Alexey Smertin
Encyclopedia
Aleksey Gennadyevich Smertin (born 1 May 1975) is a retired footballer. He retired from professional football after having his contract with Fulham
terminated and discovering a new career in politics. Smertin was the captain of the Russian national team
. He was a fairly versatile player and was able to play in defence as well as midfield.
, Russian SFSR
, Smertin has previously played for Dinamo Barnaul
, Zarya Leninsk-Kuznetsky
, Uralan Elista
, Lokomotiv Moscow
, and French team Girondins Bordeaux
before moving on to Chelsea
. His older brother Yevgeni Smertin
played football professionally as well.
brought Smertin to Chelsea from Bordeaux in August 2003 for £3.45m before loaning him out to Portsmouth
for the 2003–04 season. After some impressive performances at Fratton Park
, most notably in Pompey's 1–0 victory over Manchester United
, Smertin returned to London. However, Ranieri had now been succeeded by José Mourinho
, who had made his own midfield signing in compatriot Tiago Mendes
, adding to a midfield that already boasted Frank Lampard
, Claude Makélélé
, Geremi
, and Scott Parker
. Smertin only played a bit-part role for the team in 2004–05 as Chelsea won the title. He did however score his first and only Chelsea goal this season, in the 3–1 Champions League win over Porto.
He was ultimately deemed surplus to requirements at Stamford Bridge
and was loaned out to Charlton Athletic
for the 2005–06 season. At Charlton, he was a starter and had some impressive performances. In January 2006, he was transferred to Dynamo Moscow
, for a fee of £1 million.
In an interview with the European Soccer Magazine in March 2006, Smertin insisted that he harboured no ill-feeling whatsoever towards Mourinho, and that he was grateful to have been able to participate in the celebrations at Stamford Bridge when Chelsea were crowned FA Premier League
champions. Smertin also insisted that his time in England was "a good experience", and that he now believes more firmly than before that the Premier League is the most challenging domestic competition in world football.
, Costinha
and Giourkas Seitaridis in Andrey Kobelev
's massive attempt at rebuilding the team for the new season.
on a two and a half year deal that would see him remain at the club until the summer of 2009. He started most of the opening games of the 2007–08 season but the arrival of fellow-midfielder Danny Murphy on transfer deadline day restricted his playing opportunities. In addition, he suffered from several injury problems. When fit, Simon Davies and Danny Murphy were often preferred as the midfield pairing. On 30 August 2008, Fulham manager Roy Hodgson
informed Smertin that he was free to leave the club. The following day the club cancelled his contract with immediate effect.
. He was capped over 50 times for Russia, and was selected for the 2002 World Cup and Euro 2004. He was made captain in June 2004. Andrey Arshavin
took over the duties as Russian Captain after Smertin. There was speculation Smertin might return to the national team but that died away since Smertin began to lose playing time at Fulham and Russia qualified for UEFA Euro 2008 with a young team on the last day of qualifying.
Larisa, and also has a son. After failing to find a new club after leaving Fulham, Smertin turned his hand to politics back home in Russia. In March 2009, he was elected as an MP in the Altai region of Russia.
Fulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...
terminated and discovering a new career in politics. Smertin was the captain of the Russian national team
Russia national football team
The Russia national football team represents Russia in association football and is controlled by the Russian Football Union , the governing body for football in Russia. Russia's home grounds are Luzhniki Stadium, Lokomotiv Stadium , and Petrovsky Stadium in St.Petersburg and their head coach is...
. He was a fairly versatile player and was able to play in defence as well as midfield.
Early career
Born in in BarnaulBarnaul
-Russian Empire:Barnaul was one of the earlier cities established in Siberia. Originally chosen for its proximity to the mineral-rich Altai Mountains and its location on a major river, the site was founded by the wealthy Demidov family in the 1730s. In addition to the copper which had originally...
, Russian SFSR
Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic
The Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic , commonly referred to as Soviet Russia, Bolshevik Russia, or simply Russia, was the largest, most populous and economically developed republic in the former Soviet Union....
, Smertin has previously played for Dinamo Barnaul
FC Dynamo Barnaul
FC Dynamo Barnaul is the Russian professional club from Barnaul. Founded in 1957. Following the 2008 season, the club was relegated from the Russian First Division to the Russian Second Division.-Current squad:As of October 10, 2011, according to the ....
, Zarya Leninsk-Kuznetsky
FC Zarya Leninsk-Kuznetsky
FC Zarya Leninsk-Kuznetsky is a Russian football team from Leninsk-Kuznetsky. It played professionally from 1990 to 1999 and from 2005 to 2007, including 5 seasons in the second-highest Russian First Division....
, Uralan Elista
FC Elista
FC Elista was a football club based in Elista, Kalmykia, Russia. The club played in the South zone of the Russian Second Division and withdrew from the league after Round 19....
, Lokomotiv Moscow
FC Lokomotiv Moscow
The following years were rather successful as Lokomotiv were consistent in the national championships. However, performances after World War II suffered and actually in the space of five year Lokomotiv were relegated to the Soviet First League twice. In 1951, Lokomotiv came second and eventually...
, and French team Girondins Bordeaux
FC Girondins de Bordeaux
Football Club des Girondins de Bordeaux is a French association football club based in the city of Bordeaux. The club currently play in Ligue 1, the first division of French football, and won its last Ligue 1 title in the 2008–09 season....
before moving on to Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
. His older brother Yevgeni Smertin
Yevgeni Smertin
Yevgeni Gennadyevich Smertin is a retired Russian professional footballer and a current football coach. He made his debut in the Soviet Top League in 1988 for FC Dynamo Moscow...
played football professionally as well.
Chelsea, Portsmouth and Charlton
Claudio RanieriClaudio Ranieri
Claudio Ranieri, is an Italian football manager, currently in charge as head coach of Internazionale.He has also managed many other well-known clubs in Europe, including Cagliari, Napoli, Fiorentina, Valencia, Atlético Madrid, Chelsea, Parma, Juventus and Roma.-Early life:Ranieri attended St...
brought Smertin to Chelsea from Bordeaux in August 2003 for £3.45m before loaning him out to Portsmouth
Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
for the 2003–04 season. After some impressive performances at Fratton Park
Fratton Park
Fratton Park is a football stadium in the English city-port of Portsmouth. It has been the home of professional club Portsmouth F.C. since its construction in 1898.-Description:...
, most notably in Pompey's 1–0 victory over Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
, Smertin returned to London. However, Ranieri had now been succeeded by José Mourinho
José Mourinho
José Mário dos Santos Félix Mourinho is a Portuguese football manager and the current manager of Real Madrid. He is commonly known as "The Special One".Mourinho is regarded by some players, coaches and critics as the best ever coach in football....
, who had made his own midfield signing in compatriot Tiago Mendes
Tiago Mendes
Tiago Cardoso Mendes , simply Tiago, is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays for Atlético Madrid.A versatile midfielder, adept as both a central or defensive unit and with good overall skills, he played professionally in four of Europe's major leagues: England, France, Italy and Spain.A...
, adding to a midfield that already boasted Frank Lampard
Frank Lampard
Frank James Lampard is an English professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Chelsea and the England national team. He also holds the position of vice-captain for his club side...
, Claude Makélélé
Claude Makélélé
Claude Makélelé Sinda is a retired football player who used to play as a defensive midfielder for Paris Saint-Germain in Ligue 1. Prior to joining Paris Saint-Germain, Makélélé played for Nantes, Olympique de Marseille, Celta Vigo, Real Madrid and Chelsea...
, Geremi
Geremi Njitap
Geremi Sorele Njitap Fotso , known simply as Geremi, is a Cameroonian footballer who is currently a free agent.-Early career:...
, and Scott Parker
Scott Parker (footballer)
Scott Matthew Parker is an English footballer who plays for Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur and the England national team. He is the FWA Footballer of the Year for the 2010–11 season. He has represented England at every level from under-16 to senior. Uniquely, he won his first four England...
. Smertin only played a bit-part role for the team in 2004–05 as Chelsea won the title. He did however score his first and only Chelsea goal this season, in the 3–1 Champions League win over Porto.
He was ultimately deemed surplus to requirements at Stamford Bridge
Stamford Bridge (stadium)
Stamford Bridge is a football stadium in Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, West London, and is the home of Chelsea Football Club. The stadium is located within the Moore Park Estate also known as Walham Green and is often referred to as simply The Bridge...
and was loaned out to Charlton Athletic
Charlton Athletic F.C.
Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, in the London Borough of Greenwich. They compete in Football League One, the third tier of English football. The club was founded on 9 June 1905, when a number of youth clubs in the southeast London area,...
for the 2005–06 season. At Charlton, he was a starter and had some impressive performances. In January 2006, he was transferred to 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...
, for a fee of £1 million.
In an interview with the European Soccer Magazine in March 2006, Smertin insisted that he harboured no ill-feeling whatsoever towards Mourinho, and that he was grateful to have been able to participate in the celebrations at Stamford Bridge when Chelsea were crowned FA Premier League
FA Premier League
The Premier League is an English professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the English football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with The Football League. The Premier...
champions. Smertin also insisted that his time in England was "a good experience", and that he now believes more firmly than before that the Premier League is the most challenging domestic competition in world football.
Dynamo Moscow
Smertin played a total of 22 games for Dynamo Moscw before being transfer listed, alongside several other newly-signed players, such as Maniche, Francisco LimaFrancisco Lima
Francisco Lima Govinho is a Brazilian retired football player. He was a defensive midfielder.He played for São Paulo Futebol Clube in 1996, and played for Gaziantepspor in 1996/1998. He then played for FC Zürich between 1998 to 2000, and joined Serie A team Lecce during 1999/2000...
, Costinha
Costinha
Francisco José Rodrigues da Costa, OIH , aka Costinha , is a retired Portuguese footballer who played as a defensive midfielder....
and Giourkas Seitaridis in Andrey Kobelev
Andrey Kobelev
Andrey Nikolayevich Kobelev is a former association footballer, who played as a midfielder, and coach. He manages FC Krylia Sovetov Samara.-Football career:...
's massive attempt at rebuilding the team for the new season.
Fulham
After Smertin's release from Dynamo Moscow, he returned to England, signing for FulhamFulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...
on a two and a half year deal that would see him remain at the club until the summer of 2009. He started most of the opening games of the 2007–08 season but the arrival of fellow-midfielder Danny Murphy on transfer deadline day restricted his playing opportunities. In addition, he suffered from several injury problems. When fit, Simon Davies and Danny Murphy were often preferred as the midfield pairing. On 30 August 2008, Fulham manager Roy Hodgson
Roy Hodgson
Roy Hodgson is a former English footballer and current head coach of West Bromwich Albion.Hodgson, who has managed sixteen different teams in eight countries, guided the Switzerland national team to the last 16 of the 1994 World Cup and qualification for Euro 1996; Switzerland had not qualified...
informed Smertin that he was free to leave the club. The following day the club cancelled his contract with immediate effect.
International career
Smertin made his debut for Russia in 1998 in a 1–0 defeat against IcelandIceland national football team
The Iceland national football team is the national football team of Iceland and is controlled by the Football Association of Iceland. It has never advanced to the finals of any major international competition....
. He was capped over 50 times for Russia, and was selected for the 2002 World Cup and Euro 2004. He was made captain in June 2004. Andrey Arshavin
Andrey Arshavin
Andrey Arshavin is a professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for English Premier League club Arsenal FC and is captain of the Russian national team....
took over the duties as Russian Captain after Smertin. There was speculation Smertin might return to the national team but that died away since Smertin began to lose playing time at Fulham and Russia qualified for UEFA Euro 2008 with a young team on the last day of qualifying.
Honours
- Russian Cup (1999)
- Coupe de la LigueCoupe de la LigueThe Coupe de la Ligue , known outside of France as the French League Cup, is a knockout cup competition in French football organized by the Ligue de Football Professionnel...
(2002) - Football League CupFootball League CupThe Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
(2005) - Premier League (2005)
- FA Community ShieldFA Community ShieldThe Football Association Community Shield is English football's annual match contested between the champions of the previous Premier League season and the holders of the FA Cup at Wembley Stadium. If the Premier League champions also won the FA Cup then the league runners-up provide the opposition...
(2005)
- Russian Footballer of the YearRussian Footballer of the YearRussian Footballer of the Year is an annual award given by Sport-Express daily to the Russian Premier League player of the season. The title is awarded according to the results of a poll conducted by the newspaper...
(1999) - 5th in Russian All Time Appearances
Outside football
Smertin is married to fellow SiberianSiberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
Larisa, and also has a son. After failing to find a new club after leaving Fulham, Smertin turned his hand to politics back home in Russia. In March 2009, he was elected as an MP in the Altai region of Russia.