Igor Denisov facts for kids

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Igor Denisov

Denisov with Lokomotiv Moscow in 2018
Personal information
Date of birth	(1984-05-17) 17 May 1984 (age 39)
Place of birth	Leningrad, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
Height	1.76m
Playing position	Defensive midfielder
Youth career
	Turbostroitel St. Petersburg
	Smena St. Petersburg
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2002–2013	Zenit Saint Petersburg	254	(23)
2013	Anzhi Makhachkala	3	(0)
2013–2017	Dynamo Moscow	62	(1)
2016–2017	→ Lokomotiv Moscow (loan)	23	(1)
2017–2019	Lokomotiv Moscow	44	(0)
Total		386	(25)
National team
2003–2006	Russia U21	16	(4)
2008–2016	Russia	54	(0)
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Igor Vladimirovich Denisov (Russian: Игорь Владимирович Денисов; born 17 May 1984) is a Russian former professional footballer who played as a midfielder.

Denisov spent most of his career from 2002 to 2013 at his hometown club Zenit Saint Petersburg, playing 354 games, scoring 29 goals and winning honours including three Russian Premier League titles and the UEFA Cup in 2008. He then played for Anzhi Makhachkala, Dynamo Moscow and Lokomotiv Moscow, winning a further Premier League and two Russian Cups with the last of those clubs.

He made his debut for Russia in 2008, playing 54 games over the next eight years and featuring at Euro 2012 and the 2014 World Cup. He has been the subject of controversy, courting numerous arguments at the club and international level during his professional career.

Club career

Zenit

Igor Denisov warming up for Zenit.

Denisov was born in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg) and started his footballing career with Turbostroitel before going to Smena, the youth team of Zenit. Denisov signed his first professional contract with Zenit, St. Petersburg's only professional team, after graduating school in 2002. At the age of 18, Denisov made his debut for Zenit in a league match against CSKA Moscow in 2002. He made his breakthrough with the club the following year, scoring twice in 19 appearances.

Under Dutch manager Dick Advocaat, Denisov blossomed as a player, developing into an advanced midfield role behind Andrey Arshavin and Aleksandr Kerzhakov, becoming an influential member of the Zenit squad that won their first Russian Premier League title in 2007. On 3 April 2008, Denisov scored Zenit's fourth goal in their 4–1 first leg defeat of Bayer Leverkusen in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup match at the BayArena. Denisov's performances helped Zenit reach the final against Scottish side Rangers on 15 May, after defeating Bayern Munich 5–1 on aggregate in the semi-finals. In the final, Denisov played the full ninety minutes and opened the scoring in the 72nd minute after being played in by winger Andrei Arshavin. Zenit went on to win the match 2–0 and lift the UEFA Cup for the first time in their history. In the resulting UEFA Super Cup, Denisov played the full ninety again, assisting Pavel Pogrebnyak's headed goal as Zenit upset English heavyweight Manchester United 2–1 on 29 August 2008.

On 29 June 2010, Denisov extended his contract with Zenit for a further five years. Six months later, on 22 December, Denisov was voted by the fans as the club's "Player of the Year", beating out the likes of playmaker Danny and goalkeeper Vyacheslav Malafeev.

On 27 October 2011, Denisov featured in his 300th competitive fixture for Zenit, in the 3–0 defeat of Volga, including 217 matches in the Premier League, 55 in European competition and 28 matches in domestic cup competitions. Denisov finished as runner up behind Malafeev as the club's MVP for the 2011–12 campaign, playing 57 games (starting all of them) whilst scoring one goal and providing eight assists. During the Russian Football Union awards ceremony on 26 May, Denisov was voted as the "Player of the Year" in the Russian Premier League and Zenit won five more club awards for 2011–12 including "Team of the Year."

On 11 August 2012, Denisov provided two assists in Zenit's 5–0 defeat of Spartak Moscow. On 3 September, Denisov was voted as Zenit's "Player of the Month" for August after playing all five league games and providing those two assists. Three weeks later, Denisov was demoted to the reserve team for improper behavior according to the club. Following more than a month with the youth side, Denisov was reinstated to the senior squad and began training with them again on 1 November. He made his return to the first team a day later, coming on as a 58th-minute substitute for Viktor Fayzulin in Zenit's 2–1 defeat of FC Rostov. Denisov's first full match since his return from exile with the youth team came on 6 November in a Champions League group game against RSC Anderlecht, playing the full ninety minutes in a 1–0 loss in Belgium.

Anzhi

Denisov announced his move to Russian Premier League club Anzhi Makhachkala for a fee of 15 million euros on 21 June 2013.

Dynamo Moscow

Denisov with Dynamo Moscow in 2013

On 15 August 2013, Denisov moved along with fellow Anzhi players Yuriy Zhirkov and Aleksandr Kokorin to FC Dynamo for an undisclosed fee. Denisov played in only three matches for Anzhi before the cash-strapped club began to sell its players.

In April 2015, Denisov was put up for sale by Dynamo and told to train on his own for insulting head coach Stanislav Cherchesov.

He returned to Dynamo's lineup in July 2015, after Cherchesov was dismissed as Dynamo's manager and replaced by Andrey Kobelev.

Lokomotiv Moscow

On 31 August 2016, he moved on loan to FC Lokomotiv Moscow for the remainder of the 2016–17 season. On 2 February 2017, he signed a permanent deal with Lokomotiv that started at the end of the season upon the expiration of his Dynamo contract.

On 27 May 2019, he left Lokomotiv by mutual consent. On 29 May 2019, he announced through his lawyers that he retired from playing.

International career

Denisov first featured in the Russian national set up, representing the Under-19 side against Denmark in the second qualifying round for the 2003 UEFA U-19 European Championships. He then went on to captain the Russia U-21 team. Denisov trained with Russia in 2005 but did not get into the team.

After a good run of performances at the club level with Zenit, many sports journalists called for Denisov to be included in the squad for the European Championships in 2008, but he did not make the initial squad and later refused to be called up for the provisional 25-man squad of players after a number of injuries. Denisov made his debut for Russia on 11 October 2008 in a FIFA World Cup 2010 qualifier against Germany, a 2–1 loss at Signal Iduna Park in Dortmund.

He was confirmed for the finalized UEFA Euro 2012 squad on 25 May 2012. He featured in all three Group A matches, as Russia picked up four points but ultimately failed to qualify for the knockout stage due to their head-to-head record with Greece.

On 7 September 2012, Denisov was appointed by new Russia manager Fabio Capello as the captain of the national team in the wake of Andrei Arshavin's absence.

On 2 June 2014, he was included in Russia's 2014 FIFA World Cup squad.

On 6 June 2016, Denisov was ruled out of Euro 2016 with a thigh injury.

Personal life

Denisov and his wife Elena have four children: Viktoria, born in 2005, Igor Jr., born in 2008, and twin sons Ivan and Daniil who were born on 18 December 2011. He owns two South African pitbulls and is known in Russia as being a very good chess player and for never giving interviews to reporters.

Denisov has publicly opposed the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine by saying: "These events are a disaster. Complete horror. I don’t know, maybe I’ll be imprisoned or killed for these words, but I am speaking as it is."

Career statistics

Club

Notes

International

Honours

Zenit Saint Petersburg

• Russian Premier League: 2007, 2010, 2011–12
• Russian Cup: 2009–10
• Russian Super Cup: 2008, 2011
• Russian Premier League Cup: 2003
• UEFA Cup: 2007–08
• UEFA Super Cup: 2008

Lokomotiv Moscow

• Russian Premier League: 2017–18
• Russian Cup: 2016–17, 2018–19

See also

In Spanish: Ígor Denísov para niños