Valeri Popovitch
 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Valeri Aleksandrovich Popovitch | ||
| Date of birth | 18 May 1970 | ||
| Place of birth | Gorky, USSR | ||
| Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||
| Playing position | Striker, Attacking midfielder | ||
| Club information | |||
Current team | HJK Helsinki | ||
| Number | 14 | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1986 | Khimik Dzerzhinsk | 3 | (1) |
| 1987 | Lokomotiv Gorky | 3 | (0) |
| 1988–1989 | CSKA Moscow | 25 | (0) |
| 1990–1991 | FC Spartak Moscow | 10 | (0) |
| 1992–1993 | TPV | 48 | (26) |
| 1994 | Ilves | 12 | (3) |
| 1994–2008 | FC Haka | 323 | (170) |
| 1995–1996 | → Ikast FS (loan) | 6 | (3) |
| 1999–2000 | → SC Heerenveen (loan) | 18 | (6) |
| 2009 | HJK Helsinki | 16 | (3) |
| 2010-2012 | Ilves Tampere | ||
| National team | |||
| USSR U-17 | |||
| USSR U-19 | |||
| Teams managed | |||
| 2010−2012 | Ilves Tampere (player-coach) | ||
| 2012 | FC Haka (youth coach) | ||
|
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. | |||
Valeri Aleksandrovich Popovitch (Russian: Валерий Александрович Попович, born 18 May 1970 in Gorky, USSR, now Nizhny Novgorod, Russia) is a former Russian football striker with Finnish nationality. Popovitch is the all-time scoring leader of FC Haka. After his contract ended with HJK in 2010, he joined Ilves Tampere playing in Kakkonen, as a player-coach, signing a two-year contract. Currently he is a youth coach at FC Haka.
He has also capped several times for Soviet U-17 and U-19 National football teams. U-17 finished third in the 1986 UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship, and U-19 won the UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship in 1988. Popovitch played in both tournaments.
Popovitch played for FC CSKA Moscow in Soviet First League and FC Spartak Moscow in the Soviet Top League.[1]
Legacy
Popovitch holds a legendary status in Finland and especially in Valkeakoski, where his regarded as one of the best players ever to play for FC Haka. FC Haka retired his number, 14.
Honours
Club titles
- Finnish championship (6): 1995, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2004, 2009
- Finnish Cup (3): 1997, 2002, 2005
International
- UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship: Champion: 1988
- UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship: Bronze: 1986
Personal awards and achievements
- Finnish Veikkausliiga Player of the Year: 1995, 1998, 2002, 2003
- Finnish league top scorer: 1995, 1999
- Finnish first division top scorer: 1992, 1997
- All time top scorer of Veikkausliiga: 163 goals (in 2008)
- Ilta-Sanomat Player of the Year Award: 1995, 1999, 2003, 2005, 2007
- Shares the record for most goals in a single Veikkausliiga season: 23 (shared with Kimmo Tarkkio)
References
- ↑ "Popovich Valeriy Aleksandrovich". KLISF. Retrieved 2010-03-30.