Miranchuk says English words now come to mind before Russian

The Atlanta United midfielder said he sometimes reaches for an English word first in the United States, though he still thinks in Russian.

Aleksei Miranchuk says he has started forgetting some Russian words since moving to the United States. In an exclusive interview with Championat, he said simple words sometimes come to mind in English first. He gave “maybe” as an example and suggested that constant exposure to English may be changing his word choices.

Miranchuk said he still thinks in Russian. He recalled laughing at people who mixed English words into Russian, but said he now sometimes does the same.

The 30-year-old Russia international has played for Atlanta United since 2024. Championat reports that he has made 78 appearances for the club, scoring 18 goals and providing 13 assists.