Valery Aleksandrovich Popovich (born May 18, 1970, Gorky) is a Soviet and Russian footballer who played as a midfielder and forward. A product of Nizhny Novgorod football, he spent most of his career in Finland, where he became one of the most decorated Russian legionnaires in the history of the Finnish championship. Master of Sport of the USSR (1989).[2]

The Nizhny Novgorod Years

Popovich was born and raised in Gorky. He took his first football steps at the Krasnoye Sormovo youth sports school (DYuSSh), then continued his training at the Experimental School of Higher Sporting Mastery (ESHVSM) in Moscow.[4] In 1986 he made his debut at the senior level for Dzerzhinsk's Khimik in the Second League of the USSR championship, scoring his first professional goal at the age of 16.[4] In 1987 he played for Lokomotiv Gorky.[1] By the footballer's own account, his ambitions at the time did not extend beyond his hometown Lokomotiv.[4]

Career in the USSR and Move Abroad

In 1988–1989 Popovich played for CSKA (Moscow), where he came from the USSR youth national team under coach Ignatyev. With the youth team (U-19) he became European champion in 1988 at a tournament in Czechoslovakia; two years earlier, in 1986, he won a bronze medal at the European Junior Championship (U-17).[2] In 1990–1991 he played for Moscow's Spartak, with which he won silver at the 1991 USSR championship and took part in European club competitions, including a European Champion Clubs' Cup match against Real (Madrid).[2] Tellingly, Popovich did not score a single goal for top-division clubs in the USSR and Russia — all of his goals at home came for reserve sides and in the Second League.[4]

In 1992, the footballer moved to Finland, where he began his career at TPV in Tampere.[1] Brief stints at Ilves (Tampere) and Ikast (Denmark, 1995/96 season) did not prove to be turning points: the main place of work for many years was the club Haka from Valkeakoski.[4] In the 1999/2000 season, Popovich played for the Dutch club Heerenveen, with which he became a silver medalist of the Dutch championship.[2] He ended his active career at HIK (Helsinki) in 2009, after which he played for several more years in the lower divisions for Ilves.[1]

Achievements in Finland

With Haka, Popovich became Finnish champion six times (1995, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2004) and once with HIK (2009), and won the Finnish Cup three times (1997, 2002, 2005).[2] He was named the best footballer of the Finnish championship four times and was its top scorer twice, in 1995 and 1999.[2] Over the course of his career he scored 193 goals in official matches and was inducted into the Oleg Protasov Club of Scorers; in the all-time list of top scorers of the Finnish league, he ranked sixth with 132 goals.[2][4] In European club competitions, playing for Haka and Spartak, he made 39 appearances and scored 10 goals; among his opponents were Real Madrid, Glasgow Rangers, Liverpool, and Fulham.[2]

Sources

  1. footballfakts.ru — Popovich Valery Aleksandrovich, born 05/18/1970. All footballers of Russia, the USSR, and the CIS. Information, Biographies, Teams, Matches, Goals, Interviews
  2. klisf.net — KLISF. POPOVICH Valery Aleksandrovich
  3. s-cdn.sportbox.ru — Popovich Valery Aleksandrovich — Midfielder — Valeri Popovich
  4. rusteam.su — Popovich Valery Aleksandrovich. Russia national football team