Alexey Smertin

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Alexey Smertin (Russian: Алексей Смертин) (born May 1, 1975 in Barnaul, USSR) is a Russian football player. He plays as a defensive midfielder for Dynamo Moscow, and was a captain of the Russian national team.

On the club level, Smertin has played for Dinamo Barnaul, Zarya Leninsk-Kuznetski, Uralan Elista, Lokomotiv Moscow, Girondins Bordeaux, and Chelsea.

Claudio Ranieri brought Smertin to Chelsea from Bordeaux in August 2003 for £3.45m before loaning him out to Portsmouth for the 2003-04 season. After some impressive performances at Fratton Park, most notably in Pompey's 1-0 victory over Manchester United, Smertin returned to London. However, Ranieri had now been succeeded by José Mourinho, who had made his own midfield signing in compatriot Tiago Mendes, adding to a midfield that already boasted Frank Lampard, Claude Makélélé, Geremi, and Scott Parker (who has since left Chelsea). Smertin only played a bit-part role for the team in 2004/2005 as Chelsea won the title.

He was ultimately deemed surplus to requirements at Stamford Bridge and was loaned out to Charlton for the 2005-06 season. In January 2006 his contract with Chelsea was terminated, allowing him to return home and sign a four-year contract with Dynamo Moscow.

In an interview with the European Soccer Magazine in March 2006, Smertin insisted that he harboured no ill-feeling whatsoever towards Mourinho, and that he was grateful to have been able to participate in the celebrations at Stamford Bridge when Chelsea were crowned English Premier League champions. Smertin also insisted that his time in England was "a good experience", and that he now believes more firmly than before that the Premiership is the most challenging domestic competition in world football.

Smertin has been capped over 40 times for Russia, including the 2002 World Cup and Euro 2004. He was made captain in June 2004.

Although often named by the media as Alexei Smertin, Smertin prefers the spelling with a y as appearing in his anglicized passport.^{[citation needed]}

Preceded by: Yegor Titov

Russian Footballer of the Year 1999

Succeeded by: Yegor Titov

	Russia squad - 2002 FIFA World Cup
1 Nigmatullin | 2 Kovtun | 3 Nikiforov | 4 Smertin | 5 Solomatin | 6 Semshov | 7 Onopko | 8 Karpin | 9 Titov | 10 Mostovoi | 11 Beschastnykh | 12 Cherchesov | 13 Daev | 14 Chugainov | 15 Alenichev | 16 Kerzhakov | 17 Semak | 18 Sennikov | 19 Pimenov | 20 Izmailov | 21 Khokhlov | 22 Sychev | 23 Filimonov | Coach: Romantsev