, he supports Natalya's initiative and takes pride in her active involvement in their lives.

The couple shares a love for travel and have enjoyed trips to Paris and Miami. Natalya mentions Sergey's affinity for American culture, including his passion for TV series like "Friends" and his interest in American sports like NBA and NHL. She mentions their shared enjoyment of playing board games and recalls the personalized Monopoly game Sergey made for her birthday. Natalya also highlights Sergey's collection of football jerseys, which he often exchanges with teammates and collects from auctions.

Natalya and Sergey have a son together, whom they named after Sergey. Natalya explains that when she saw their son's resemblance to Sergey during ultrasound scans, she started calling him "Little Sergey." When the couple discussed names, Sergey insisted on naming their son after him, which Natalya found touching. She mentions that they have clear divisions of responsibilities in their family, with Sergey taking care of entertainment and Natalya managing everything else. They also have a nanny who helps with their son and household chores.

The couple's typical day starts with waking up their son and sending him to daycare. They then have breakfast together before Sergey goes for training. Natalya spends her day attending to her own tasks while Sergey trains, and they spend their evenings together with their son or friends. Natalya mentions that most of their friends are non-football people, as Sergey prefers to have a break from work when spending time with friends and family.

Natalya concludes the interview by expressing her support for her son's potential career in football, as she herself has experience in professional gymnastics. She also mentions Sergey's love for reading and collecting football jerseys, highlighting his unique interests beyond the sport.