Nikita Motspan (Moldovan: Nichita Moțpan; born July 17, 2001, Bălți, Moldova) is a Moldovan footballer, a midfielder who has played for Russian clubs since 2023. He also holds Russian citizenship.[3] He is connected to Nizhny Novgorod football through matches against FC Nizhny Novgorod in the 2023/24 Premier League season.[1]

Career

Motspan was born in the Moldovan city of Bălți and came up through the youth system of the local football club Bălți. At 16, he moved to Kazan, where he spent two years in the Rubin academy. He then returned to Bălți and played in the Moldovan championship. In the 2021/22 season, he played 23 matches and scored 7 goals in the National Division.[2]

In 2022, he played on loan for the Israeli club Hapoel Haifa in the Super League — 4 league matches and 3 in the Toto Cup.[2] After returning to Bălți, he helped the club reach the final of the Moldovan Cup, where it lost to Sheriff in a penalty shootout.[3]

On July 18, 2023, the day after his 22nd birthday, Motspan moved to Voronezh's Fakel for 150,000 euros.[2][3] In the 2023/24 Premier League season, he played 28 matches and scored 1 goal — in an away match against Orenburg (a 2–1 win for Fakel).[1] That season, Fakel played FC Nizhny Novgorod twice: on August 20, 2023, the Voronezh side beat the Nizhny Novgorod team 2–0, and on March 3, 2024, the match ended in a 1–1 draw.[1] In the 2024/25 season, Motspan also played for Fakel in the Premier League, making 21 appearances.[1] In April 2025, in a Matchday 26 RPL match against Rubin, he received a red card after a VAR review; Fakel head coach Igor Shalimov called the sending-off a "setup."[5] The RFU Control and Disciplinary Committee suspended the player for two matches.[5]

In June 2026, Motspan left Fakel, and on July 20, 2026, he moved to SKA-Khabarovsk as a free agent. Motspan's contract with SKA-Khabarovsk runs through June 30, 2027; the player's market value is estimated at €328 thousand.[6][5][2] In the 2026/27 First League season, he played 10 matches for the Khabarovsk club and scored 2 goals. On August 24, 2026, in a Russian Second Division match, SKA-Khabarovsk lost to FC Nizhny Novgorod by a score of 2–4; Motspan took part in that game.[7][1]

National team

Motspan was called up to the Moldova youth national team, and from 2022 on, to the country's senior national team. His record includes matches in the UEFA Nations League (League D), in qualifying tournaments for Euro 2024 and the World Cup, as well as friendlies. In the 2022/23 Nations League, he scored 1 goal in 4 matches.[2] In total, as of 2026, he has played more than 40 matches for the national team.[2] According to a Voronezh publication, at the time of his move to Fakel in 2023, Motspan had 10 matches and 2 goals for the Moldova national team to his name.[3]

Sources

  1. ru.soccerway.com — In the 2025/26 season, played in the FNL with Fakel, Motspan appeared in 24 matches without scoring a league goal, and also played 3 matches in the Russian Cup.
  2. football-fun-live.com — On August 24, 2026, in a Russian Second Division match, SKA-Khabarovsk lost to FC Nizhny Novgorod by a score of 2–4; Motspan took part in that game. (archive)
  1. news.sportbox.ru — Motspan Nikita — Midfielder — SKA-Khabarovsk — Nichita Moțpan (archive)
  2. flashscorekz.com — Nikita Motspan (SKA-Khabarovsk) statistics (archive)
  3. vrn.kp.ru — Moldova national team leader joins Voronezh's Fakel
  4. matchtv.ru — Nikita Motspan: videos, reviews, interviews (archive)
  5. rusfootball.info — Nikita Motspan, midfielder of the football club Fakel (Voronezh)