Vyacheslav Malafeev

Vyacheslav Malafeev

Malafeev at Zenit St. Petersburg in 2014
Personal information
Full name Vyacheslav Aleksandrovich Malafeev
Date of birth (1979-03-04) 4 March 1979
Place of birth Leningrad, Russian SFSR
Height 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Playing position Goalkeeper
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1997–1999 FC Zenit-2 St. Petersburg 54 (0)
1999–2016 FC Zenit St. Petersburg 322 (0)
Total 376 (0)
National team‡
2003–2012 Russia 29 (0)

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 1 June 2015.

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 08:49, 15 September 2012 (UTC)

Vyacheslav Aleksandrovich Malafeev (Russian: Вячесла́в Алекса́ндрович Малафе́ев; IPA: [vʲɪtɕɪˈslav ɐlʲɪˈksandrəvʲɪtɕ məlɐˈfʲeɪf]; born 4 March 1979) is a retired Russian footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He is a one-club man, having spent all 17 of his professional seasons with Zenit.

Career

Zenit

Vyacheslav Malafeev started attending the Smena football school at the age of nine. In 1997, he began to play for the farm club of FC Zenit, Zenit-2, in the Third Division. He got the chance to play for Zenit in the Premier League in 1999 during the suspension of Roman Berezovsky. Malafeev later became the first choice goalkeeper for Zenit in 2001, after Berezovsky left the club. Malafeev has since been the first choice goalkeeper ahead of Kamil Čontofalský and won the UEFA Cup in 2008 after keeping a clean sheet against Rangers F.C..

International career

Malafeev with the Russia national football team in 2011

On 19 November 2003, Malafeev debuted as a goalkeeper for the national team in a Euro 2004 qualifiers play-off against Wales. He was chosen as the second choice goalkeeper behind Sergei Ovchinnikov and ahead of Igor Akinfeev. Malafeev participated in Euro 2004 coming on after Ovchinnikov's red card against Portugal and starting against Greece.

After Euro 2004, Malafeev, became the first choice goalkeeper for Russia succeeding Ovchinnikov. After a long-term injury in May 2005, Malafeev lost his place in the goal for Zenit and Russia to Kamil Čontofalský and Igor Akinfeev, respectively. In 2007, played in two Euro 2008 qualifiers against Andorra and Croatia after Akinfeev's long term injury but was relegated to the bench in favor of Vladimir Gabulov. After Zenit's successful UEFA Cup campaign he lost a narrow battle with Igor Akinfeev for the first choice goalkeeper spot in Russia's Euro 2008 squad. Nonetheless, he stayed on as the second choice goalkeeper ahead of Gabulov.

He was the starting goalkeeper in the game that Russia lost to Portugal with a score of 1–7 in the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifier.[1]

He was confirmed for the finalized UEFA Euro 2012 squad on 25 May 2012.[2] After the UEFA Euro 2012 he announced that he is retiring from the national team to spend more time with his children, but is prepared to be called up in case of emergency such as injuries to other top goalkeepers.[3]

Career statistics

As of 1 June 2015
Club Season League Cup Europe Other Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Russia Zenit 1999 8000——80
2000 1200050—170
2001 28020——300
2002 2905030—370
2003 27020—30320
2004 1900070—260
2005 11060——170
2006 2605050—360
2007 1905020—260
2008 3001015010470
2009 2801010—300
2010 1502040—210
2011-12 410107010500
2012-13 260409010400
2013-14 100010-20
2014-15 2020--40
Total3220360590604170

Personal life

Vyacheslav and his wife Marina had two children: Ksenia and Maxim. Marina Malafeeva died in a car crash on the morning of 17 March 2011, aged 37.[4]

Honours

Zenit

References

  1. ↑ Game report
  2. ↑ "Advocaat announced the finalized Euro Squad" (in Russian). 25 May 2012.
  3. ↑ "Vyacheslav Malafeyev: I am leaving the national team for the kids, if necessary, I would leave St. Petersburg for them as well" (in Russian). Sport Express. 28 August 2012.
  4. ↑ V. Marchenko (17 March 2011). "Death of Marina Malafeeva" (in Russian). Sovetsky Sport. Retrieved 19 March 2011.
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