Alexey Smertin

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Alexey Smertin
Personal information
Date of birth	May 1, 1975 (age 31)
Place of birth	Barnaul, Russia
Height	1.75 m
Playing position	Midfielder
Club information
Current club	Fulham
Number	37
Senior clubs1
Years	Club	App (Gls)*
1992-1993 1994-1997 1997-1998 1999-2000 2000-2003 2003-2006 2003-2004 2005-2006 2006 2007-	Dinamo Barnaul Zarya Leninsk-Kuznetski Uralan Elista Lokomotiv Moscow Girondins Bordeaux Chelsea → Portsmouth (loan) → Charlton Athletic (loan) Dynamo Moscow Fulham	42 (2) 124 (13) 49 (3) 39 (7) 84 (2) 16 (0) 26 (0) 18 (0) 22 (0) 04 (0)
National team2
	Russia	55 (0)
1 Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 23:17, 24 March 2007 (UTC). 2 National team caps and goals correct as of 3 March 2007 (UTC). * Appearances (Goals)

Alexey Smertin (Russian: Алексей Смертин) (born May 1, 1975 in Barnaul, USSR) is a Russian football player. He is a defensive midfielder, currently playing for Fulham in the English Premier League after having his contract with Dynamo Moscow terminated, and was a captain of the Russian national team. He is very versatile and is able to play anywhere in defence and midfield. He has wide variety of passing which make him a good playmaker. He is also very creative and has the ability score and defend well.

Contents 1 Career 1.1 Chelsea 2 Trivia 3 External links

[edit] Career

On the club level, Smertin has played for Dinamo Barnaul, Zarya Leninsk-Kuznetski, Uralan Elista, Lokomotiv Moscow, Girondins Bordeaux, Chelsea, Portsmouth, Charlton Athletic, Dynamo Moscow and Fulham.

[edit] Chelsea

Claudio Ranieri 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 (who has since left Chelsea). Smertin only played a bit-part role for the team in 2004/2005 as Chelsea won the title.

He was ultimately deemed surplus to requirements at Stamford Bridge and was loaned out to Charlton for the 2005-06 season. In January 2006 his contract with Chelsea was terminated, allowing him to return home and sign a four-year contract with Dynamo Moscow.

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 English 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 Premiership is the most challenging domestic competition in world football.

After Smertin's release from Moscow, Smertin signed for English Premier League outfit Fulham on a two and a half year deal that will see the player at the Club until the summer of 2009.

Smertin has been capped over 40 times for Russia, including the 2002 World Cup and Euro 2004. He was made captain in June 2004.

[edit] Trivia

Although often named by the media as Alexei Smertin, Smertin prefers the spelling with a y as appearing in his anglicized passport.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] External links

• Alexey Smertin Tactical Formations at Football-Lineups.com

• Alexey Smertin career stats at Soccerbase

Preceded by Yegor Titov

Russian Footballer of the Year 1999

Succeeded by Yegor Titov

	Russia squad - 2002 FIFA World Cup
1 Nigmatullin | 2 Kovtun | 3 Nikiforov | 4 Smertin | 5 Solomatin | 6 Semshov | 7 Onopko | 8 Karpin | 9 Titov | 10 Mostovoi | 11 Beschastnykh | 12 Cherchesov | 13 Dayev | 14 Chugainov | 15 Alenichev | 16 Kerzhakov | 17 Semak | 18 Sennikov | 19 Pimenov | 20 Izmailov | 21 Khokhlov | 22 Sychev | 23 Filimonov | Coach: Romantsev

Fulham F.C. - Current Squad
2 Volz | 3 Bocanegra | 4 Queudrue | 5 Christanval | 6 Knight | 7 Rosenior | 8 Brown | 9 Helguson | 11 Montella | 12 Laštůvka | 13 Radzinski | 14 Bouba Diop | 15 John | 16 Jensen | 17 Elliott | 19 Pearce | 20 McBride | 21 Bullard | 22 Routledge | 23 Dempsey | 24 Pembridge | 25 Davies | 26 Collins | 27 Elrich | 28 Milsom | 29 Niemi | 32 Omozusi | 37 Smertin | Manager: Coleman