Yuriy Nikiforov Explained

Yuriy Nikiforov
Fullname:	Yuriy Valeryevich Nikiforov
Birth Date:	16 September 1970
Birth Place:	Odesa, Ukrainian SSR (now Ukraine)
Height:	1.88 m
Position:	Centre-back
Currentclub:	Russia (assistant coach)
Youthclubs1:	Chornomorets Odesa
Years1:	1986–1987
Caps1:	0
Goals1:	0
Years2:	1987
Clubs2:	SKA Odesa
Caps2:	5
Goals2:	0
Years3:	1988
Caps3:	1
Goals3:	0
Years4:	1988–1989
Clubs4:	Dynamo Kyiv
Caps4:	0
Goals4:	0
Years5:	1990–1993
Caps5:	76
Goals5:	4
Years6:	1993–1996
Caps6:	85
Goals6:	16
Years7:	1993
Caps7:	3
Goals7:	2
Years8:	1996–1998
Caps8:	65
Goals8:	2
Years9:	1998–2002
Clubs9:	PSV
Caps9:	99
Goals9:	5
Years10:	2002–2003
Clubs10:	RKC
Caps10:	23
Goals10:	1
Years11:	2003–2004
Clubs11:	Urawa Red Diamonds
Caps11:	12
Goals11:	0
Totalcaps:	369
Totalgoals:	30
Nationalyears1:	1986–1987
Nationalyears2:	1990–1991
Nationalcaps2:	5
Nationalgoals2:	0
Nationalyears3:	1992
Nationalteam3:	CIS
Nationalcaps3:	4
Nationalgoals3:	0
Nationalyears4:	1992
Nationalteam4:	Ukraine
Nationalcaps4:	3
Nationalgoals4:	0
Nationalyears5:	1993–2002
Nationalteam5:	Russia
Nationalcaps5:	55
Nationalgoals5:	6
Manageryears1:	2014–2015
Managerclubs1:	Irtysh Pavlodar (assistant)
Manageryears2:	2015
Managerclubs2:	Kuban Krasnodar (assistant)
Manageryears3:	2017
Managerclubs3:	Dynamo-2 Moscow (assistant)
Manageryears4:	2017
Managerclubs4:	Dynamo Moscow (reserves assistant)
Manageryears5:	2017–2019
Managerclubs5:	Dynamo Moscow (assistant)
Manageryears6:	2022–
Managerclubs6:	Russia (assistant)

Yuriy Valeryevich Nikiforov (alternate spelling Valeriovych; Russian: Юрий Валерьевич Никифоров, Ukrainian: Юрій Валерійович Никифоров; born 16 September 1970) is a professional football coach and a former player who played mainly as a central defender. He is an assistant coach with the Russia national team.

Club career

Born in Odesa, Ukraine, Soviet Union, Nikiforov started playing professionally with hometown's Chornomorets. After one year with Dynamo Kyiv in which he appeared solely for the reserves in the league, he returned to his first club, playing in the inaugural edition of the Ukrainian Premier League.

In early 1993, Nikiforov moved to Russia with Spartak Moscow, being an instrumental defensive unit as the capital side won three out of four Premier League titles, with the player also netting regularly. His first abroad experience came with Sporting de Gijón, to where he arrived at the same time as former compatriot Dmitri Cheryshev (he would also share team with another Russian while in Asturias, Igor Lediakhov).^[1]

After Gijón's relegation from La Liga, Nikiforov played five years in the Netherlands, starting with PSV Eindhoven which he helped to consecutive Eredivisie accolades. For 2002–03, the 32-year-old signed with lowly RKC Waalwijk also in the Dutch top level, with the club finishing in a comfortable ninth place. He finished his career in Japan, after one year with Urawa Red Diamonds.

International career

Nikiforov played four times for the Commonwealth of Independent States in 1992, as the national team that rose from the ashes of the Soviet Union took part in that year's UEFA European Championship – he did not make the squad for the finals. His debut came on 25 January in a 1–0 friendly with the United States, in Miami.

After briefly representing Ukraine, also in that year, Nikiforov switched to Russia, with which he would participate in two FIFA World Cups – 1994 and 2002 – as well as UEFA Euro 1996 (eight matches in total, but with the national side always exiting in the group stage).^[2]

In 2009, Nikiforov was part of the Russian squad that won the Legends Cup.

Coaching career

After retiring, he became a coach, following his former PSV teammate Dmitri Khokhlov as an assistant to FC Kuban Krasnodar and FC Dynamo Moscow in the Russian Premier League.

On 12 August 2022, he was hired as an assistant to Valeri Karpin in the Russia national football team.^[3]

Personal life

Nikiforov's older brother, Oleksandr, was also a footballer. He too represented Chornomorets (four different spells), and coincided with Yuri from 1989 to 1990.

Career statistics

Club

^[4]

Club	Season	League			Cup		Continental		Other		Total
Club	Season	Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Chornomorets Odesa	1987	Soviet First League	0	0	0	0	–		–		0	0
SKA Odesa	1987	Soviet Second League	5	0	–		–		–		5	0
Chornomorets Odesa	1988	Soviet Top League	1	0	–		–		–		1	0
Dynamo Kyiv	1988	Soviet Top League	0	0	–		–		–		0	0
	1989	Soviet Top League	0	0	2	0	–		1	0	3	0
	Total		0	0	2	0	0	0	1	0	3	0
Chornomorets Odesa	1990	Soviet Top League	17	0	3	0	3	0	4	1	27	1
	1991	Soviet Top League	30	2	4	1	–		–		34	3
	1992	Ukrainian Premier League	18	2	6	1	–		–		24	3
	1992–93	Ukrainian Premier League	11	0	1	0	4	4	–		16	4
	Total		76	4	14	2	7	4	4	1	101	11
Spartak Moscow	1993	Russian Premier League	23	0	2	0	5	0	–		30	0
	1994	Russian Premier League	26	2	5	0	9	0	–		40	2
	1995	Russian Premier League	22	9	2	0	6	3	–		30	12
	1996	Russian Premier League	14	5	3	2	2	2	–		19	9
	Total		85	16	12	2	22	5	0	0	119	23
Spartak-d Moscow	1993	Russian Second League	3	2	1	0	–		–		4	2
Sporting Gijón	1996–97	La Liga	38	2	3	1	–		–		41	3
	1996–97	La Liga	27	0	0	0	–		–		27	0
	Total		65	2	3	1	0	0	0	0	68	3
PSV	1998–99	Eredivisie	25	1	4	1	5	0	1	0	35	2
	1999–2000	Eredivisie	29	3	1	0	5	0	–		35	3
	2000–01	Eredivisie	26	1	5	0	12	0	1	0	44	1
	2001–02	Eredivisie	19	0	3	0	6	0	1	0	28	0
	Total		99	5	13	1	28	0	3	0	143	6
RKC	2002–03	Eredivisie	23	1	4	0	–		–		27	1
Urawa Red Diamonds	2003	J1 League	12	0	–		–		4	0	16	0
Career total			369	30	49	6	57	9	12	1	486	46