Ural goalkeeper Nikolai Zabolotny: biography. Zabolotny Nikolay Archilovich Arrival in "Ural"
Five days after the end of the 2016/17 Russian Championship, information appeared on the official website of Ural: “The club management decided to put goalkeeper Nikolai Zabolotny up for transfer. FC “Ural” is ready to consider proposals for Nikolai’s transfer to another club.” The news is unexpected, because the 27-year-old student of the Zenit SDYUSSHOR was clearly the first number of the Ekaterinburg team, having played 22 matches in the Premier League and four more meetings in the Russian Cup. Thanks also to Zabolotny, in the quarterfinals of the Cup, the Bumblebees came back from a 0:3 score in the match with Krasnodar and snatched victory in a penalty shootout. At the same time, it is possible that Nikolai will still remain in Ural. At least the footballer himself is not ready to say goodbye yet.
I did not expect such a decision from the management
- Did you learn about the fact that you were put up for transfer from “Sport Day by Day”?
- After your call, I went online and saw. I was not prepared for such a development of events. It seems like we had a good season and reached the final of the Russian Cup. In the championship we confidently moved away from the play-off zone. Then, however, we relaxed a little, but, in principle, the season turned out fine.
- Last year we signed a new long-term agreement with you. When does the contract expire?
- It is valid for another year, until June 2018.
- During the season, were there any prerequisites that the Ural management would decide to refuse your services?
- No. Based on how the season turned out, I did not expect such a decision from the club. Neither the president nor the head coach said anything to me.
You dropped out of the squad after the lost match of the 27th round to Krylya Sovetov (1:3), which was important for Ural in light of the fact that the Samara team was led by Vadim Skripchenko.
- It’s better to ask this question to the president of Ural. Nobody talked to me.
But weren’t you surprised by the decision of the Belarusian specialist to unexpectedly leave Yekaterinburg and lead the people of Samara in such a short time?
- Yes, it came as a surprise. But everyone makes their own decisions, there is nothing to blame him for.
“I would like a more experienced goalkeeper who would not make such mistakes, because of which we missed a lot of points this season,” said Ural President Grigory Ivanov. How do you evaluate the past season for yourself?
- Eleven people take the field, there are twenty-five people on the team - in every game someone makes mistakes. But I cannot say that my mistakes were critical, that there were a lot of them and that it was because of me that Ural lost a lot of points.
Despite the club’s decision, you took fifth place in both the Ural fans’ poll and the local journalists’ vote. Honorable or expected for more?
- To be honest, I don’t get hung up on this. The main thing is the results of the team, not personal achievements.
- Fans voted Ukrainian Denis Kulakov the best. Fair?
- Denis did not miss a single championship game, and he played well, which is why the fans recognized him. An irreplaceable starter this year, the fans treat him very well.
As for the journalists, they recognized another St. Petersburg resident, Vladimir Ilyin, as the best, who only became a Ural player in the winter.
- Vova started his career well in Yekaterinburg, playing twelve matches for us. I would like him to play at this level not just twelve matches, but all thirty. I hope this will be the case in the new season.
- Do you and him have many common themes, common acquaintances?
- Yes, we have repeatedly communicated with Vova on this topic. There are many common themes in terms of St. Petersburg.
What's the point of starting from scratch?
- Now what? What thoughts do you have about the future?
- It's vacation now. After it, I will come to Yekaterinburg and will resolve all issues there.
- Only after communicating with the management of Ural will you start looking for a new team?
- I would like to talk first.
- Agree that 27 years is not the age for a goalkeeper; you can start everything from scratch.
- I can’t say that there’s plenty of time, and I don’t want to start from scratch either. I have played a sufficient number of matches in the Premier League, I have accumulated some experience, what is the point of starting from scratch?
- Will you consider offers from the FNL or only from the RFPL?
- I won’t make any decisions yet. First I’ll come to Yekaterinburg, then I’ll think.
In that case, the last question on this topic. Tosno entered the Premier League - this is a chance to return to St. Petersburg. Interesting option?
- I don’t want to comment on this topic.
It is possible that you will still remain at Ural if the club suddenly does not receive any interesting offers. But still, now there is a reason to draw some conclusions. What comes to mind first when you look back and analyze three and a half years in Yekaterinburg?
- You are getting too ahead of yourself. I won’t sum it up yet. Not because I don’t want to, but because it’s too early. We need to sort out the situation in Ural.
- At a minimum, Yekaterinburg became the place where both of your daughters were born.
- The first daughter was born here, and the second in Moscow. Three and a half years in Yekaterinburg is an important time for me. But I’m not saying goodbye to this city yet.
Russia will easily qualify from the group at the Confederations Cup
- How do you plan to follow the Confederations Cup - from the stands, on TV?
- Most likely, on TV.
- New Zealand, Portugal and Mexico are the rivals of the Russian team. What can you expect?
- Our team will calmly leave the group, and then we’ll see.
- Given Artem Dzyuba’s injury, don’t the chances decrease?
- Dziuba is a good striker, but there are other strong players in the national team. For example, Fedor Smolov. I hope injuries will not affect the team's results.
- How interesting is it to watch a rejuvenated team?
- Like many fans, I wonder how the renewed team will perform. As time goes on, the composition must change. Everyone was waiting for this.
- Can we say that you don’t have to worry about the goalkeeper line in the national team?
- The best are called up to the national team. But the situation is such that there are still guys who deserve a place in the squad. The goalkeeper school in Russia is really good, so we have no problems in this position.
Numbers
60 Savings were made by Nikolai Zabolotny in the matches of the Russian Championship 2016/17. According to the portal Whoscored.com, among all the goalkeepers of the Premier League who played at least ten matches in the season, the Ural goalkeeper was in seventh place. The highest figures are only for Alexander Belenov, representing Anzhi and Ufa (109), Sergei Ryzhikov from Rubin (100), Giorgi Loria from Wings of the Soviets (84), army player Igor Akinfeev (66), Andrey Lunev, who played for Ufa and Zenit (66) and Terek goalkeeper Evgeniy Gorodov (63). At the same time, only Lunev played in fewer matches (19 versus 22), and all the others appeared on the field more often than Zabolotny.
Is it true? It is worth adding that on average Nikolai made only 2.7 saves per game - this is the twelfth figure in the RFPL among goalkeepers who have played at least ten matches. In the 2015/16 season, the 27-year-old St. Petersburger’s performance was more impressive - 4.1 saves per match.
Nikolai Zabolotny is a Russian football player, goalkeeper of Ural. Born in St. Petersburg, he studied goalkeeping at well-known academies in the country: “Smena”, “Akademika”, “Labor Reserves”. From 2007 to 2009 he played in the Zenit youth team, then moved to the reserves of Spartak (with each of these teams he won the Russian youth championship). He was included in the starting line-up of the “red-whites” several times and won silver medals in the 2011/12 season. In 2014 he moved to Ural, where he was the main goalkeeper for some time. Nikolai also defended the colors of the Russian youth team, playing 21 matches here over 3 years, and took part in the youth Euro 2013.
- Full name: Nikolai Archilovich Zabolotny
- Date and place of birth: April 16, 1990, St. Petersburg (Russia)
- Role: goalkeeper
Club career
Nikolai started playing football at the age of seven. He attended the famous St. Petersburg sports schools “Smena” and “Zenith”. He also spent several years in Moscow at the Academy and Labor Reserve schools. With the last team I took part in the capital championship. In 2007, Zabolotny returned to his native St. Petersburg, signing an agreement with the Zenit youth team. He played more than 50 matches with it and won the Russian Youth Championship. He was included in the main team roster several times, but did not appear on the field and eventually left Zenit for the youth team of Spartak. With him, he again won the Russian youth championship, and on April 2, 2011, he made his debut in the elite division in an away match against Kuban, replacing the ill Andrei Dikan.
During the 2011/12 season, he replaced his experienced partner several more times, keeping his first match to zero in the sixth round of the regular championship against Spartak from Nalchik (1-0). Until the end of the season, he played 6 more matches, in which he conceded seven goals. He was also included in the squad for the Europa League, but did not take to the field. In July 2012, he went on loan to Rostov. Here he continued to travel between the youth and main Russian championships. Returning to Spartak, he played his last matches in the youth team, and at the beginning of 2014 he signed a 2.5-year agreement with Ural.
"Ural"
Until the end of the season, he played 8 matches and helped the Bumblebees maintain their registration in the elite division. The following season he was the main goalkeeper. In October, he helped Ural win an away victory over Spartak, and a few rounds later he saved two penalties in a match against Rubin, but the Bumblebees still lost that match. In one of the last matches of the season, Zabolotny received a stupid sending off, and soon after the end of the championship he was injured. With the start of the new season, he stopped being included in the Ural main roster. It became clear that there was a conflict within the club, but Bumblebee officials denied everything, hinting that Nikolai simply did not make it into the starting lineup:
– When will we see Zabolotny play?
- We took another goalkeeper, Yuri Zhevnov, so Zabolotny does not make it into the main lineup. Secondly, he was injured in the summer. Zabolotny is training with a double, but what happens next is no longer up to him.
- And it’s still a strange situation. The main goalkeeper from the previous season does not even get a place in the application.
- We have young, quite good guys.
- Maybe we should have sold Nikolai, because he still has a year on his contract?
“We wanted to employ him, but he was injured. Now we will try it in winter. Due to injury, he did not train for a long time
However, in the winter, Nikolai did not leave Ural and even returned to the starting lineup, playing all the matches of the spring stage in the first team.
International career
He played in the Russian youth team under 17 years old. For three years he was the main goalkeeper of the U21 team. In 2013, he went with her to the European Championship, where he played in two group stage matches.
Achievements of Nikolai Zabolotny
"Zenit-2"
- Champion of Russia 2009
"Spartak-2"
- Russian Champion 2010
"Spartacus"
- Vice-champion of Russia 2012
Years of life: 16.04.1990.
Citizenship: Russia.
Career:
player: 2007/09 Zenith(double); 2010/13 Spartak; 2012/13 Rostov(rent); 2013 Spartak-2; 2014 present Ural.
role: goalkeeper.
height: 184.
weight: 81.
number: 1.
national team: Player of the Russian youth team.
nickname:
Achievements:
Won the championship of youth teams: 2009, 2010 .
Silver medalist of the Russian Championship: 2011/12.
Biography:
6 matches
The young goalkeeper’s first time at Spartak was presented with the sauce “he moved from Zenit.” That's basically it. The young goalkeeper did not take advantage of rare chances one hundred percent. He was released from the club with a calm heart. In Ural, things are much more interesting for the goalkeeper. Consider two saved penalties from Rubin in one match or an inspired game in Grozny, when the goalkeeper’s phenomenal saves ensured a draw that was unexpected for the entire football community.
Nikolai Zabolotny was born in St. Petersburg and began playing football at the age of seven at the Smena and Zenit schools. Then Zabolotny moved to Moscow, where he continued his studies at the Akademika football school. In 2007, the goalkeeper returned to Zenit, where he played for the youth team. In 2009, Zabolotny was the main goalkeeper of the St. Petersburg youth team, playing 28 matches (25 goals conceded). That season, together with the team, Zabolotny became the winner of the youth championship.
At the same time, the selectors of the Moscow “Spartak” became interested in the talented goalkeeper, and Zabolotny spent the 2010 season in the red and white youth team. Nikolai has 24 games and 15 goals conceded. Zabolotny's confident play at the last line helped Spartak win gold in the youth championship, and the young goalkeeper has already become a two-time winner of this tournament.
It didn't take long for him to make his debut in the main team of Spartak. On April 2, 2011, Zabolotny made his debut in the Premier League in the away match of the 3rd round against Krasnodar “Kuban”, replacing Andrei Dikan, who fell ill on the eve of the match. In total, in the spring of 2011, Zabolotny played 6 matches in the Premier League for the Muscovites, keeping a clean sheet in three of them. The players of “Spartak-Nalchik”, “Krylia Sovetov” and “Krasnodar” were never able to open his goal.
In July 2012, Nikolai Zabolotny moved to Rostov on loan, but it was difficult for the young goalkeeper to compete with the eminent Stipe Pletikosa. The goalkeeper played only two matches for the Rostov team - one in the championship and one in the Russian Cup. Returning from his loan, Zabolotny played for Spartak-2, which played in the second division. At the end of the contract with Spartak, Zabolotny became a free agent and joined Ural.
Let us add that the Ural newcomer’s track record also includes 17 matches for the Russian youth team. It was Nikolai who was the main goalkeeper of the Russian youth team in the selection for the 2013 European Championship. By the way, he defended the goal in all three matches that our team played last year in Yekaterinburg. At the final tournament in Israel, Zabolotny played two matches - against the national teams of Spain and the Netherlands.
01.02.2014.
Nikolay ZABOLOTNY: “I haven’t saved up for a car yet”
After Mikhail Kerzhakov left the Zenit team, this young graduate of St. Petersburg football deservedly took the number one position and is now the third goalkeeper of Zenit. Any chance of ever becoming the first? We talked about this, and just about life, with the main goalkeeper of the youth team of the city’s main team, Nikolai Zabolotny.
Started as a forward
- Nikolay, how did you start your football journey? Did you become a goalkeeper right away?
I started at Smena at Kantra. After a year and a half, he transferred me to the second team. Because of this, I decided to move to the Zenit Sports School to Mikhail Alekseevich Lokhov. There, as in Smena, I was first a striker, and then Lokhov made me a central defender. I played in this position for six months, but then it so happened that there were no goalkeepers in the Zenit camp and, as it seemed then, I temporarily took up the goal, and besides, I liked it. Then goalkeeper coach Alexey Anatolyevich Polikanov came to the camp and said that I could stay as a goalkeeper. So from the age of nine I became a goalkeeper.
- In your biography there was “Akademika”.
Yes, at the age of 14 I went to live with Sarsania in Moscow for two years. Then he returned home to the Zenit reserve team. I don’t regret anything, I’m even very glad that I left then.
- Does this school have any advantages over others?
There, the transition from youth football to adult football is much more intense due to a very well-organized preparation process. As a footballer at Akademik, I grew much faster than here.
- Are the training conditions at Smena, Zenit and Akademik radically different?
Yes, sure. At Akademik, we spent the entire winter either in Turkey or Cyprus, and went to numerous foreign tournaments. In a word, we, at 14-15 years old, prepared for the season like professional football players.
- Konstantin Sarsania’s goal: to prepare players for sale?
Yes, but everyone pursues their own goals. I personally wanted to grow professionally faster. Even the city championship in Moscow is stronger than ours: here we only play twice with Smena, our only serious opponent.
- At the Moscow Championship you competed for Labor Reserves. What kind of team is this?
- “Labor Reserves”, unlike “Academicians”, is a team of all years, but Konstantin Sergeevich agreed that in 1990 “Academicians” would perform under the name “Labor Reserves”.
Favorite stadium: No Camp.
Favorite sport other than football: tennis, volleyball.
Favorite city: Moscow and St. Petersburg.
Favorite movie:“Taxi” (three parts), “Fast and Furious” (all parts), “At the Game.”
Favorite Actor/Actress: Victor Loginov.
Favorite musical direction: I listen to Love Radio.
Favorite season: summer.
Favorite vacation spot: Egypt.
Favorite dish: Pizza Carbonara.
Favourite drink: juice.
Hobby: cinema, Internet.
Children: No
Nikolai Zabolotny, goalkeeper of the Yekaterinburg Ural? in his youth he showed great promise, and his talent was often compared to the performance of the legendary Lev Yashin. The goalkeeper was unable to open up completely, however, he retained the title of a reliable goalkeeper.
Carier start
Zabolotny Nikolay Archilovichborn on April 16, 1990 in Leningrad. At the age of 7 he began playing football at local schools - Smena and Zenit, however, at the age of 15 he decided to continue his studies in Moscow, where he entered Akademika. At the age of 17, having received an offer from his native club, St. Petersburg Zenit, he signed a contract and played in the youth team for three seasons. During this time, Zabolotny Nikolay appeared in goal 50 times in official meetings and in 2009, having become the champion of Russia among youth teams, he decided to move to another club.
Spartak's beginning
Spartak Moscow became the new home for the goalkeeper. Zabolotny Nikolay, quickly becoming a player in the starting lineup, spent a confident season, again winning championship gold, after which he began to be involved in the games of the main team. The official debut of the young Russian took place in the spring of 2011, when, due to health problems, the first number of the “red-whites” was entrusted with the goal to Zabolotny for the away game against “Kuban”. But Nikolai’s first match in the Premier League did not go well - the meeting ended in victory for the Krasnodar team - 3:1. During the season, Zabolotny Nikolay entered the field 6 more times as part of Spartak and on April 24, in a game against the club of the same name from Nalchik, he played a “dry” match for the first time.
Traveling around rentals
Nikolai was not happy with the position of the second or third goalkeeper on the team, and the coaching staff did not trust him with the position of the main old-timer. And in search of playing practice, the goalkeeper went to Rostov on loan in the summer of 2012. But the footballer failed to achieve regular appearance on the field - during the year in the Rostov club he played only twice, keeping a clean sheet in the championship, drying up the attack of Mordovia (2:0) and contributing to the victory in the Russian Cup over Astrakhan ( 3:1).
Dissatisfied with this situation, Zabolotny Nikolai returned to the Moscow club, where he agreed to a one-year loan to the second team - Spartak-2. F The capital's army club gave the goalkeeper the opportunity to prove himself, but Nikolai rarely appeared on the field during the season. As a result, 9 matches were played in the starting lineup and 13 goals were conceded.
Arrival in "Ural"
Deciding to radically change his registration, at the beginning of 2014 Nikolai Zabolotny signed a contract with Ural for a period of 2.5 years, leaving Spartak as a free agent. In the Yekaterinburg club, the goalkeeper began to play immediately - his first appearance in a “Bumblebees” T-shirt took place on March 8th. The debut match, which took place in Krasnodar against the local team of the same name, ended with the first “blow” for Nikolai - 0:1.
Confident play in goal allowed Zabolotny to continuously be the number one goalkeeper in the team for more than a year. But at the beginning of the 2015/2016 season, the Russian was injured, which is why he was forced to miss almost six months. The return to the field took place on March 7, 2016 - as always, the goalkeeper’s confident play helped Ural take a point in a home match with the capital’s Dynamo - 1:1. Based on the results of three years, Nikolai already has more than 65 official matches as a member of the Bumblebees, of which he played 17 to zero. Every year the goalkeeper's play is progressing, and we can safely expect that soon Zabolotny will be talked about again as one of the best Russian goalkeepers.
