Alexei Eremenko
Encyclopedia
Aleksei Alekseyevich Yeryomenko is a Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...

n-born Finnish
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...

 professional footballer who currently plays for Rubin Kazan in Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...

, in-between studying Architecture
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...

 at University of Strathclyde
University of Strathclyde
The University of Strathclyde , Glasgow, Scotland, is Glasgow's second university by age, founded in 1796, and receiving its Royal Charter in 1964 as the UK's first technological university...

. He is a Midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...

 who is able to operate in many roles, and is also known as a set piece specialist.

Career

Eremenko was born in Rostov-on-Don
Rostov-on-Don
-History:The mouth of the Don River has been of great commercial and cultural importance since the ancient times. It was the site of the Greek colony Tanais, of the Genoese fort Tana, and of the Turkish fortress Azak...

, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....

 but moved to Finland with his family at the age of seven when his father, former FC Dynamo Moscow
FC Dynamo Moscow
Dynamo Moscow is a Russian football club based in Moscow, currently playing in the Russian Premier League. Dynamo's traditional kit colours are blue and white...

 and FC Spartak Moscow
FC Spartak Moscow
FC Spartak Moscow is a Russian football club from Moscow. Having won 12 Soviet championships and 9 of 19 Russian championships they are one of the country's most successful clubs. They have also won the Soviet Cup 10 times and the Russian Cup 3 times...

 player Alexei Eremenko Sr., came to play in Finland with FF Jaro
FF Jaro
FF Jaro is a Finnish football club, based in the bilingual town of Jakobstad. It currently plays in the Finnish Premier League Veikkausliiga...

. He was granted Finnish citizenship in 2003, but still holds a Russian passport
Russian passport
Russian passports are of two types: domestic passports issued to citizens of Russia for the purpose of certifying identity, international passports are issued for the purpose of international travel.- Internal passport :...

 as well. He is the elder brother of Roman Eremenko
Roman Eremenko
Roman Alekseevich Eremenko is a Russian-born Finnish footballer who currently plays for FC Rubin Kazan in the Russian Premier League. He is best known for his time in Dynamo Kyiv, with whom he became leader, winning the Ukrainian Premier League title in 2009, and playing in the Champions and...

, and also a new father with a son born in September 2007.

Eremenko spent some time with Tromsø IL in Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...

 (his father played for the senior team, he himself played for the under-fifteens team) and with the youth academy of FC Metz
FC Metz
Football Club de Metz, commonly referred to as simply Metz , is a French association football club based in Metz. The club was formed in 1932 and has spent most of its history in the Ligue 1, though they currently play in Ligue 2, the second level in French football league system. Metz plays its...

 in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

, before returning to Finland to make his Veikkausliiga
Veikkausliiga
Veikkausliiga is the premier division of Finnish football, comprising the top 12 clubs of the country. Veikkausliiga is currently ranked as the 28th best league in Europe. Its main sponsor is the Finnish national betting agency Veikkaus, hence the league's name...

 debut with FC Jokerit
FC Jokerit
FC Jokerit was a football club based in Helsinki, Finland. It was founded in 1999. The club was known for its wild supporters, 116% Boys, and for its owner, Hjallis Harkimo who is also the owner of Jokerit, an ice hockey club based in Helsinki....

 in 2001. A try out with Aston Villa followed, but in the next season he moved to HJK, and eventually became the league's top player. He won two Finnish championships and one Finnish Cup
Finnish Cup
The Finnish Cup is Finland's main national cup competition in football.This yearly competition is open for member clubs of the FA of Finland. Finnish Cup has been played since 1955.Finnish Cup winner qualifies to UEFA Europa League...

 with HJK. In the summer of 2004, Eremenko moved abroad, joining Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

 Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...

 club US Lecce
U.S. Lecce
Unione Sportiva Lecce or simply U.S. Lecce is an Italian football club based in Lecce, Apulia who play in the Italian Serie A. After being crowned Serie B champions in 2009–10, the team successfully managed to avoid relegation in 2010-11....

. After failing to make a major breakthrough at Lecce, he moved to FC Saturn on a four-year deal in January 2006 transfer window
Transfer window
The transfer window is the period during the year in which a football club can transfer players from other countries into their playing staff. Such a transfer is completed by registering the player into the new club through FIFA...

, becoming a key player for the Russian side.

On the 15th July, 2011 it was reported that he is signing for Leeds United in a Finish newspaper, but the transfer was delayed due to a cancelled flight, which prevented him from linking up with the squad in Scotland.

Metalist Kharkiv

On July 29, 2009 Eremenko signed a three-year contract with the Ukrainian club FC Metalist Kharkiv
FC Metalist Kharkiv
FC Metalist Kharkiv is a Ukrainian professional football club based in Kharkiv. It competes in the Ukrainian Premier League, the highest football level in the country. Founded in 1925, the team worked its way up the rungs of the Soviet football system, eventually being promoted to the Soviet Top...

, and scored his first goal in his debut game against HNK Rijeka.

Jaro (Loan)

On March 12, 2010 it was announced that Eremenko had been traded back to his first club, FF Jaro
FF Jaro
FF Jaro is a Finnish football club, based in the bilingual town of Jakobstad. It currently plays in the Finnish Premier League Veikkausliiga...

, for the 2010 season
2010 Veikkausliiga
The 2010 Veikkausliiga was the eightieth season of top-tier football in Finland. It began on 16 April 2010 and ended on 23 October 2010.-Teams:...

. His father, Alexei Eremenko Sr.
Aleksei Borisovich Yeryomenko
Aleksei Borisovich Yeryomenko , also known as Alexi Eremenko, Sr. is a retired Soviet and Russian professional footballer who also holds a Finnish citizenship. He made his debut in the Soviet Top League in 1981 for FC SKA Rostov-on-Don. Currently, he is the manager of FF Jaro in the Finnish premier...

, is the current manager of FF Jaro. He managed to score on his debut, in a Finnish League Cup
Finnish League Cup
The Finnish League Cup is a knock-out football competition contested annually during pre-season in winter by teams from Veikkausliiga.-Finnish League Cup finals:...

 game against JJK
Jyväskylän Jalkapalloklubi
JJK Jyväskylä is a Finnish football club, based in Jyväskylä. It currently plays in the Finnish top-flight Veikkausliiga. The club's manager is Kari Martonen...

 on March 20, 2010. He also continued scoring in Veikkausliiga
Veikkausliiga
Veikkausliiga is the premier division of Finnish football, comprising the top 12 clubs of the country. Veikkausliiga is currently ranked as the 28th best league in Europe. Its main sponsor is the Finnish national betting agency Veikkaus, hence the league's name...

's opening match against FC Lahti
FC Lahti
FC Lahti is a Finnish football club, based in the town of Lahti. It currently plays in the Finnish First Division after placing last in Finnish Premier League during season 2010...

, scoring on a rebound after his unsuccessful penalty kick.

Kilmarnock (loan)

On August 30, 2010, it was announced that Eremenko had been traded to Mixu Paatelainen
Mixu Paatelainen
Mika-Matti Petteri "Mixu" Paatelainen is a former Finnish international football player and the current manager of the Finnish national team, having started the role in April 2011...

's Kilmarnock
Kilmarnock F.C.
Kilmarnock Football Club is a Scottish football team based in the town of Kilmarnock, Ayrshire. Founded in 1869, "Killie" is the oldest club currently in the Scottish Premier League. Home matches are played at Rugby Park...

 until the end of the season. He scored on his debut in a 2-1 victory over St. Mirren
St. Mirren F.C.
St Mirren Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Paisley, Renfrewshire who play in the Scottish Premier League, having been promoted from the First Division in 2005–06.St...

. On March 5, 2011, Eremenko was given his second straight red card of the season against Hearts
Heart of Midlothian F.C.
Heart of Midlothian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Gorgie, in the west of Edinburgh. They currently play in the Scottish Premier League and are one of the two principal clubs in the city, the other being Hibernian...

 at Tynecastle on after a off the ball altercation with Hearts captain Marius Zaliukas
Marius Žaliukas
Marius Žaliūkas is a Lithuanian footballer who is the captain of Scottish Premier League club Hearts. He plays as either a centre back or a defensive midfielder.-Club career:...

. On April 11, Eremenko stated that he wanted to end his career at Rugby Park
Rugby Park
Rugby Park is a football stadium situated in the Scottish town of Kilmarnock. It was first used in 1899 and is the home of Kilmarnock F.C..It underwent a major redevelopment in 1994–95, becoming an all-seater stadium with a capacity of 18,128...

. Eremenko was nominated for the 2010-11 PLayers' Player of the Year award, losing out to Celtic's
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...

 Emilio Izaguirre
Emilio Izaguirre
Emilio Arturo Izaguirre Girón is a Honduran footballer who plays as a left back for Scottish Premier League side Celtic and the Honduras national team. He has represented his country at the 2010 World Cup and the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup....

.

After returning from his loan spell, Metalist Kharkiv told him he could leave, where he then stated that he had received bids from a Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...

 club and a Russian club, with reports that Old Firm
Old Firm
The Old Firm is a common collective name for the association football clubs Celtic and Rangers, both based in Glasgow, Scotland.The origin of the term is unclear. One theory has it that the expression derives from Celtic's first game in 1888, which was played against Rangers. However, author,...

 duo Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...

 and Rangers
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...

 were interested in signing him. The Championship club was later reported to be the Welsh
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...

 club Cardiff City
Cardiff City F.C.
Cardiff City Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in the English football pyramid and is currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City is the best supported football club in Wales, averaging approximately 22,500 for...

. Brighton and Hove Albion, a fellow Championship club, were also believed to be interested in signing Eremenko.

Rubin Kazan

On 30 August 2011, Eremenko signed a contract with Russian club Rubin Kazan
FC Rubin Kazan
FC Rubin Kazan is a Russian association football club based in the city of Kazan . Rubin won the Russian Premier League championship in 2008 and 2009.-History:...

 along his young brother Roman Eremenko
Roman Eremenko
Roman Alekseevich Eremenko is a Russian-born Finnish footballer who currently plays for FC Rubin Kazan in the Russian Premier League. He is best known for his time in Dynamo Kyiv, with whom he became leader, winning the Ukrainian Premier League title in 2009, and playing in the Champions and...

.

International career

Eremenko made his debut for the Finnish national team
Finland national football team
The Finland national football team represents Finland in international football competitions and is controlled by the Football Association of Finland....

 on 11 October 2003 against Canada
Canada men's national soccer team
The Canada men's national soccer team represents Canada in international soccer competitions at the senior men's level. They are overseen by the Canadian Soccer Association and compete in the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football .Their most significant...

. He was a key player for Finland in 2006 World Cup qualifying, scoring an impressive seven goals, four of which came from free kicks
Direct free kick
A direct free kick is a method of restarting play in a game of association football following a foul. Unlike an indirect free kick, a goal may be scored directly against the opposing side without the ball having first touched another player.-Award:...

. He shared the third position among the top scorers in the group, along with Adrian Mutu
Adrian Mutu
Adrian Mutu is a Romanian footballer who plays as a striker for Serie A club Cesena.-Argeş Piteşti:Mutu began his professional career with his home club Argeş Piteşti...

 of , behind Jan Koller
Jan Koller
Jan Koller is Czech footballer currently playing in AFK Smetanova Lhota.As an international player he played as a striker for the Czech Republic national team. He is the all-time leading goal scorer for either the Czech Republic or the former Czechoslovakia, with 55 goals in 91 caps...

 of and Ruud van Nistelrooy
Ruud van Nistelrooy
Rutgerus Johannes Martinus "Ruud" van Nistelrooy, , is a Dutch footballer who plays as a striker for Málaga CF in Spain's La Liga. He is the second-highest goalscorer in Champions League history with 60 goals...

 of the , who both scored nine goals.

International goals

As of 15 November 2011.

Personal awards and achievements

  • Scottish Premier League
    Scottish Premier League
    The Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...

     Player of the Month: November 2010
  • Scottish Premier League
    Scottish Premier League
    The Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...

     Player of the Year: 2010/11 nominee (was runner up to Celtic's Emilio Izaguirre)

External links

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