Alexander Vladimirovich Filimonov, goalkeeper: biography, personal life and achievements

The goalkeeper is the most inconspicuous player on the field, which the fans can only see, frankly, in the failed matches when their teams beat too much at the gate. In many clubs of the world the role and class of the goalkeeper is really exaggerated. What is just admiration for Iker Casillas, when he played for Madrid "Real" and his scammering position in the "Port" today. The goalkeeper must from the match in the match to show a quality game, otherwise his career will not be very bright. One of the main stars of the Russian gates was Filimonov Alexander - goalkeeper, who was admired by thousands of fans. Despite this, his football fortune was not very successful.

Alexander Filimonov: biography of the goalkeeper

Since childhood, Alexander was doomed to engage in football, because his father was known throughout the Soviet Union as a football player. Filimonov (goalkeeper) was born in Yoshkar-Ola in the Mari Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic. Already at a young age he was given by his father to the local sports school "Burevestnik". According to the reminiscences of the goalkeeper, the training was very hard and exhausting, coming home every evening, the boy felt neither hands nor feet. It was a very difficult period in the career of an aspiring football player, but the future goalkeeper of "Spartacus" Filimonov withstood these non-child loads and established himself as a very reliable goalkeeper at a youthful level. This he attracted the attention of more serious clubs.

The first steps in professional football

In 1992, the goalkeeper was noticed by the club of the top division of the Russian championship "Fakel", where the young athlete went. The transition to "Torch" took place only thanks to the father, who in conversation with the trainer of "Torch" recommended to his son and said to come to the coach of the Yoshkar-Olsky club with a bottle of vodka. In such an informal atmosphere, two coaches agreed, Alexander's transfer took place. In 1992, he made his debut in adult football and pretty well proved himself. Having played the season for "Torch", he aroused great interest in the fourth club of the top division - "Tekstilshchik" from Kamyshin. Despite the fact that the club of stars from the sky did not suffice, the team still held firmly in the middle of the table, and in the 1994/1995 season very successfully even played in the UEFA Cup. It was at this tournament that Filimonov himself showed up - a football goalkeeper. After that, his agent did not have time to rake out proposals for the young goalkeeper.

Alexander Filimonov: time in "Spartacus"

Having received an offer from one of the strongest clubs in the Soviet Union and the entire Russian championship, Filimonov, without hesitation, began to collect things for the move to Moscow. It was a new challenge in his career. Goalkeeper "Spartacus" Filimonov received a huge number of individual awards, and team. He was regularly called to the Russian national team, became the champion of the country 6 times in 7 seasons, received the prize of Lev Yashin as the best goalkeeper of the year. You can call these times gold for a man like Filimonov, the goalkeeper. Far more than once the team helped the goalkeeper, many associate such successes of the team with his name. His speeches for "Spartacus" (Moscow), he forever wrote his name in the history of post-Soviet sport.

Transition to "Dynamo" (Kiev)

All the more rare Filimonov began to get into the main part of the capital club, because there was a new goalkeeper named Maxim Levitsky. According to the very same Alexander, he did not get into the line exactly when he told the coach of the Moscow team that he would like to try his hand somewhere abroad. It was a regular miss in the starting 11 served as the reason and reason for his transition to the Kiev "Dynamo", which was looking for a substitute for his non-replaceable leader in the frame of the goal - Alexander Shovkovsky. Unfortunately, in this club, things did not go very well, because the then coach of Kiev Valery Lobanovsky, who was also a coach of the Ukrainian national team, trusted Alexander Vitaliy Reve, the substitute of Alexander. Also on the decision Lobanovskogo could affect the awkward balls, which Alexander missed in the Champions League. As a result, the fact was: "Filimonov - goalkeeper number 2".

Ukraine Russia

There was a selection for the European Championship 2000, where both Ukraine and Russia wanted to go. By the will of the lot, both teams were in the same basket, which meant that they would fight for each other out of the group. Before the end of the qualifying tournament was not very long, and here comes the fateful match between the national teams of the two countries. At the gate of the Russian national team, the place was taken by the famous Alexander Filimonov. During the match it was difficult to determine who has the advantage, because the teams were equal. Only Andrey Shevchenko, who recently signed a contract with the Italian "Milan", stood out. At the 87th minute of the match the score was 1: 0 in favor of the Russian team, but the Ukrainians deserved the right to free kick. Shevchenko installed the ball, up to the gate was 40 meters - no less, but who could be expected that Andrew decided to strike from such a distance? And he decided and threw the ball right "behind the collar" Filimonov. After that, Alexander became the eternal hero of folklore of Russian fans.

Walking in clubs

After the Kiev "Dynamo" there was not a single bright spot in the career of a football player. He walked from one club to another, not staying in place for more than 2 seasons. Of course, he visited Europe, but did he dream about the Cyprus championship? The Russian teams also did not pay him, so he had to play for teams that either fought for survival or were in the second division of Russian championships. "Uralan", "Moscow", "Nea Salamina", "Lokomotiv" Tashkent, "Arsenal" Tula, "Dolgoprudny is the list of clubs that the goalkeeper managed to change, they replenished his biography." Alexander Filimonov has always been a good goalkeeper, but he I did not have enough faith in myself and in my strength.

Beach Soccer

In 2011 with Filimonov there was an interesting case. Completely disappointed in his career over the past 10 years, he already wanted to finish with football, but then followed by a call from the team, "Locomotive", which invited a football player, like Filimonov (goalkeeper), to himself. What's interesting? And the fact that Lokomotiv was a beach football team. Strangely enough, but Alexander accepted the invitation from the team and began his performances for the railway workers. Together with the team, he won the Russian championships, as well as the Euroleague Superfinal with the Russian national team, where he was also invited. Once he was even recognized as the best goalkeeper of the Russian Beach Soccer Championship and thus became the first goalkeeper to win the title of the best in both big football and football in the sand.

Summarizing

At the moment Filimonov is completely focused on big football and devotes his time only to him. This was due to the fact that he was invited to the position of playing coach of Tula "Arsenal", which received professional status in 2012. There Filimonov could try himself already as a head coach, but few believed in his success, as, as you know, rarely get good trainers from goalkeepers. But he achieved certain local successes with the Tula team and clearly entered his name in the history of the club, which did not last for 5 years.

Now Filimonov - goalkeeper and coach of the Moscow club Dolgorudny. Apparently, even in his 42 years, Alexander is not going to leave football, remaining a good man and a professional, which causes great respect for his person.