Today PSG will play the first match of the new Champions League and their opponent will be the daring Girona. Russian goalkeeper Matvey Safonov can make his debut for the Parisians in this match. The fact is that Gianluigi Donnarumma is recovering from an injury. In this regard, we recall how Russian legionnaires made their debut for foreign clubs in the Champions League (the list includes only debuts in the 21st century). We only take into account meetings on the main stage (qualifications were not taken into account).
Dmitry Alenichev, Porto
Dmitri Alenichev (left)
Photo: Fake Images
The midfielder made his Champions League debut in 1994, but then Alenichev played for Spartak. Seven years later, he made his first appearance in a tournament as part of a foreign club. Although the debut was purely symbolic: the Russian was released for one minute in the match against Rosenborg (2:1). In the 2001/2002 season, Dmitry played a total of 87 minutes, and the following campaign was much more successful. Nine matches (579 minutes), three goals, two assists, 1+1 on the “goal+pass” system in the final and the final victory in the tournament.
Dmitry took part in the red-and-white evening, which will be remembered for a long time:
Stankovic held back tears, fans sent a message to Sobolev. Behind the scenes of the Spartak show
Denis Cheryshev, Real Madrid
Denis Cheryshev
Photo: Fake Images
Denis has played in the Champions League only for Spanish clubs – Real and Valencia. September 2015 is the date of the Russian’s debut for the Madrid team in the most prestigious tournament in Europe. Then Real beat Malmö (2-0) in Sweden and Denis was released for seven minutes. Cesar Navas, Raphael Varane, Dani Carvajal, Toni Kroos, Luka Modric, Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema – Denis then played in such respectable company. For Cheryshev, the most successful season was 2019/2020, when he scored two goals in six Champions League games for Valencia. One of them is in the round of 16.
Alexander Filimonov, Dynamo Kyiv
Alexander Filimonov
Photo: EMPICS via Getty Images
The Russian goalkeeper played 24 Champions League matches for Spartak. But he also has three caps for Dynamo Kyiv. In the autumn of 2001, Filimonov was entrusted with a place in goal in the first round of the first group stage (there were two at the time). He was unsuccessful: he conceded six goals in three matches. Filimonov played his first match in Kiev, where Borussia Dortmund staged a comeback. The German club was 0:2 down, but escaped defeat 2:2. One of the goals was scored by future Krylia Sovetov striker Jan Koller, and Tomas Rosicky participated in the second goal combination (he gave an assist).
Interview with the legendary Spartak goalkeeper:
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“I told Spartak fans: ‘You won’t believe it, it was a shame.’ Why Filimonov is not wanted in the RPL
Alejandro Mostovoy, Celtic
Alexander Mostovoy
Photo: Fake Images
The 2003/2004 season is the only one in which the Tsar played in the Champions League with a foreign club. The Russian was not in the line-up for the first group match against Brugge (1-1). But he played the full 90 minutes two weeks later, when his Celta shared points with Milan (0-0). After that, Mostovoy appeared on the field in five more matches. Each of them has a captain’s armband. The only goal of that campaign was scored by Alexander in the home match against Brugge (1-1). He scored in the 75th minute, but the Belgian club fought back in added time.
Valery Karpin, Real Sociedad
Valery Karpin
Photo: Fake Images
The current Russian national team coach made his Champions League debut with a foreign club in the same season as Mostovoy. Only then did Karpin sign for Real Sociedad. The Russian’s first match was a success for the team: the San Sebastian club defeated Olympiacos at home (1-0). That season, Karpin played eight matches for Real Sociedad (two of them in the playoffs). The most successful match for the Russian took place in Istanbul. Then Real Sociedad beat Galatasaray (2-1) and Karpin provided an assist. His pass to Xabi Alonso was the winning goal for the San Sebastian club.
Dmitry Sychev, Marseille
Dmitri Sychev
Photo: Corbis/VCG via Getty Images
Dmitry has only four Champions League appearances left. All of them were with Marseille in the 2003/2004 season. At first, the Russian went to Madrid, but watched the match against Real Madrid (2-4) from the bench. A couple of weeks later, Dmitry was released for 13 minutes in the match against Partizan (3-0) and gave an assist. Didier Drogba was spectacular in that match, scoring a hat-trick. After that, Sychev appeared in three matches, but no longer had any effective actions. And in that Champions League he played a total of 65 minutes.
Alexey Smertin, Chelsea
Alexey Smertin
Photo: Francis Glibbery/Chelsea FC via Getty Images
The midfielder played only five Champions League games (he spent 332 minutes on the field in total). It was in the 2004/2005 season, when Smertin was playing for Chelsea. The debut was cosmic: Alexey scored in the seventh minute of the match against Porto (3-1). Besides him, Drogba and John Terry also scored for Chelsea. A month later, the London club beat CSKA at home (2-0), and this time Smertin provided an assist. In the playoffs, everything was much less interesting: Alexey was given only one minute in the match against Barcelona (1-2). After that, he sat firmly in the reserves.
Alexander Kerzhakov, Seville
Alexander Kerzhakov
Photo: Fake Images
The striker made his Champions League debut for Sevilla. On 19 September 2007, Kerzhakov was released onto the field immediately after a break in the away match against Arsenal. He was unsuccessful – the Spanish club lost 0-3. Then, in the return match against Arsenal, Alexander came on for 15 minutes, and then Sevilla won 3-1. The Russian did not play in that Champions League again. After that, he participated in the tournament only as part of Zenit.
Kerzhakov’s coaching career is not easy:
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“The voice was raised.” Why did Kerzhakov not work 100 days in Kazakhstan?
Dmitry Bulykin, Ajax
Dmitry Bulykin
Photo: VI Images via Getty Images
Three games, 45 minutes, one assist – these are the results of the striker in the 2011/2012 season. Then Bulykin played for Ajax. He made his debut in a home match against Lyon. Dmitry was released for nine minutes and the match ended goalless. Bulykin did his best in Zagreb. In the match against the local Dynamo he was given 20 minutes (2-0), and the Russian scored an assist for Christian Eriksen. In that draw, Ajax won only matches against the Croatian club.
Andrey Karyaka, Benfica
Andrey Karyaka (right)
Photo: Denis Doyle/Getty Images
Andrei made his Champions League debut in the autumn of 2005. Then, midway through the second half of the match against Villarreal, Karyaka (a Benfica player) came on with the score at 0-0. After the Russian came on, the teams exchanged goals. At Benfica, by the way. Future Lokomotiv and Krasnodar player Manuel Fernandes scored. Karyaka did not play again that season. But a year later he scored his only Champions League goal. Then Benfica beat Celtic at home (3-0) and Andrei scored the final result. He came on in the 67th minute and scored in the 76th. Karyaka played three games for Benfica in the Champions League, but was on the field for a total of 67 minutes.
Marat Izmailov, sportsman
Marat Izmailov (left)
Photo: Alex Livesey/Getty Images
Marat made 30 appearances in the Champions League (14 of them for foreign clubs). Izmailov made his debut in the tournament for a foreign club in the autumn of 2007. Then his Sporting team lost at home to Manchester United (0-1) and Cristiano Ronaldo scored the only goal. Izmailov was in the starting line-up and played 55 minutes. In that draw, the Russian played six games and provided two assists. The following season, Marat again provided two assists in six games.
Pavel Pogrebnyak, Stuttgart
Pavel Pogrebnyak (center)
Photo: Alex Grimm/Bongarts/Getty Images
In the 2009/2010 season, Pavel played brilliantly for Stuttgart in the Champions League. He took part in all eight matches and collected good statistics: two goals and two assists. The German club’s debut match in the Champions League was a success for Pogrebnyak. He played the entire match against Rangers (1-1) and opened the scoring in the first half. In the match against Romanian side Unirea, Pavel scored another goal (3-1). In the playoffs, the striker played twice for Barcelona (1-1, 0-4), but did not achieve any results.
Yuri Zhirkov, Chelsea
Yuri Zhirkov
Photo: Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images
Yuri scored only two goals in the Champions League, but both were remembered for a long time. First, Zhirkov single-handedly tore apart Hamburg’s defence while playing for CSKA. True, the army team then lost 2:3. Four years later, Zhirkov distinguished himself with Chelsea, then the English club beat Spartak (2-0). But this was not Yuri’s first match as part of the English team in the Champions League. In October 2009, Zhirkov played 17 minutes against Atlético, and Chelsea defeated their rival (4-0). That season, Yuri played four matches and gave one assist.
We choose the best Russian to have played in the Premier League:
Classification
Eight Russians have played in the Premier League. Who was the best?
Roman Pavlyuchenko, Tottenham
Roman Pavlyuchenko
Photo: Ian Walton/Getty Images
In 2006, the striker made his Champions League debut for Spartak. Six games, two goals – Roman’s statistics based on the results of six matches. Four years later, Pavlyuchenko played his first Champions League match for a foreign club. And I must say that the debut turned out great. Roman was in the starting line-up for the match against Twente (4-1) and the Russian scored a double for the opponent. In the second case, Gareth Bale provided the assist for the striker. A month later, this combination worked in the home match against Inter (3-1). The Welshman was through, the Russian scored. In that Champions League draw, Pavlyuchenko played six games and scored three goals. In the playoffs he played seven minutes for Milan and 90 for Real Madrid.
Andrei Arshavin, Arsenal
Andrei Arshavin
Photo: MIKE HEWITT/GETTY IMAGES
Arshavin scored four goals in the Champions League. All of them are part of Arsenal. The Russian’s debut match for the English club took place in the autumn of 2009, when the team beat Olympiacos (2-0). Andrey started the game, played the entire match and scored at the end from a pass from Cesc Fabregas. That season, Arshavin did not score in the Champions League again, but he did provide five assists (three in the match against AZ). A year later, the Russian scored three goals. In the group stage, he defeated Braga and Partizan, and in the playoffs he surprised Barcelona.
Alexander Golovin, Monaco
Alexander Golovin (right)
Photo: MAJA HITIJ/GETTY IMAGES
In the 2018/2019 season, the Russian played three games for Monaco in the Champions League. In these matches, the French club suffered two defeats and scored only one goal. Golovin made his debut for Monaco in the match against Borussia Dortmund, where his team “burned” 0-3. The Russian was in the starting eleven and ran for 77 minutes. Three weeks later, Monaco shared points with Club Brugge (1-1) and Alexander provided an assist. Golovin has not played in the Champions League since 2018.
How Golovin played his first match after a long break:
Golovin entered the pitch for the first time in five months. And then his teammate let him down.
Alexey Miranchuk, Atalanta
Alexey Miranchuk
Photo: GASTON SZERMAN/GETTY IMAGES
Alexey made a brilliant debut for Atalanta in the Champions League. In the fall of 2020, the Russian was only free for 10 minutes in the match against Midtjylland (4-0), but this time was enough for Miranchuk to score a goal with a beautiful strike. In that draw, the Russian was free in three matches, but in total he was on the field for only 21 minutes. A year later, the situation remained at the same level: two matches, 33 minutes.
Now Alexey plays abroad:
Miranchuk’s first home game in the United States is a nightmare. Even the dismantled team criticized Atlanta
Arsen Zakharyan, Real Sociedad
Arsen Zakharyan
Photo: Fake Images
Lisbon is the city where the Russian made his debut in the Champions League. A year ago, Arsene played 14 minutes in the match against Benfica (1-0). The Spanish national team held on to the winning scoreline and Zakharyan finished the match without any effective action. As a result, Arsene will play five matches in the Champions League, but in total he will spend only 217 minutes on the field. Now Zakharyan continues to recover from an injury.
