Igor Smolnikov: biography and career of the football player

Igor Smolnikov is an active Russian football player, defender of the St. Petersburg Zenit and the Russian national team.

Dossier

Smolnikov Igor Alexandrovich was born on August 8, 1988 in the city of Kamensk-Uralsky, Sverdlovsk Region (USSR). Russian citizen. Playing position on the football field - defender / midfielder. Achievements - the winner of the championship of Russia in 2015 and the winner of the Super Cup of the same year. Height 179 cm, weight 71 kg. He is married. The spouse's name is Catherine.

Club career

Igor Smolnikov began his football career with performances in the Moscow "Torpedo" in 2006. Currently defends the colors of the club "Zenith". At the highest football level, he played 240 fights, in which he scored 14 goals.

• 2006 - 2007 - Torpedo (Moscow), 30/2;
• 2008 - 2012 - "Locomotive" (Moscow), 17/0;
• 2009 - "Ural" (Yekaterinburg), 12/0;
• 2009 - Chita, 15/2;
• 2011 - 2012 - "The Pearl - Sochi", 18/1;
• 2011 - 2012 - Rostov (Rostov-on-Don), 23/1;
• 2012 - 2013 - "Krasnodar", 30/0;
• 2013 - present time - Zenit (St. Petersburg), 58/8.

National team

In 2007-2009, Igor Smolnikov was involved in the youth national teams of Russia (U-19, U-21). During this period he played 4 games. In 2007, participated in the final stage of the European Youth Championship (U-19). Since 2013 he began to play for the national team of the country. The debut match was held on November 19, 2013 against the team of South Korea. While on his account 10 played matches.

Stages of football path

Igor Smolnikov is a pupil of the football club Lokomotiv. But for the first time he said about himself, speaking in the Moscow team "Torpedo". The explosive, tenacious and persistent defender quickly took on the pencil scouts of some Russian clubs. Igor himself was listed as a player of "Lokomotiv", and "railwaymen" did not hurry to sell the young football player. And to purchase a full-fledged gaming practice, he was leased to the Sverdlovsk club "Ural".

But there he did not work out. After only 12 fights, he moved to the team "Chita" as a leased football player. Here Igor spoke for four months, after which he returned to Moscow. After playing several fights of the championship of Russia in the "railroad", he moved to the club "Rostov", which needed a good left defender, capable of conducting offensive actions. Here Igor Smolnikov first became a player of the main team, an indispensable player in defense. But the season 2012/2013 he spent in the club "Krasnodar". For this team, Igor managed to win 30 fights.

Summing up the intermediate results of the player's performance, it can be argued that he never managed, after changing several clubs, to convince the leadership of "Locomotive" in his professional suitability. On the other hand, he gained experience of playing and playing practice in various competitive tournaments, including performances for the youth and youth national team of Russia.

The next stage in the football career of the player began on August 13, 2013. On this day, an agreement was signed between the leadership of "Krasnodar" and "Zenith" about Igor's move to the club from St. Petersburg.

The amount paid for the transfer was $ 6 million. And in the contract there was a point where it was indicated the possibility of increasing the total amount of payments to the previous team, depending on the future results of the footballer's performances. As a result, "Krasnodar" received money, and "Zenith" - one of the best young defenders of the Premier League, which is currently Igor Smolnikov.

"Zenith" of the contract period of the player's contract has not yet disclosed, but the head coach of the team Luciano Spalletti about the acquisition of the player does not regret. Igor played his debut match for Zenit on August 17, 2013. The match took place within the framework of the championship of Russia against the team "Anji".

Already on August 20, the player played his first European Cup match, which fell on the Champions League tournament (play-off round) with the Portuguese club "Pasush de Ferreira". Igor Smolnikov - a football player who did not have a high performance before, already managed to score 7 goals for the St. Petersburg club.

In conclusion, let's say a couple of words about the player's marital status. He - a man leading a calm, measured life, and therefore, a long time married. Igor Smolnikov's wife Catherine gave him two sons. The couple live in St. Petersburg. Perhaps they will still learn life abroad if Igor is invited someday to a foreign club. But so far he is a player of "Zenith" and is not going anywhere.