Alexander Mostovoi
Encyclopedia
Aleksandr Vladimirovich Mostovoi is a retired Russia
n footballer who played as an attacking midfielder.
Known as El Zar
, from his lengthy spell at Spain
's Celta de Vigo
, he was often referred to as a 'genius playmaker' during his time there, in addition to a volatile temperament.
, from second division
outfit FC Presnya Moscow
, quickly making an impression. In January 1992, he joined compatriots Vasili Kulkov
and Sergei Yuran
at S.L. Benfica; months before arriving, he was controversially awarded Portuguese
citizenship through marriage, but never imposed himself in the first team.
In 1993–94, Mostovoi joined French first division
side SM Caen
, then left after the sole campaign to RC Strasbourg
, rejoining coach Daniel Jeandupeux; with the latter side, he first displayed glimpses of an emerging talent.
in 1996, for 325 million pesetas
(circa €
1,950,000). He made his debut for the Galician club in a 2–0 home defeat against Real Betis
. His creative play and key goals made him a cult figure at Balaídos, as the club rose to near the top of La Liga
standings year after year.
Affectionately nicknamed 'The Tsar of Balaídos' by the fans, Mostovoi formed an impressive midfield society with, amongst others, compatriot Valery Karpin
, and helped Celta win the 2000 UEFA Intertoto Cup. However, he couldn't help the freefall that hit Celta in the 2003–04 season, knocking it down to the second division
, after the player appeared in a career-worst (in his Celta career) 24 matches.
's Deportivo Alavés
in early March 2005, initially until the end of the second division campaign.
His first and only game came in a league game against Cádiz CF
in which he came on as a substitute, in the 78th minute. He scored the Basques
' only goal, and nearly scored a second, in an eventual 1–3 defeat. Having been with the club for only 30 days, Mostovoi told the club directors of his intention to retire claiming he was suffering from back problems.
and Russia
internationally. In another temper tantrum, and was sent home by team manager Georgi Yartsev
during the latter's trip to UEFA Euro 2004, after questioning his methods. He played in the Euro 96 and the 1994 FIFA World Cup
, and was also picked for the 2002 World Cup
, but did not play due to injury.
Mostovoi's exclusion from Euro 2004's national squad happened after the 0–1 group stage loss to Spain
. Supposedly, the player talked with the media after the match and gave an interview saying that Yartsev was not a good coach and did not understand anything. This was later proven false, after Mostovoi gave another interview, and explained he merely said that Yartsev overworked the players during practice, so they didn't have the necessary energy to play well in matches. All in all, group morale dropped after the incident, and Russia lost the second game, to hosts Portugal
.
In 2009, Mostovoi was part of the Russia squad that won
the Legends Cup
.
|1986||Krasnaya Presnya
||Soviet Second League
||?||?||?||?||-||-||?||?
|-
|1987||rowspan="5"|Spartak Moscow
||rowspan="5"|Soviet Top League
||18||6||-||-||-||-||18||6
|-
|1988||27||3||-||-||-||-||27||3
|-
|1989||11||3||-||-||-||-||11||3
|-
|1990||23||9||-||-||-||-||23||9
|-
|1991||27||13||-||-||-||-||27||13
|-
|-
|1992–93||rowspan="2"|Benfica||rowspan="2"|Primeira Liga||9||0||-||-||3||0||12||0
|-
|1993–94||0||0||-||-||0||0||0||0
|-
|-
|1993–94||Caen
||Ligue 1
||15||3||-||-||-||-||15||3
|-
|1994–95||rowspan="2"|Strasbourg
||rowspan="2"|Ligue 1
||29||6||4||1||-||-||33||7
|-
|1995–96||32||9||3||1||6||2||41||12
|-
|-
|1996–97||rowspan="8"|Celta
||rowspan="8"|La Liga
||31||5||6||1||-||-||37||6
|-
|1997–98||34||8||3||1||-||-||37||9
|-
|1998–99||33||6||1||0||7||2||41||8
|-
|1999–00||26||6||1||0||7||2||34||8
|-
|2000–01||30||9||6||2||7||2||43||13
|-
|2001–02||30||10||0||0||1||3||31||13
|-
|2002–03||27||5||0||0||4||1||31||6
|-
|2003–04||24||6||2||0||8||2||34||8
|-
|2004–05||Alavés
||Segunda División
||1||1||-||-||-||-||-||-
|-
88||28||-||-||13||3||101||31
9||0||-||-||3||0||12||0
76||18||7||2||6||2||89||22
m||n||m||n||m||n||m||n
m||n||m||n||m||n||m||n
, which provided coaching to young players with a university education.
Married to French
Stefani, with whom he later had two children.
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n footballer who played as an attacking midfielder.
Known as El Zar
Tsar
Tsar is a title used to designate certain European Slavic monarchs or supreme rulers. As a system of government in the Tsardom of Russia and Russian Empire, it is known as Tsarist autocracy, or Tsarism...
, from his lengthy spell at Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
's Celta de Vigo
Celta de Vigo
Real Club Celta de Vigo , simply referred to as Celta Vigo, is a Spanish professional football club based in Vigo, Galicia, currently playing in the Segunda División. It was founded on March 28, 1923 following the merger of Real Vigo Sporting and Real Fortuna Foot-ball Club.Nicknamed Los Celestes ,...
, he was often referred to as a 'genius playmaker' during his time there, in addition to a volatile temperament.
Spartak Moscow/First abroad adventures
Mostovoi signed for country giants FC Spartak MoscowFC Spartak Moscow
FC Spartak Moscow is a Russian football club from Moscow. Having won 12 Soviet championships and 9 of 19 Russian championships they are one of the country's most successful clubs. They have also won the Soviet Cup 10 times and the Russian Cup 3 times...
, from second division
Soviet Second League
The Soviet Second League was the third highest division of Soviet football, below the Soviet First League. The division lasted from the inception of Soviet league football in 1936 to the dissolution of USSR in 1991.-Overview:...
outfit FC Presnya Moscow
FC Presnya Moscow
FC Presnya Moscow was a Russian football club based in Moscow.Colours are red for home games, and black away.-1920s – Krasnaya Presnya and Tryokhgorka:...
, quickly making an impression. In January 1992, he joined compatriots Vasili Kulkov
Vasili Kulkov
Vassily Sergeyevich Kulkov is a retired Russian footballer, and a current coach.Either a central defender or defensive midfielder, he was best known for his spells at Spartak Moscow and Benfica.-Club career:...
and Sergei Yuran
Sergei Yuran
Sergei Nikolayevich Yuran is a Ukrainian-association football coach and a former striker.-Career:At club level he played in six different countries...
at S.L. Benfica; months before arriving, he was controversially awarded Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
citizenship through marriage, but never imposed himself in the first team.
In 1993–94, Mostovoi joined French first division
Ligue 1
Ligue 1 , is the French professional league for association football clubs. It is the country's primary football competition and serves as the top division of the French football league system. Ligue 1 is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel, the other being Ligue 2....
side SM Caen
SM Caen
Stade Malherbe Caen is a professional French football team, playing in the city of Caen, Normandy. The club was founded on 17 November 1913 following the merger of Club Malherbe Caennais and Club Sportif Caennais...
, then left after the sole campaign to RC Strasbourg
RC Strasbourg
Racing Club de Strasbourg is a French association football club founded in 1906 and professional since 1933, based in the city of Strasbourg, in Alsace...
, rejoining coach Daniel Jeandupeux; with the latter side, he first displayed glimpses of an emerging talent.
Celta Vigo
Mostovoi's big break came when he signed for Celta de VigoCelta de Vigo
Real Club Celta de Vigo , simply referred to as Celta Vigo, is a Spanish professional football club based in Vigo, Galicia, currently playing in the Segunda División. It was founded on March 28, 1923 following the merger of Real Vigo Sporting and Real Fortuna Foot-ball Club.Nicknamed Los Celestes ,...
in 1996, for 325 million pesetas
Spanish peseta
The peseta was the currency of Spain between 1869 and 2002. Along with the French franc, it was also a de facto currency used in Andorra .- Etymology :...
(circa €
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
1,950,000). He made his debut for the Galician club in a 2–0 home defeat against Real Betis
Real Betis
Real Betis Balompié S.A.D. is a Spanish football club based in Seville, in the autonomous community of Andalusia. Founded on 12 September 1907, it currently plays in La Liga, holding home games at Estadio Benito Villamarín....
. His creative play and key goals made him a cult figure at Balaídos, as the club rose to near the top of La Liga
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
standings year after year.
Affectionately nicknamed 'The Tsar of Balaídos' by the fans, Mostovoi formed an impressive midfield society with, amongst others, compatriot Valery Karpin
Valery Karpin
Valeri Georgievich Karpin is a former Russian professional association footballer who played midfielder and former manager of FC Spartak Moscow...
, and helped Celta win the 2000 UEFA Intertoto Cup. However, he couldn't help the freefall that hit Celta in the 2003–04 season, knocking it down to the second division
Segunda División
The Segunda División is the lower tier of the two professional football leagues in Spain. From the season 2008-09 onwards, the name of the league is Liga Adelante.-History:...
, after the player appeared in a career-worst (in his Celta career) 24 matches.
Alavés
Having not played for over eight months, and at the age of 36, Mostovoi signed a contract with Dmitry PietrmanDmitry Pietrman
Dmitry Piterman is an Ukrainian-American businessman.-Early years:Piterman was born in Odessa, Ukraine, Soviet Union. At the age of 12, his family emigrated to the United States, settling in California, where he attended college at Berkeley, excelling in sports - namely triple jump, later narrowly...
's Deportivo Alavés
Deportivo Alavés
Deportivo Alavés, S.A.D., usually abbreviated to Alavés, is a Spanish football club based in Vitoria-Gasteiz, in the Basque Country. Founded in 1921, it plays in Segunda División B, holding home matches at the 19,500-seater Estadio Mendizorrotza....
in early March 2005, initially until the end of the second division campaign.
His first and only game came in a league game against Cádiz CF
Cádiz CF
Cádiz Club de Fútbol, S.A.D. is a Spanish football team based in Cádiz, in the autonomous community of Andalusia. Founded in 1910, it currently plays in Segunda División B - Group 4, holding home games at Estadio Ramón de Carranza, with a 22,000-seat capacity.Salvadoran legend Mágico González, who...
in which he came on as a substitute, in the 78th minute. He scored the Basques
Basque Country (autonomous community)
The Basque Country is an autonomous community of northern Spain. It includes the Basque provinces of Álava, Biscay and Gipuzkoa, also called Historical Territories....
' only goal, and nearly scored a second, in an eventual 1–3 defeat. Having been with the club for only 30 days, Mostovoi told the club directors of his intention to retire claiming he was suffering from back problems.
International career
Mostovoi played for the Soviet national team, the CISCIS national football team
The CIS national football team represented the Commonwealth of Independent States, a regional confederation formed by 12 of the 15 newly formed sovereign states that emerged out of the break-up of the Soviet Union between 1990 and early 1992...
and Russia
Russia national football team
The Russia national football team represents Russia in association football and is controlled by the Russian Football Union , the governing body for football in Russia. Russia's home grounds are Luzhniki Stadium, Lokomotiv Stadium , and Petrovsky Stadium in St.Petersburg and their head coach is...
internationally. In another temper tantrum, and was sent home by team manager Georgi Yartsev
Georgi Yartsev
Georgi Aleksandrovich Yartsev is a soccer coach and former player, until 2005 the head coach of the Russian national team....
during the latter's trip to UEFA Euro 2004, after questioning his methods. He played in the Euro 96 and the 1994 FIFA World Cup
1994 FIFA World Cup
The 1994 FIFA World Cup, the 15th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in nine cities across the United States from June 17 to July 17, 1994. The United States was chosen as the host by FIFA on July 4, 1988...
, and was also picked for the 2002 World Cup
2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...
, but did not play due to injury.
Mostovoi's exclusion from Euro 2004's national squad happened after the 0–1 group stage loss to Spain
Spain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
. Supposedly, the player talked with the media after the match and gave an interview saying that Yartsev was not a good coach and did not understand anything. This was later proven false, after Mostovoi gave another interview, and explained he merely said that Yartsev overworked the players during practice, so they didn't have the necessary energy to play well in matches. All in all, group morale dropped after the incident, and Russia lost the second game, to hosts Portugal
Portugal national football team
The Portugal national football team represents Portugal in association football and is controlled by the Portuguese Football Federation, the governing body for football in Portugal. Portugal's home ground is Estádio Nacional in Oeiras, and their head coach is Paulo Bento...
.
In 2009, Mostovoi was part of the Russia squad that won
2009 Legends Cup
2009 Legends Cup was the first edition of the Legends Cup, a tournament for senior retired players . The teams invited to the tournament were Russia, Netherlands, France, Spain, Portugal and Italy....
the Legends Cup
Legends Cup
The Legends Cup is a yearly football tournament held in Russia since 2009 for senior retired football players. A match in that tournament lasts 40 minutes, 20 minutes a half. The half-time takes 10 minutes. There are 5 field players and a goalie...
.
Club
|-|1986||Krasnaya Presnya
FC Presnya Moscow
FC Presnya Moscow was a Russian football club based in Moscow.Colours are red for home games, and black away.-1920s – Krasnaya Presnya and Tryokhgorka:...
||Soviet Second League
Soviet Second League
The Soviet Second League was the third highest division of Soviet football, below the Soviet First League. The division lasted from the inception of Soviet league football in 1936 to the dissolution of USSR in 1991.-Overview:...
||?||?||?||?||-||-||?||?
|-
|1987||rowspan="5"|Spartak Moscow
FC Spartak Moscow
FC Spartak Moscow is a Russian football club from Moscow. Having won 12 Soviet championships and 9 of 19 Russian championships they are one of the country's most successful clubs. They have also won the Soviet Cup 10 times and the Russian Cup 3 times...
||rowspan="5"|Soviet Top League
Soviet Top League
The Soviet Top League since 1970 was officially known as the Supreme League serving as the top division of Soviet Union football since 1936.It was one of the best football leagues in Europe ranking second among the UEFA members in 1988-1989 seasons...
||18||6||-||-||-||-||18||6
|-
|1988||27||3||-||-||-||-||27||3
|-
|1989||11||3||-||-||-||-||11||3
|-
|1990||23||9||-||-||-||-||23||9
|-
|1991||27||13||-||-||-||-||27||13
|-
|-
|1992–93||rowspan="2"|Benfica||rowspan="2"|Primeira Liga||9||0||-||-||3||0||12||0
|-
|1993–94||0||0||-||-||0||0||0||0
|-
|-
|1993–94||Caen
SM Caen
Stade Malherbe Caen is a professional French football team, playing in the city of Caen, Normandy. The club was founded on 17 November 1913 following the merger of Club Malherbe Caennais and Club Sportif Caennais...
||Ligue 1
Ligue 1
Ligue 1 , is the French professional league for association football clubs. It is the country's primary football competition and serves as the top division of the French football league system. Ligue 1 is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel, the other being Ligue 2....
||15||3||-||-||-||-||15||3
|-
|1994–95||rowspan="2"|Strasbourg
RC Strasbourg
Racing Club de Strasbourg is a French association football club founded in 1906 and professional since 1933, based in the city of Strasbourg, in Alsace...
||rowspan="2"|Ligue 1
Ligue 1
Ligue 1 , is the French professional league for association football clubs. It is the country's primary football competition and serves as the top division of the French football league system. Ligue 1 is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel, the other being Ligue 2....
||29||6||4||1||-||-||33||7
|-
|1995–96||32||9||3||1||6||2||41||12
|-
|-
|1996–97||rowspan="8"|Celta
Celta de Vigo
Real Club Celta de Vigo , simply referred to as Celta Vigo, is a Spanish professional football club based in Vigo, Galicia, currently playing in the Segunda División. It was founded on March 28, 1923 following the merger of Real Vigo Sporting and Real Fortuna Foot-ball Club.Nicknamed Los Celestes ,...
||rowspan="8"|La Liga
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
||31||5||6||1||-||-||37||6
|-
|1997–98||34||8||3||1||-||-||37||9
|-
|1998–99||33||6||1||0||7||2||41||8
|-
|1999–00||26||6||1||0||7||2||34||8
|-
|2000–01||30||9||6||2||7||2||43||13
|-
|2001–02||30||10||0||0||1||3||31||13
|-
|2002–03||27||5||0||0||4||1||31||6
|-
|2003–04||24||6||2||0||8||2||34||8
|-
|2004–05||Alavés
Deportivo Alavés
Deportivo Alavés, S.A.D., usually abbreviated to Alavés, is a Spanish football club based in Vitoria-Gasteiz, in the Basque Country. Founded in 1921, it plays in Segunda División B, holding home matches at the 19,500-seater Estadio Mendizorrotza....
||Segunda División
Segunda División
The Segunda División is the lower tier of the two professional football leagues in Spain. From the season 2008-09 onwards, the name of the league is Liga Adelante.-History:...
||1||1||-||-||-||-||-||-
|-
88||28||-||-||13||3||101||31
9||0||-||-||3||0||12||0
76||18||7||2||6||2||89||22
m||n||m||n||m||n||m||n
m||n||m||n||m||n||m||n
National team
Club
- Spartak MoscowFC Spartak MoscowFC Spartak Moscow is a Russian football club from Moscow. Having won 12 Soviet championships and 9 of 19 Russian championships they are one of the country's most successful clubs. They have also won the Soviet Cup 10 times and the Russian Cup 3 times...
:- Soviet LeagueSoviet Top LeagueThe Soviet Top League since 1970 was officially known as the Supreme League serving as the top division of Soviet Union football since 1936.It was one of the best football leagues in Europe ranking second among the UEFA members in 1988-1989 seasons...
: 1987, 1989
- Soviet League
- Benfica:
- Portuguese League: 1993–94
- Portuguese CupTaça de PortugalThe Taça de Portugal is the main Portuguese national football knock-out competition. The tournament has been officially known as the Taça de Portugal Millennium since 2008, due to its sponsorship by Portuguese private bank Millennium BCP. It has occurred on a yearly basis since 1938 and is...
: 1991–92
- CeltaCelta de VigoReal Club Celta de Vigo , simply referred to as Celta Vigo, is a Spanish professional football club based in Vigo, Galicia, currently playing in the Segunda División. It was founded on March 28, 1923 following the merger of Real Vigo Sporting and Real Fortuna Foot-ball Club.Nicknamed Los Celestes ,...
:- UEFA Intertoto CupUEFA Intertoto CupThe UEFA Intertoto Cup, also abbreviated as UI Cup and originally called the International Football Cup, was a summer football competition for European clubs that had not qualified for one of the two major UEFA competitions, the Champions League and the UEFA Cup. The competition was discontinued...
: 2000 - Spanish CupCopa del ReyThe Copa del Rey is an annual football cup competition for Spanish football teams. Its full name is Campeonato de España – Copa de Su Majestad el Rey de Fútbol ....
: Runner-Up 2000–01
- UEFA Intertoto Cup
Country
- USSR:
- UEFA European Under-21 Football ChampionshipUEFA European Under-21 Football ChampionshipThe European Under-21 Football Championship is a football competition organised by the sport's European governing body, UEFA. It is held every two years. The competition has existed in its current form since 1978. It was preceded by the Under 23 Challenge Cup which ran from 1967 to 1970...
: 19901990 UEFA European Under-21 Football ChampionshipThe UEFA U-21 Championship 1990, which spanned two years , had 30 entrants. San Marino competed for the first time. USSR U-21s won the competition....
- UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship
- RussiaRussia national football teamThe Russia national football team represents Russia in association football and is controlled by the Russian Football Union , the governing body for football in Russia. Russia's home grounds are Luzhniki Stadium, Lokomotiv Stadium , and Petrovsky Stadium in St.Petersburg and their head coach is...
:- Legends CupLegends CupThe Legends Cup is a yearly football tournament held in Russia since 2009 for senior retired football players. A match in that tournament lasts 40 minutes, 20 minutes a half. The half-time takes 10 minutes. There are 5 field players and a goalie...
: 20092009 Legends Cup2009 Legends Cup was the first edition of the Legends Cup, a tournament for senior retired players . The teams invited to the tournament were Russia, Netherlands, France, Spain, Portugal and Italy....
- Legends Cup
Personal life
Mostovoi graduated from college as an electrician, and later joined a sports academy in MoscowMoscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
, which provided coaching to young players with a university education.
Married to French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
Stefani, with whom he later had two children.
External links
- Izvestia profile
- RussiaTeam biography and profile
- Stats at LegionerKulichki
- BDFutbol profile
- International appearances, at RSSSFRec.Sport.Soccer Statistics FoundationThe Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation is an international amateur organization dedicated to collecting statistics about association football...