Alexander Nikiforov: biography and career of the football player

Alexander Nikiforov is a Soviet and Ukrainian football player who played on the position of a midfielder. In Russia he noted games in the team "KAMAZ" from Naberezhnye Chelny, all the rest of the time he played for Ukrainian or Hungarian clubs.

Childhood Player

Alexander Nikiforov was born in Odessa on October 18, 1967. I got carried away with football, while still at school. Therefore I entered the school of local "Chernomorets". His first coaches were Gennady Bursakov and Igor Ivanenko.

By the end of high school, it reached the level of the double of the main team of the city. He began to play for youth "Chernomorets" on the position of midfielder. Remained true to this role until the end of his career.

Professional career

Professional career of the player began in 1986 in another Odessa team - SKA. Having reached the draft age, Alexander Nikiforov had to go to the service in the armed forces. However, for sporting success was attracted to play in the local football club. In SKA, he spent the entire service life - 2 years. The team at that time performed at a low level - in the national championship of the Ukrainian SSR. I did not achieve any special success. Alexander Nikiforov was a player of the basic structure, he had 74 matches, in which he scored 4 goals.

The debut in "Chernomorets"

Returning to the citizen Nikiforov immediately attracted to the main team of the city - the Odessa "Chernomorets". Debuted as part of the main team in 1988, Alexander Nikiforov. Footballer held his first match in the Higher League of the USSR Championship.

In 1988, the team showed an unstable game, but thanks to several victories in the second half of the season, it secured itself from the struggle for survival. As a result, "Chernomorets" finished in 13th place, having won only 9 wins in 30 matches.

In the next season, already accumulated experience Alexander Nikiforov, whose photo was in all Odessa sports newspapers, led the team to victory together with the mentor and partners. At the finish of the championship the team won the struggle for the championship in the middle of the table. With a small advantage from the competitors, she took 6th place, which allowed to perform in European competition.

In the UEFA Cup, Alexander Nikiforov, whose biography has already begun to interest other clubs, made his debut in 1990. In the first round, "Chernomorets" knocked out of the rally Norwegian "Rosenborg" (3: 1, 1: 2). But in the second I came across a strong French "Monaco". After a zero draw in Odessa, the game in the foreign principality ended in a 0: 1 defeat.

In total for "Chernomorets" Nikiforov held 57 matches, in which he scored 6 goals.

Returning to Odessa

Further career of the player took shape in different clubs, from which he returned from time to time in his native Odessa "Chernomorets".

In 1990 he left for the modest Hungarian BVSHC, where he spent three seasons. At the same time, the field appeared infrequently - only 26 times in all the time. In 1992, for the first time, he returned to Chernomorets, who at that time already played in the Ukrainian championship. The team from Odessa was among the leaders of the championship and won bronze medals, losing only to Kiev "Dynamo" and Dnepropetrovsk "Dnipro".

In 1993, moved to the Higher League of Russia Alexander Nikiforov. Soviet football player in the past played two seasons for "KAMAZ" from Naberezhnye Chelny. On the field appeared irregularly, having played only 16 matches.

Then he played again for the Odessa "Chernomorets", FC "Mykolaiv" and the Hungarian ITC. In 1996 he returned to KAMAZ. This season was more successful. Nikiforov spent 11 games, which twice distinguished himself. At the end of the season, the team took the 14th place, three points from the relegation zone.

1997 was held in the Russian First Division for the Gazovik-Gazprom team from Izhevsk, from which he took 12th place.

The further career of the player has gone on recession. After "Gasovik-Gazprom" he performed only in the second league of the championship of Ukraine and for amateur football clubs.

He played in the Odessa teams "Fisherman-Dorozhnik", SC "Odessa", football clubs "Signal" and Digital. Completed his professional sports career in 2005.

Nikiforov's family

Nikiforov's family is closely connected with football. His brother Yuri is famous for his performances for the Russian national team. He played for Moscow "Spartak", becoming a three-time champion of Russia and scoring for the red-and-white 16 goals in 85 matches.

Yuri Nikiforov, like his brother, started in the Odessa "Chernomorets", acted as a defender. In 1996, moved to the Major League of the Spanish Championship, where he played for the Gijón "Sporting". After that, in his career were the Dutch PSV, "Valveik" and the Japanese "Urawa Red Diamonds." The number of titles can also be claimed by three wins in the championship of the Netherlands and a triumph in the Cup of Japan. From 1993 to 2002 he played for the national team of Russia. I played 59 matches in which I scored 6 goals. Participated in the European Championships in 1996 and the world championships in 1994 and 2002. After mundialya decided to retire.

Closely connected with football and uncle Alexander Nikiforov - Yuri Zabolotny. In the USSR championship, he played more than two hundred games for the Odessa "Chernomorets", played for Kiev "Dynamo" and Nicholas "Sudostroitel". He was a member of the Ukrainian SSR team. In 1962 he was awarded the title of Master of Sports of the Soviet Union.

Alexander Nikiforov's father was also a football player, but he probably achieved the least success. In the sixties he was in favor of the double of Chernomorets in Odessa. In the future, his career did not advance.

Coaching

After the end of sports career Nikiforov became a coach. In 2001 he directed the amateur team "Signal" from Odessa.

And in 2010 he entered the coaching staff of his native "Chernomorets". The team at that time was going through hard times, speaking in the First League of the Ukrainian Championship.

For the 2010/2011 season, the task was to return to the highest echelon. The main rival of Odessa was the club "Alexandria", which in the end they lost 4 points. But, finishing second, they were able to regain a ticket to the Higher Division.