Anatoliy Tymoshchuk facts for kids
Anatoliy Oleksandrovych Tymoshchuk (born 30 March 1979) is a Ukrainian football coach and a former midfielder. He is known as one of the best players in the history of Shakhtar Donetsk and Zenit Saint Petersburg. Tymoshchuk also served as a captain for the Ukraine national team. Since 2017, he has been an assistant coach for the Russian Premier League club Zenit Saint Petersburg.
Tymoshchuk started his football journey with his local team, Volyn Lutsk. He then moved to Shakhtar Donetsk, where he became captain and won many titles, including the Ukrainian Premier League and the Ukrainian Cup. In 2008, as captain of Zenit Saint Petersburg, he led his team to win the UEFA Cup and the UEFA Super Cup. He also won the Russian Premier League title. Later, with German club Bayern Munich, Tymoshchuk won the Bundesliga, the DFB-Pokal, and the UEFA Champions League in 2013.
He is Ukraine's most capped player, meaning he has played the most games for his country, with 144 appearances. He played in Ukraine's first-ever FIFA World Cup in 2006 and their first European Championship in 2012. He was also named the Ukrainian Footballer of the Year three times.
In 2022, the Ukrainian Association of Football removed Tymoshchuk's Ukrainian coaching license and titles. This happened because he continued to work as an assistant coach at Zenit Saint Petersburg and did not speak out about the events in Ukraine. In 2023, he faced further actions from Ukraine, including having his awards taken away.
Tymoshchuk coaching Zenit in 2017
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Anatoliy Oleksandrovych Tymoshchuk | ||
| Date of birth | 30 March 1979 | ||
| Place of birth | Lutsk, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union | ||
| Height | 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Defensive midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
|
Current team
|
Zenit Saint Petersburg (assistant) | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1994–1995 | Volyn Lutsk | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1995–1997 | Volyn Lutsk | 62 | (8) |
| 1998–2001 | Shakhtar-2 Donetsk | 25 | (9) |
| 1998–2007 | Shakhtar Donetsk | 227 | (32) |
| 2007–2009 | Zenit Saint Petersburg | 67 | (10) |
| 2009–2013 | Bayern Munich | 86 | (4) |
| 2013–2015 | Zenit Saint Petersburg | 32 | (0) |
| 2015–2016 | Kairat | 34 | (1) |
| Total | 533 | (64) | |
| International career | |||
| 2000–2016 | Ukraine | 144 | (4) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2017– | Zenit Saint Petersburg (assistant) | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Contents
Club Career Highlights
Starting at Volyn Lutsk
Tymoshchuk began his football journey in his hometown with Volyn Lutsk. He grew up playing for the team and quickly showed his talent. After two successful seasons, bigger clubs started to notice him.
Success with Shakhtar Donetsk
In 1997, when he was 18, Tymoshchuk joined Shakhtar Donetsk. He became a very important player for the team. With Shakhtar, he helped them win three Ukrainian Premier League titles, three Ukrainian Cups, and one Ukrainian Super Cup. His time at Shakhtar helped him become known as a great midfielder in Europe. By 2006, he was the team's captain and many big European clubs were interested in him.
Leading Zenit Saint Petersburg
On 27 February 2007, Tymoshchuk moved to Zenit Saint Petersburg. He quickly became the new captain of the team. His coach, Dick Advocaat, praised him as a true professional.
His first season with Zenit was a big success. The team won the Russian Premier League title for the first time in their history. Tymoshchuk was named one of the best players in the league that year. An interesting fact is that an astronaut named Yuri Malenchenko, who was a Zenit fan, even waved a Zenit shirt with Tymoshchuk's name on it from space! This made Zenit the first team to have its uniform shown in space.
In the 2007–08 European season, Tymoshchuk captained Zenit to win the UEFA Cup. They beat Rangers 2–0 in the final. After that, they also won the 2008 UEFA Super Cup by defeating Manchester United 2–1.
Time with Bayern Munich
In February 2009, Tymoshchuk agreed to join German club Bayern Munich. He officially joined on 1 July 2009. He played his first match for Bayern against Milan in a friendly tournament.
On 8 May 2010, Tymoshchuk won his first trophy with Bayern, the 2009–10 Bundesliga title. A week later, they also won the 2009–10 DFB-Pokal (German Cup). He played in 21 league games that season.
In 2011, a new coach, Jupp Heynckes, gave Tymoshchuk more playing time. Tymoshchuk often played in central defense when other players were injured. He even started in the Champions League final in Munich, where Bayern lost to Chelsea in a penalty shootout. His teammates, like goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, praised his aggressive but smart playing style.
Returning to Zenit Saint Petersburg
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After winning the Champions League with Bayern, Tymoshchuk returned to Zenit. He said that this would be his last transfer, meaning he planned to finish his playing career there. He helped Zenit win the Russian Premier League again in the 2014–15 season.
Playing for Kairat
On 6 July 2015, Tymoshchuk signed an 18-month contract with Kazakhstan Premier League team Kairat. He became captain in his first league game. He helped the team win the 2015 Kazakhstan Cup title. Tymoshchuk left Kairat in November 2016 when his contract ended. He then started studying to become a coach.
International Career
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Tymoshchuk became a very important player for the Ukraine national team after his first game in 2000. He played a key role in Ukraine reaching the quarter-finals of the 2006 FIFA World Cup. He was even named "man of the match" in Ukraine's win against Tunisia.
On 11 October 2010, Tymoshchuk played his 100th game for Ukraine in a friendly match against Brazil. He was only the second Ukrainian player to reach this milestone. In 2011, he was named the best footballer in Ukraine's history in a national poll. After Andriy Shevchenko retired in 2012, Tymoshchuk became the captain of the team.
He is the most capped Ukrainian player ever, with 144 appearances. He officially retired from international football in August 2016.
Personal Life
Tymoshchuk was married to Nadiya Tymoshchuk. They met in his hometown of Lutsk when they were teenagers. Their twin daughters were born in April 2010. Nadiya and their children live in Munich, Germany.
In June 2008, Tymoshchuk was given the title of "Honorary citizen of Lutsk." However, this honor was taken away on his 43rd birthday in 2022.
Tymoshchuk enjoys collecting wines, T-shirts, and icons. He considers the number four his lucky number and often wore it on his jersey. Besides Ukrainian, he also speaks Polish, Russian, and some Croatian and German. Since 2000, Tymoshchuk and his father have organized the International Anatoliy Tymoshchuk Junior Cup. This tournament helps children from Ukraine and nearby countries continue their football training.
Recent Events
In 2022, when events began in Ukraine, Tymoshchuk was an assistant coach at the Russian club Zenit St Petersburg. He did not leave his position or speak out about the situation. Because of this, the Ukrainian Association of Football (UAF) took away his Ukrainian coaching license and titles on 11 March 2022. The UAF stated that his choice to stay at Zenit "damages the image of Ukrainian football."
In response, Tymoshchuk returned his awards to Ukraine and filed a lawsuit. In 2023, he was officially placed on a list that blocked his assets and prevented him from entering Ukraine for ten years.
A Russian sports journalist, Vasily Utkin, made claims about Tymoshchuk's past actions, but these claims were quickly shown to be incorrect by other former players and journalists.
In September 2024, Tymoshchuk donated a signed Zenit St Petersburg football jersey. The jersey was sold to raise money for support in the Kursk Region. This action was widely criticized in Ukraine.
Career Statistics
Club
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| Club | Season | League | Cup | Europe | Super Cup | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Volyn Lutsk | 1995–96 | Ukrainian First League | 10 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 11 | 1 | ||
| 1996–97 | Ukrainian First League | 38 | 6 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 40 | 6 | |||
| 1997–98 | Ukrainian First League | 14 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 16 | 1 | |||
| Total | 62 | 8 | 5 | 0 | — | — | 67 | 8 | ||||
| Shakhtar-2 Donetsk | 1997–98 | Ukrainian Second League | 6 | 4 | — | — | — | 6 | 4 | |||
| 1998–99 | Ukrainian First League | 14 | 5 | — | — | — | 14 | 5 | ||||
| 1999–2000 | Ukrainian First League | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | 4 | 0 | ||||
| 2000–01 | Ukrainian First League | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 25 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 9 | ||
| Shakhtar Donetsk | 1997–98 | Ukrainian Premier League | 9 | 3 | — | — | — | 9 | 3 | |||
| 1998–99 | Ukrainian Premier League | 18 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 23 | 2 | ||
| 1999–2000 | Ukrainian Premier League | 23 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 28 | 0 | ||
| 2000–01 | Ukrainian Premier League | 25 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 11 | 0 | — | 41 | 5 | ||
| 2001–02 | Ukrainian Premier League | 26 | 3 | 7 | 1 | 6 | 1 | — | 39 | 5 | ||
| 2002–03 | Ukrainian Premier League | 30 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 0 | — | 40 | 5 | ||
| 2003–04 | Ukrainian Premier League | 29 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 6 | 0 | — | 41 | 7 | ||
| 2004–05 | Ukrainian Premier League | 25 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 41 | 4 | |
| 2005–06 | Ukrainian Premier League | 27 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 38 | 6 | |
| 2006–07 | Ukrainian Premier League | 15 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 26 | 2 | |
| Total | 227 | 32 | 39 | 6 | 57 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 326 | 39 | ||
| Zenit Saint Petersburg | 2007 | Russian Premier League | 29 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 1 | — | 42 | 10 | |
| 2008 | Russian Premier League | 27 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 44 | 6 | |
| 2009 | Russian Premier League | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | — | 14 | 2 | ||
| Total | 67 | 10 | 5 | 5 | 27 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 100 | 18 | ||
| Bayern Munich | 2009–10 | Bundesliga | 21 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 1 | — | 32 | 1 | |
| 2010–11 | Bundesliga | 26 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 37 | 4 | |
| 2011–12 | Bundesliga | 23 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 12 | 0 | — | 39 | 0 | ||
| 2012–13 | Bundesliga | 16 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 24 | 1 | |
| Total | 86 | 4 | 15 | 0 | 29 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 132 | 6 | ||
| Zenit Saint Petersburg | 2013–14 | Russian Premier League | 21 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 28 | 0 |
| 2014–15 | Russian Premier League | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 0 | — | 21 | 0 | ||
| Total | 32 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 49 | 0 | ||
| Kairat | 2015 | Kazakhstan Premier League | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 0 |
| 2016 | Kazakhstan Premier League | 24 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 33 | 1 | |
| Total | 34 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 50 | 1 | ||
| Career total | 533 | 64 | 71 | 11 | 137 | 6 | 8 | 0 | 749 | 81 | ||
International
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ukraine | 2000 | 4 | 0 |
| 2001 | 12 | 0 | |
| 2002 | 8 | 1 | |
| 2003 | 9 | 0 | |
| 2004 | 9 | 0 | |
| 2005 | 10 | 0 | |
| 2006 | 12 | 0 | |
| 2007 | 10 | 0 | |
| 2008 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2009 | 11 | 0 | |
| 2010 | 9 | 1 | |
| 2011 | 12 | 2 | |
| 2012 | 11 | 0 | |
| 2013 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2014 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2015 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2016 | 3 | 0 | |
| Total | 144 | 4 | |
- As of match played 21 June 2016. Ukraine score listed first, score column indicates score after each Tymoshchuk goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 17 April 2002 | Lobanovsky Dynamo Stadium, Kyiv, Ukraine | 19 |  Georgia |
2–1 | 2–1 | Friendly |
| 2 | 8 October 2010 | Lobanovsky Dynamo Stadium, Kyiv, Ukraine | 99 |  Canada |
2–2 | 2–2 | Friendly |
| 3 | 1 June 2011 | Lobanovsky Dynamo Stadium, Kyiv, Ukraine | 105 |  Uzbekistan |
1–0 | 2–0 | Friendly |
| 4 | 6 June 2011 | Donbas Arena, Donetsk, Ukraine | 106 |  France |
1–0 | 1–4 | Friendly |
Awards and Achievements
Shakhtar Donetsk-2
- Ukrainian Second League: 1997–98
Shakhtar Donetsk
- Ukrainian Premier League: 2001–02, 2004–05, 2005–06
- Ukrainian Cup: 2000–01, 2001–02, 2003–04
- Ukrainian Super Cup: 2005
Zenit Saint Petersburg
- Russian Premier League: 2007, 2014–15
- Russian Super Cup: 2008
- UEFA Cup: 2007–08
- UEFA Super Cup: 2008
Bayern Munich
- Bundesliga: 2009–10, 2012–13
- DFB-Pokal: 2009–10, 2012–13
- DFL-Supercup: 2010, 2012
- UEFA Champions League: 2012–13
Kairat
- Kazakhstan Cup: 2015
- Kazakhstan Super Cup: 2016
Individual Awards
- Ukrainian Bravery Order III Degree: 2006 (rescinded in 2022)
- Ukrainian Footballer of the Year (by Ukrainian Football): 2002, 2006, 2007 (rescinded in 2022)
- Russian Premier League: Player of the Year 2007
- Russian Premier League Top 33 Players – #1 Defensive Midfielder: 2007, 2008
- Honorary citizen of Lutsk: 2008 (rescinded in 2022)
- UEFA awards 100 caps: 2011
- Best Ukrainian Footballer in History (1991–2011) with Andriy Shevchenko and Oleksandr Shovkovskyi(rescinded in 2022)
See also
In Spanish: Anatoliy Timoshchuk para niños
- List of men's footballers with 100 or more international caps
