Alexandru Gatsкан (Mold. Alexandru Gațcan; b. March 27, 1984, Chișinău, Moldavian SSR) is a Moldovan and Russian footballer, a defensive and central midfielder. He played in the Russian championships from 2006 to 2021, spending most of his career with Rostov in Rostov-on-Don, of which he was captain. He holds Moldovan and Russian citizenship.[1] Gatskan's Nizhny Novgorod connection is that he played for Moscow's Spartak, as well as for Nizhny Novgorod's Spartak — according to Wikidata on the teams associated with his name.
Early Career and Move to Russia
A product of the Unisport-Auto football school (Chișinău). In the Moldovan championship he played for Unisport and Unisport-Auto from the 2000/01 season through 2003/04.[1] In 2004 he moved to Moscow's Spartak, where he spent a season in the Premier League but did not take the field in any official league matches.[2] In 2005 he played for Spartak in Chelyabinsk in the First Division, appearing in 36 matches and scoring 2 goals.[2]
Rubin and the Move to Rostov
From 2006 to 2008, Gatskan played for Kazan's Rubin in the Premier League. Over three seasons he played 40 league matches and scored 2 goals.[3] In 2008, while still on Rubin's books, he was loaned to Rostov, which was then playing in the First Division, where he made 14 appearances and scored 3 goals.[1]
Rostov: The Main Years
From 2009 through the 2019/20 season, Gatskan was a key player for Rostov. During this period he played 261 matches in the Russian championship, scoring 18 goals, and became the team's captain.[3] In the 2016/17 season, Rostov under Kurban Berdyev won silver in the championship and made their debut in the UEFA Champions League group stage; according to Gatskan himself, after that a "football boom" happened in Rostov.[4] In the final of the 2013/14 Russian Cup, Rostov met Krasnodar.[4] In total, Gatskan played 323 matches in the Russian championships (33rd on the list of "guardsmen" as of October 2025) and scored 20 goals.[3]
End of Career
In the 2019/20 season, Gatskan moved to Krylia Sovetov (Samara), where he played 22 matches in the Premier League and another 27 matches in the FNL championship in the 2020/21 season.[1] In May 2021, he announced his departure from Krylia, and in July of the same year he announced the end of his professional career.[4] In August 2020, Gatskan registered as an individual entrepreneur in Rostov-on-Don, with the line of business "rental and management of real estate."[5] Since retiring from playing, he has worked as an expert and commentator on Russian football.[4]
Moldova national team
For the Moldova national team, Gatskan played 63 matches and scored 5 goals; his period of appearances ran from February 9, 2005, to November 18, 2018.[1]
Links
- Wikidata (Q2655687 — entry in the free knowledge base)
Sources
- footballfakts.ru — Gatskan Aleksandr Mikhaylovich, born 03/27/1984. All footballers of Russia, the USSR, and the CIS. Information, Biographies, Teams, Matches, Goals, Interviews
- futbol365.ru — footballer GATSKAN Aleksandr Mikhaylovich — statistics, career, goals
- 100bombardirov.ru — 100 Bombardirov — Russian Championship — Aleksandr Gatskan
- news.sportbox.ru — Aleksandr Gatskan
- checko.ru — Individual Entrepreneur Gatskan Aleksandr Mikhaylovich — Rostov-on-Don — INN 161405030260 — OGRNIP 320619600110649
- fc-tom.ru — Gatskan Aleksandr Mikhaylovich — Player Profile — Unofficial website of FC "Tom"