Aleksandr Kerzhakov facts for kids
![]() Kerzhakov in 2017
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Personal information | |||
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Full name | Aleksandr Anatolyevich Kerzhakov | ||
Date of birth | 27 November 1982 | ||
Place of birth | Kingisepp, Leningrad Oblast, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union | ||
Height | 1.76 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||
Position(s) | Striker | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2001–2006 | Zenit Saint Petersburg | 159 | (64) |
2006–2008 | Sevilla | 26 | (8) |
2008–2010 | Dynamo Moscow | 51 | (19) |
2010–2017 | Zenit Saint Petersburg | 129 | (56) |
2016 | → Zürich (loan) | 17 | (5) |
Total | 382 | (152) | |
International career | |||
2001–2002 | Russia U21 | 4 | (2) |
2002–2016 | Russia | 91 | (30) |
Managerial career | |||
2017–2018 | Russia U17 | ||
2018–2019 | Russia U18 | ||
2019–2020 | Russia U19 | ||
2020–2021 | Tom Tomsk | ||
2021–2022 | Nizhny Novgorod | ||
2023 | Karmiotissa | ||
2023 | Spartak Subotica | ||
2024 | Kairat | ||
*Club domestic league appearances and goals |
Aleksandr Anatolyevich Kerzhakov (born on 27 November 1982) is a Russian professional football manager and former player. He played as a striker, which is a player whose main job is to score goals.
From 2013 to 2025, he was known as the top goalscorer in Russian football history. He scored 233 goals in official games. People described him as a forward who liked to drop back to connect with the midfield. He would create space for other players to run into.
Aleksandr Kerzhakov played for the Russian national team from 2002 to 2016. He played in two World Cups and two European Championship tournaments. In 2014, he broke the record for the most goals scored for the Russian national team.
Contents
Playing Career Highlights
Starting at Zenit
Aleksandr Kerzhakov was born in Kingisepp, Russia. He started his football journey at an amateur club called FC Svetogorets Svetogorsk in 2000. He helped them win a regional league by scoring 18 goals.
In 2001, Kerzhakov joined FC Zenit Saint Petersburg. He played his first game in March and scored his first goal in June against Spartak Moscow. In his first season, he was the second-choice striker. Later, in 2001, he helped Zenit finish third in the Russian Premier League. They were runners-up in 2003.
In 2002, Kerzhakov and Andrey Arshavin formed a strong attacking team. This led to both of them being called up to the Russian national team. That year, Kerzhakov played for Russia in the 2002 FIFA World Cup. In 2004, he became the top scorer in the Russian Premier League. He also scored three goals in a UEFA Cup game against AEK Athens.
Time with Sevilla
In December 2006, Kerzhakov moved to Sevilla in Spain. He signed a five-and-a-half-year contract. He played his first match in January 2007 and scored his first goal later that month. He scored the winning goal against Tottenham in the UEFA Cup quarter-finals. Kerzhakov helped Sevilla win the UEFA Cup in the 2006–07 season.
After his manager left, Kerzhakov played less often. Other teams like Tottenham and Manchester United showed interest in him. However, he decided to stay at Sevilla to help them in their league and Champions League games.
Playing for Dynamo Moscow
In February 2008, Kerzhakov signed a three-year contract with Russian club Dynamo Moscow. He quickly became a key striker for the team. He scored his first goal against FC Moscow. In 2008, he was the top scorer for Dynamo with seven goals. This helped the club finish third in the league.
During the 2009 season, Kerzhakov remained a top striker. However, Dynamo finished eighth in the league. They also failed to qualify for the Champions League or Europa League.
Returning to Zenit
In January 2010, Kerzhakov returned to his first professional club, Zenit St. Petersburg. He became the main striker under the new manager. He scored his first goal against CSKA Moscow in April 2010. He also scored two hat-tricks, one in the UEFA Europa League and another in the Russian league.
In the 2011–12 season, Kerzhakov scored 23 goals in 32 games in the Russian Premier League. He was the second-highest goal scorer that season. Zenit won their second league title in two years. He continued to be a key player, scoring 11 goals in the 2012–13 season.
Later, his playing time decreased. In 2014–15, Zenit won the league again, with Kerzhakov playing in 14 matches and scoring three goals. He also played in the Champions League. In the 2015–16 season, he was loaned out to FC Zurich.
Loan to Zurich
At Zurich, Kerzhakov played as a striker. He scored five goals in seventeen games. However, the club was relegated from the Swiss Super League that season.
Final Season and Retirement
Kerzhakov returned to Zenit for the 2016–17 season. He mostly played as a substitute. He officially retired from playing football on 13 July 2017. After retiring, he became the coordinator for Zenit's youth teams.
International Career for Russia
Early Years with the National Team
Kerzhakov started playing for the Russian U21 team in 2001. He made his first appearance for the senior Russia team in a friendly game against Estonia on 27 March 2002. Two months later, he was chosen for the 2002 FIFA World Cup. He came on as a substitute in a game against Belgium.
After the World Cup, Kerzhakov became a regular player for Russia. He scored his first goal for Russia in a friendly game against Sweden in August 2002. He also played in the Euro 2004 tournament, where Russia was eliminated in the group stage.
Euro and World Cup Qualifiers
After Euro 2004, Kerzhakov continued to play regularly in the 2006 World Cup qualifiers. He scored goals against Liechtenstein and Luxembourg. Russia, however, did not qualify for the final tournament.
In the Euro 2008 qualifiers, Kerzhakov scored two goals against Estonia. In June 2007, he scored three goals in a game against Andorra. He was the top scorer for Russia in that campaign with five goals. Despite this, he was not selected for the Euro 2008 tournament finals.
He returned to the national team in May 2009 for a 2010 FIFA World Cup Qualifier against Finland. He scored two goals in that game. During a playoff game against Slovenia, he received a red card. Russia was eliminated from the World Cup qualifiers.
Becoming Russia's Top Goalscorer
Kerzhakov was suspended for two games in the Euro 2012 campaign. When he returned, he scored in victories over Ireland and Macedonia. He was part of the final tournament squad, but Russia did not advance from their group.
After Euro 2012, he became the main striker for Russia under manager Fabio Capello. He played in all ten of Russia's qualification matches for the 2014 World Cup. He was the team's top goalscorer with five goals, including the winning goal against Portugal.
At the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Kerzhakov came on as a substitute and scored an equalizing goal against South Korea. This goal was his 26th for Russia, matching the record for the national team. On 3 September 2014, he scored two more goals in a friendly win against Azerbaijan. This made him the top scorer for the Russian national team.
He continued to play in the Euro 2016 qualification campaign. His last appearance for the national team was in a friendly game against Lithuania on 26 March 2016.
Coaching Career
After retiring as a player, Aleksandr Kerzhakov began a coaching career. On 15 March 2018, he was announced as the manager for the Russia national under-17 football team. As the players grew older, he managed the Russia national under-18 football team and then the Russia national under-19 football team.
In September 2020, he became the manager of FC Tom Tomsk, a club in the Russian Football National League. He left Tom Tomsk in June 2021. On 17 June 2021, he signed with FC Nizhny Novgorod, a team that had just been promoted to the Russian Premier League. He helped the club avoid relegation in the 2021–22 season. He left Nizhny Novgorod in June 2022.
In February 2023, Kerzhakov was hired as a manager by the Cypriot club Karmiotissa. He left the club in April 2023. In May 2024, he became the manager of Kairat, a club in Kazakhstan. His contract with Kairat ended by mutual agreement on 3 September 2024. Under his leadership, Kairat played 12 matches, winning six, drawing three, and losing three.
Personal Life
Aleksandr Kerzhakov's younger brother, Mikhail, is also a professional footballer. Mikhail plays as a goalkeeper for Zenit Saint Petersburg. In 2002, Aleksandr wrote his autobiography titled Up to 16 and older.
In April 2023, Kerzhakov shared that he did not support the conflict in Ukraine. He has since left Russia.
Honours
Zenit Saint Petersburg
- Russian Premier League: 2010, 2011–12, 2014–15
- Russian Cup: 2009–10
- Russian Premier League Cup: 2003
- Russian Super Cup: 2016
Sevilla
- UEFA Cup: 2006–07
- Copa del Rey: 2006–07
- Supercopa de España: 2007
FC Zürich
- Swiss Cup: 2015–16
Individual
- Russian Premier League top scorer: 2004
Charity Work
In 2017, Aleksandr Kerzhakov became an ambassador for the social Football for Friendship international children's forum. In 2018, he took part in the Football for Friendship program. He presented the cup to the winners of the program's championship match.
Images for kids
See also
In Spanish: Aleksandr Kerzhakov para niños