Anatoliy Tymoshchuk

Football player infobox
playername= Anatoliy Tymoshchuk


fullname = Anatoliy Oleksandrovych
Tymoshchuk
nickname = Timoha
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1979|3|30
cityofbirth = Lutsk
countryofbirth = Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union
height = height|meter=1.81
currentclub = Zenit St. Petersburg
clubnumber = 44
position = Defensive midfielder
youthyears =
youthclubs = Volyn Lutsk
years = 1995–1997
1997–2007
2007–
clubs = Volyn Lutsk
Shakhtar Donetsk
Zenit Saint Petersburg
caps(goals) = 6200(8)
2270(32)
3900(8)
nationalyears = 2000–
nationalteam = Ukraine
nationalcaps(goals) = 78 (1)
pcupdate = 19 July 2008
ntupdate = 20 August 2008

Anatoliy Tymoshchuk ( _ua. Анатолій Олександрович Тимощук, Anatoliy Oleksandrovych Tymoshchuk, born March 30 1979 in Lutsk, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union), is a Ukrainian professional footballer, an UEFA Cup-winner and UEFA Super Cup-winner. A holding midfielder, he is a regular member of the Ukraine national football team and the captain of reigning Russian Premier League and UEFA Cup champions Zenit Saint Petersburg.

Club career

Volyn Lutsk

Anatoliy Tymoschuk started his career playing for his hometown team Volyn Lutsk, having risen through the ranks at the team. Following two successful seasons, the player began to attract attention from bigger clubs.

Shakhtar Donetsk

In 1997 at age 18, Tymoschuk was bought from Volyn by Shakhtar Donetsk. At Shakhtar, Tymoschuk was a key member of the team which won three Ukrainian Premier League titles, three Ukrainian Cups, and a Ukrainian Super Cup. His time with Shakhtar is credited with establishing him as a great midfielder in Europe. [cite web |url=http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/sport/UEFA-Cup-Final-Tymoschuk-is.4079724.jp |title=UEFA Cup Final: Tymoschuk is key figure among Russian side's danger men aiming to spoil party |date=2008-05-14 |accessdate=2008-05-14 |publisher=The Scotsman |language=English]

In 2006, having captained Shakhtar Donetsk for a number of years, Tymoschuk became linked with a string of European clubs, including Juventus, Feyenoord, Celtic, and Roma. [cite web |url=http://english.sport-express.ru/articles/9_88/ |title=Tymoschuk: football as an heirloom |date=2007-12-28 |accessdate=2008-04-26 |publisher=Sport Express |language=English]

Zenit St. Petersburg

On 27 February 2007 Tymoshchuk transferred to FC Zenit Saint Petersburg for a fee rumored to be about £10 million. [cite web |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/scotland/article3919551.ece |title=Friends in high places fuel Dick Advocaat's empire building |date=2008-05-13 |accessdate=2008-05-14 |publisher= Times Online |language=English] He was soon named as the new captain of the team. [cite web |url=http://www.fc-zenit.ru/info/details.phtml?id=3206 |title=Тимощук перешел в "Зенит" |date=2007-02-28 |accessdate=2007-02-28 |publisher=Zenit official website |language=Russian]

His first season at the club ended in success, with Zenit winning the Russian Premier League title for the first time in the club's history. This trophy constituted the club's first league title since its 1984 Soviet Top League triumph. [cite web |url=http://www.cnn.com/2007/SPORT/football/11/11/russia.zenit/index.html |title= Zenit celebrate Russian title win |date=2007-11-12 |accessdate=2008-05-18 |publisher=CNN |language=English] At the end of the season, Tymoschuk was included in the annual list of the best 33 players of the Russian Premier League, [cite news |title=Утвержден список 33 лучших игроков "Росгосстрах Чемпионата России по футболу 2007 года" |url=http://www.rfs.ru/?node=rfs-news&leaf=e43beac89b534ab2be52bf001b7a19fe#news_e43beac89b534ab2be52bf001b7a19fe |publisher=Russian Football Union |date=2007-11-30 |accessdate=2008-05-18 |language=Russian] and was also voted as league player of the year by popular sports magazine Sport-Express. [cite web |url=http://www.sport-express.ru/bfbp/best-football-2007.shtml |title= ЛУЧШИЕ ПО ОЦЕНКАМ "СЭ" |accessdate=2008-05-18 |publisher=Sport-Express |language=Russian]

During the 2007-2008 European season, he captained Zenit to the 2008 UEFA Cup, in which they defeated Scottish club Rangers 2-0 in the final, [cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/europe/7393752.stm |title=Uefa Cup final - Zenit 2-0 Rangers |date=2008-05-14 |date=2008-05-14 |publisher=BBC Sport |language=English] and Zenit's victory in the 2008 UEFA Super Cup. [http://intv-inter.net/news/article/?id=57743445]

International career

Since his 2000 debut, Tymoschuk has become a key member of the Ukrainian national football team. He gained recognition for his performance during the 2006 FIFA World Cup in which Ukraine reached the quarter finals, earning a man of the match award during Ukraine's win over Tunisia. [cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/world_cup_2006/4853454.stm |title=Ukraine 1-0 Tunisia |date=2006-06-23 |accessdate=2008-05-06 |publisher=BBC Sport |language=English]

Tymoschuk has been described as one of the catalysists for Ukraine's first FIFA World Cup appearance. [cite web |url=http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/internationals/tymoschuk-a-talisman-for-divided-nation-481019.html |title=Tymoschuk a talisman for divided nation |date=2006-06-04 |accessdate=2008-05-06 |publisher=The Independent |language=English] He is currently the vice-captain of the team, captaining in the absence of Andriy Shevchenko.

Personal life

Anatoliy Tymoschuk is married to Nadiya Tymoschuk [cite web |url=http://www.fc-zenit.ru/eng/person.phtml?id=291 |title=Anatoliy Tymoschuk |publisher= Zenit official website |language=English] . The couple met in his hometown Lutsk while living in the same neighborhood.

Tymoschuk has described Lothar Matthäus as his favorite ever player. He has also described himself as a fan of the Ukrainian band Okean Elzy and of the Russian painter Mikhail Vrubel. He is an avid collector of Wines, T-Shirts, and Icons. [cite web |url=http://www.timo4.com/ukr/anketa.html |title=МОЯ АНКЕТА |publisher= Antoliy Tymoschuk official website |language=Ukrainian]

Since 2000 Anatoly Tymoschuk and his father yearly organise a tournament, the International Anatoly Tymoschuk Junior Cup, for children from Ukraine and neighbour states in the city of Volhynia, Ukraine. The winners get cups and money awards. The mission of the tournament was to encourage children to continue their soccer training by giving them a chance to participate in a real competition. [ [http://www.fc-zenit.ru/info/details.phtml?id=3922 Официальный сайт ФК "Зенит" / Новости ] ] [ [http://times.ua/story/5388/ Биография Анатолия Тимощука / TIMES.ua ] ] [http://www.sports.ru/football/5461228.html]

Career honours

Club

Shakhtar Donetsk
*Ukrainian Championship: 3:: 2002, 2005, 2006
*Ukrainian Cup: 3:: 2001, 2002, 2004
*Ukrainian Super Cup: 1:: 2005Zenit Saint Petersburg
*Russian Premier League: 1::2007
*Russian Super Cup: 1::2008
*UEFA Cup: 1::2008
*UEFA Super Cup: 1::2008

Individual

* Ukrainian Footballer of the Year: 2002, 2006
* Ukrainian Bravery Order III Degree: 2006
* Eurosport best player of the year in Russia: 2007

Quotes

By Tymoschuk

* "To win in a battle without compromises is always nicer", Tymoschuk after FC Zenit Saint Petersburg won the 2008 UEFA Super Cup, 2008. [http://www.sports.ru/football/5606178.html]
* "I'd love to visit space, to see, how our beautiful planet looks from there. I think, every man has such a dream, but you'd need years of hard working for that", Tymoschuk after receiving from the cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko a FC Zenit Saint Petersburg shirt with Tymoschuk's name on it with which the cosmonaut waved in space, 2008. [ [http://www.sports.ru/football/5302224.html/ Анатолий Тимощук: «С удовольствием побывал бы в космосе» - Футбол - Sports.ru ] ]
* "Next year there will be a celebration dedicated to the victory in the Battle of Poltava, so it would be symbolic to play the match with Sweden there", Tymoschuk before the friendly match against Sweden in 2008. [ [http://www.sports.ru/football/4848739.html Анатолий Тимощук: «Ответную игру со шведами символично было бы провести в Полтаве» - Футбол - Sports.ru ] ]
* "I always remember where I came from", during a visit with the UEFA Cup in Donetsk, 2008. [ [http://www.fc-zenit.ru/info/details.phtml?id=4838 Официальный сайт ФК "Зенит" / Статьи о "Зените" ] ]
* "Thanks to the tour with the UEFA Cup I finally flew on a helicopter", Tymoschuk, 2008. [ [http://www.sports.ru/football/4910966.html Анатолий Тимощук: «Благодаря путешествию с Кубком УЕФА впервые в жизни пришлось полетать на вертолете» - Футбол - Sports.ru ] ]
* "I'll agree to fight Tyson, if they'll allow to use tackles", Tymoschuk, 2007. [ [http://www.timo4.com/rus/inter/308.html Официальный сайт Анатолия Тимощука ] ]

About Tymoschuk

* "Tymoschuk is a nice honest guy, with him I would safely go to a spying mission ", Oleg Blokhin, 2008. [ [http://www.sports.ru/football/4363139.html Олег Блохин: «В разведку с Тимощуком пошел бы запросто» - Футбол - Sports.ru ] ]
* "He helped me with everything... Before I received a car, he came everyday to take me to practice and then returned me... Any young player could count on his help and support... I have never met a more serious attitude towards football then Tymoschuk's", Bohdan Shust, 2007, about their time together in Shakhtar Donetsk. [ [http://www.sports.ru/football/4678619.html Богдан Шуст: «Более профессионального отношения к футболу, чем у Тимощука, я еще не встречал» - Футбол - Sports.ru ] ]
* "About Tymoschuk I can say only good things, and not only the player but also the person. Tymoschuk - is a professional from head to toes. I never had complaints to him about discipline. While Tymoschuk and I are at the club, he will be the captain of Zenit", Dick Advocaat, 2007. [ [http://www.sports.ru/football/4678249.html Дик Адвокат: «Пока я в команде, Тимощук будет капитаном «Зенита» - Футбол - Sports.ru ] ]

Trivia

* After FC Zenit Saint Petersburg won the championship title, the Russian cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko known as a fan of the team, waved a FC Zenit Saint Petersburg shirt with Tymoschuk's name on it while in space. FC Zenit Saint Petersburg became the first team to have its uniform shown in space. [ [http://www.sports.ru/football/5284002.html Будущему музею «Зенита» передадут подарок из космоса - Футбол - Sports.ru ] ]

References

External links

* uk icon [http://www.timo4.com Anatoliy Tymoshchuk official website]
* [http://www.fc-zenit.ru/info/person.phtml?id=291 Profile on Zenit Petersburg Official Website] ru icon