Yuriy Nikiforov

Yuriy Nikiforov
Personal information
Full name Yuriy Valeryevich Nikiforov
Date of birth (1970-09-16) 16 September 1970
Place of birth Odessa, Soviet Union
Height 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Playing position Centre back
Youth career
Chornomorets Odesa
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1987 SK Odesa 5 (0)
1988 Chornomorets Odesa 1 (0)
1988–1989 Dynamo Kyiv 2 (0)
1989–1993 Chornomorets Odesa 89 (7)
1993–1996 Spartak Moscow 85 (15)
1996–1998 Sporting Gijón 65 (3)
1998–2002 PSV 99 (5)
2002–2003 RKC 29 (1)
2003–2004 Urawa Reds 12 (0)
Total 387 (31)
National team
1990-1991 Soviet Union U-21 5 (0)
1992 CIS 4 (0)
1992 Ukraine 3 (0)
1993–2002 Russia 55 (6)
Teams managed
2015 Kuban Krasnodar (assistant)

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.


This name uses Eastern Slavic naming customs; the patronymic is Valeryevich and the family name is Nikiforov.

Yuri Valeryevich Nikiforov (alternate spelling Valeriovych; Russian: Юрий Валерьевич Никифоров, Ukrainian: Юрій Валерійович Никифоров; born 16 September 1970) is a retired footballer who played mainly as a central defender.

Club career

Born in Odessa, Ukraine, Soviet Union, Nikiforov started playing professionally with hometown's FC Chornomorets. After one year with FC Dynamo Kyiv in which he appeared solely for the reserves he returned to his first club, playing in the inaugural edition of the Ukrainian Premier League.

In early 1993, Nikiforov moved to Russia with FC Spartak Moscow, being an instrumental defensive unit as the capital side won three out of four Premier League titles, with the player also netting regularly. His first abroad experience came with Sporting de Gijón, to where he arrived at the same time as former compatriot Dmitri Cheryshev (he would also share team with another Russian while in Asturias, Igor Lediakhov).[1]

After Gijón's relegation from La Liga, Nikiforov played five years in the Netherlands, starting with PSV Eindhoven which he helped to consecutive Eredivisie accolades. For 2002–03, the 32-year-old signed with lowly RKC Waalwijk also in the Dutch top level, with the club finishing in a comfortable ninth place. He finished his career in Japan, after one year with Urawa Red Diamonds.

International career

Nikiforov played four times for the Commonwealth of Independent States in 1992, as the national team that rose from the ashes of the Soviet Union took part in that year's UEFA European Championship – he did not make the squad for the finals. His debut came on 25 January in a 1–0 friendly with the United States, in Miami.

After briefly representing Ukraine, also in that year, Nikiforov switched to Russia, with which he would participate in two FIFA World Cups1994 and 2002 – as well as UEFA Euro 1996 (eight matches in total, but with the national side always exiting in the group stage).[2]

In 2009, Nikiforov was part of the Russian squad that won the Legends Cup.

Personal life

Nikiforov's older brother, Oleksandr, was also a footballer. He too represented Chornomorets (four different spells), and coincided with Yuri from 1989–90.

Statistics

Club

[3]

Club performance League Cup League Cup Continental Total
Season Club League Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Soviet Union League Soviet Cup Federation Cup Europe Total
1987Odessa5050
1988Chernomorets OdessaTop League1010
1989Dynamo KyivTop League2020
1990Chernomorets OdessaTop League170170
1991302302
Ukraine League Ukrainian Cup League Cup Europe Total
1992Chernomorets OdessaUkrainian Premier League182182
1992/93243243
Russia League Russian Cup Premier League Cup Europe Total
1993Spartak MoscowRussian Premier League230230
199426290352
199522850278
1996145852210
Spain League Copa del Rey Copa de la Liga Europe Total
1996/97Sporting GijónLa Liga38231413
1997/98271271
Netherlands League KNVB Cup League Cup Europe Total
1998/99PSVEredivisie2513150332
1999/002931050353
2000/0126140120421
2001/021902060270
2002/03RKCEredivisie291291
Japan League Emperor's Cup J.League Cup Asia Total
2003Urawa RedsJ1 League1200040-160
2004000000-00
Country Soviet Union 552552
Ukraine 425425
Russia 85152259720
Spain 653653
Netherlands 12861286
Japan 1200040-160
Total 38731004022541336

National team

[4]

CIS
YearAppsGoals
199240
Total40
Ukraine
YearAppsGoals
199230
Total30
Russia
YearAppsGoals
199320
199492
199581
1996133
199740
199840
199900
200000
200170
200280
Total556

Honours

Club

Chornomorets Odesa
Spartak Moscow
PSV Eindhoven

Country

Soviet Union
Russia

References

  1. "Desde Rusia con amor" [From Russia with love] (in Spanish). Fútbol de Primera. 16 December 2011. Retrieved 4 July 2016.
  2. "Yury Nikiforov – International Appearances". RSSSF. Retrieved 18 July 2006.
  3. "Yuriy Nikiforov". Footballdatabase. Retrieved 4 July 2016.
  4. "Yuriy Nikiforov". European Football. Retrieved 4 July 2016.
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