Alan Dzagoev facts for kids

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Alan Dzagoev

Dzagoev with CSKA Moscow in 2018
Personal information
Date of birth	(1990-06-17) 17 June 1990 (age 34)
Place of birth	Beslan, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
Height	1.78 m
Playing position	Midfielder
Youth career
1999–2005	Yunost Vladikavkaz
2005–2006	Konoplyov football academy
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2006–2007	Krylia Sovetov-SOK	37	(6)
2008–2022	CSKA Moscow	282	(55)
2022–2023	Rubin Kazan	20	(3)
2023	Lamia	2	(0)
Total		341	(64)
National team
2007	Russia U-17	3	(1)
2009–2013	Russia U-21
2008–2018	Russia	59	(9)
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Alan Yelizbarovich Dzagoev (born on 17 June 1990) is a former professional footballer from Russia. He played as a midfielder, which means he played in the middle of the field, helping both defense and attack.

Alan Dzagoev joined Akademiya Tolyatti in 2006. After two seasons, he moved to CSKA Moscow. He had a great first year in the Russian Premier League, winning the award for Best Young Player. He also joined the Russian national team. Many people in his home region, North Ossetia–Alania, see him as a star.

During his career, Dzagoev won 3 Russian Premier League titles and 4 Russian Cups. He played for the Russian national team from 2008. He was one of the top scorers at UEFA Euro 2012. He also played in the 2014 FIFA World Cup and 2018 FIFA World Cup.

Early Life and Family

Alan Dzagoev was born and grew up in Beslan, a town in North Ossetia–Alania. His family, who are Ossetians, moved there from Georgia in 1989. He has an older brother named Gela.

Alan and Gela loved playing football on the streets. When Alan was in second grade, their mother, who was a big football fan, took them to join the Terek Beslan youth team.

In 2000, Alan moved to Vladikavkaz. There, he played for a youth team called Yunost. He became a fan of the local team, Alania Vladikavkaz. Alan looked up to Valery Gazzaev, a famous Ossetic footballer who later became his coach. He also admired players like Evgeni Aldonin and Frank Lampard.

In July 2005, Alan joined the Konoplyov football academy to continue his training.

In July 2012, Alan married Zarema Abayeva. She is from Vladikavkaz, the capital of North Ossetia-Alania. They have two children: a daughter named Elana (born in 2013) and a son named Khetag (born in 2016).

Club Career Highlights

Starting Out at Akademiya Tolyatti

From January 2006 to December 2007, Alan Dzagoev played for Akademiya Tolyatti. This team was also known as Krylia Sovetov-SOK. They played in the Russian Second Division. Alan played his first professional game on 29 April 2006. He played in 37 matches for the team and scored six goals.

Time at CSKA Moscow

Dzagoev playing for CSKA in May 2011

Alan Dzagoev joined CSKA Moscow in 2008. His first game was as a substitute against Luch. Soon after, he started a game against Khimki. In that match, he scored a goal and helped with two others. He also started when CSKA won the Russian Cup final in 2008.

In a big game against Spartak Moscow, Dzagoev helped CSKA win 5–1 by setting up three goals. After this, he became a regular player in the first team. He also scored two goals in a 3–1 win against Zenit Saint Petersburg.

At the end of 2008, the Russian Football Union named Dzagoev the Best Young Player of the Year.

In November 2009, Dzagoev scored a goal from a difficult angle in a Champions League match against Manchester United. The game ended in a 3–3 draw. In 2009, he played 40 matches and scored 10 goals.

In December 2010, Dzagoev helped CSKA win 5–1 against Lausanne-Sports in the Europa League. This win secured their first place in the group. He also scored in their next game against Sparta Prague.

In September 2011, Dzagoev scored the winning goal in a 3–1 league victory. A few days later, he scored against Internazionale in a Champions League game. In February 2012, he helped CSKA get a 1–1 draw against Real Madrid in the Champions League.

In the 2012–13 season, CSKA won the Russian Premier League title. Many people thought Dzagoev was the best left midfielder in the league. CSKA won the league again in the 2013–14 season.

The 2015–16 season was one of his best. On 21 May 2016, Dzagoev scored the winning goal in the last league match against Rubin. This helped CSKA win another Russian Premier League title. That season, he played 43 matches, scored 8 goals, and made 11 assists.

Dzagoev scored twice in the 2016–17 UEFA Champions League group stage against Bayer Leverkusen and Tottenham Hotspur. However, CSKA did not advance further in the competition.

After being out with injuries for much of 2017–18, Dzagoev returned to play for CSKA. He scored a goal in a Champions League match against FC Basel.

He signed new contracts with CSKA Moscow in June 2019 and again in July 2021. In the 2021–22 season, he played 20 matches and made 3 assists. In May 2022, CSKA announced that Dzagoev would leave the club at the end of the season.

Rubin Kazan and Lamia

On 2 September 2022, Dzagoev joined Rubin Kazan. This team had recently moved down to the Russian First League. He played under his former CSKA coach, Leonid Slutsky, there.

After his contract with Rubin Kazan ended, Dzagoev signed a one-year deal with Lamia, a club in Greece, on 28 September 2023. However, on 21 November 2023, Alan Dzagoev announced he was stopping his football career. He made this decision because of ongoing injuries.

International Career

Dzagoev with the Russia national football team in 2011

After playing very well for his club, Dzagoev was called up to the Russian national team. This was for a World Cup qualification match against Germany in October 2008. He came on as a substitute when he was just 18 years old. This made him the youngest outfield player ever to play for Russia.

Russia's coach, Guus Hiddink, praised Alan after the game. He said Alan was a smart player who could make important passes. However, Dzagoev himself was sad about the loss and called his debut "a flop."

He scored his first goal for Russia on 8 October 2010. It was in a 3–2 win against the Republic of Ireland during the Euro 2012 qualifiers.

Dzagoev was chosen for the Euro 2012 squad. On 8 June 2012, he scored two goals in Russia's first game against the Czech Republic. Russia won 4–1, and Alan was named the best player of the match. He scored his third goal of the tournament against Poland, helping Russia get a 1–1 draw. With three goals, he was one of the top scorers of the tournament.

Dzagoev playing for Russia against Belgium, 2017

In June 2014, he was part of Russia's team for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Dzagoev played as a substitute in all three of Russia's matches. Russia was eliminated in the group stage.

Dzagoev was also chosen for the UEFA Euro 2016 squad. However, he had to withdraw due to an injury in May 2016. He also missed the FIFA Confederations Cup in 2017 because of another injury.

In May 2018, he was included in Russia's team for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. He played in the first match against Saudi Arabia. But he had to leave the game early due to an injury. He recovered and came on as a substitute in extra time against Croatia in the quarterfinals. He took a free kick that led to Russia's equalizer goal. Dzagoev scored his shot in the penalty shootout, but Russia lost to Croatia in the end.

How He Played

Dzagoev in Russian colours, 2014

Alan Dzagoev was known as a playmaker. This means he was good at creating chances for his teammates to score. He liked to play right behind the main attackers. His main position was on the left side of the midfield. However, he could play in different spots. For example, he played on the right side of Russia's attack at Euro 2012, where he scored two goals.

In 2009, ESPN SoccerNet said Dzagoev was "one of the hottest prospects" in Europe. They noted he was fast, good at heading the ball, and had excellent technical skills. He was often seen as the best player in his position in Russia. In 2013, he was named the best left-midfielder.

His coach at CSKA, Leonid Slutsky, once said that Alan Dzagoev was "one of the top players in the Russian league." He added that it would not be surprising if Dzagoev continued his career at a top club in England. Before the 2018 FIFA World Cup, The Guardian newspaper called Dzagoev one of "three Russia players with the capacity to harm top-level opponents."

Career Statistics

Club

International

Dzagoev on international duty, facing Spain in 2017

International goals

Scores and results list Russia's goal tally first.

No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1.	8 October 2010	Aviva Stadium, Dublin, Republic of Ireland	Republic of Ireland	2–0	3–2	UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying
2.	7 October 2011	Štadión pod Dubňom, Žilina, Slovakia	Slovakia	1–0	1–0	UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying
3.	11 October 2011	Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow, Russia	Andorra	1–0	6–0	UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying
4.				4–0
5.	8 June 2012	Stadion Miejski, Wrocław, Poland	Czech Republic	1–0	4–1	UEFA Euro 2012
6.				3–1
7.	12 June 2012	Stadion Narodowy, Warsaw, Poland	Poland	1–0	1–1	UEFA Euro 2012
8.	15 August 2012	Lokomotiv Stadium, Moscow, Russia	Ivory Coast	1–0	1–1	Friendly
9.	8 September 2015	Rheinpark Stadion, Vaduz, Liechtenstein	Liechtenstein	6–0	7–0	UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying

Honours and Awards

Alan Dzagoev won many titles and awards during his football career:

CSKA Moscow

• Russian Premier League:
  • 2012–13
  • 2013–14
  • 2015–16
• Russian Cup:
  • 2007–08
  • 2008–09
  • 2010–11
  • 2012–13
• Russian Super Cup:
  • 2009
  • 2013
  • 2018

Rubin Kazan

• Russian First League:
  • 2022–23

Individual Awards

• In the list of 33 best football players of the championship of Russia: 2008, 2009, 2011/12, 2012/13, 2013/14, 2014/2015, 2015/2016
• Russian Premier League Best Young Player: 2008
• UEFA European Football Championship Top Goalscorer: 2012 (tied with others)
• Member of symbolic team of UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship: 2013
• GQ Russia Men of The Year Awards - 2013

See Also

In Spanish: Alán Dzagóyev para niños

Images for kids

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  Dzagoev playing for CSKA in May 2011

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  Dzagoev playing for Russia against Belgium, 2017

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  Dzagoev in Russian colours, 2014

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  Dzagoev on international duty, facing Spain in 2017