In the 2007 Russian Premier League season, "Shava" ("Шава" in Russian), as he was nicknamed by Zenit fans, guided his Zenit side to the title in starting all 30 matches, scoring 11 goals and providing 11 assists which was the most in the Russian Premier League that year en route. It was the club's first league title since winning the now-defunct Soviet Top League in 1984. Arshavin was also a key player during Zenit's 2007–08 UEFA Cup triumph and was named Man of the Match in the final, again topping the list for assists in that season's UEFA competition. In October 2008, Arshavin was nominated for the prestigious Ballon d'Or award, along with 29 others in a list that included compatriot Yuri Zhirkov.