Vyacheslav Malafeev

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Vyacheslav Malafeev

Malafeev playing for Zenit St. Petersburg in 2010
Personal information
Full nameVyacheslav Aleksandrovich Malafeev
Date of birth (1979-03-04) 4 March 1979
Place of birthLeningrad, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
Height1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Playing positionGoalkeeper
Club information
Current clubZenit St. Petersburg
Number16
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps†(Gls)†
1997–2000Zenit-2 St. Petersburg54(0)
1999–Zenit St. Petersburg324(0)
National team‡
2003–2012Russia29(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 19 May 2013.

† Appearances (Goals).

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

Vyacheslav Aleksandrovich Malafeev (Russian: Вячеслав Александрович Малафеев; born 4 March 1979) is a footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Russian Premier League team Zenit Saint Petersburg. He is a one-club man, having spent all 14 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 the 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 29 August 2010
Club Div Season League Cup Europe Other Total
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Russia Zenit SPb D1 1999 8−1000——8−10
2000 12−8005−3—17−11
2001 28−292−2——30−31
2002 29−405−63−4—37−50
2003 27−232−2—3−132−26
2004 19−18007−8—26−26
2005 11−136−3——17−16
2006 26−215−25−7—36−30
2007 19−205−72−1—26−28
2008 30−371−115−151−147−54
2009 28−241−11−4—30−29
2010 15−6204−2—21−8
Total252-24929-2442-444-2327-319

Personal life

Vyacheslav and his wife Marina had two children: Ksenia,10, and Maxim,8. Marina Malafeeva died in a car crash on the morning of 17 March 2011, aged 37.[4]

Honours

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. 

External links

FC Zenit Saint Petersburg – current squad
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