Alexei Eremenko

Infobox Football biography


playername = Alexei Eremenko, Jr.
fullname = Aleksei Aleksejevitš Jerjomenko
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1983|3|24
cityofbirth = Rostov-on-Don
countryofbirth = Soviet Union
height = height|m=1.83
position = Striker, Attacking Midfielder (Playmaker)
Left Midfielder
currentclub = FC Saturn
clubnumber = 11
youthyears = 1997-1999
1999
1999-2001
youthclubs = FF Jaro
Tromsø IL FC Metz
years = 2001 2002–2004 2004–2006 2006–
clubs = FC Jokerit HJK U.S. Lecce FC Saturn
caps(goals) = 15 0(2)
60 (10)
35 0(0)
56 (14)
nationalyears = 2003–
nationalteam = Finland
nationalcaps(goals) = 33 (12)
pcupdate =
ntupdate =

Alexei Eremenko, Jr. ( _ru. Алексей Ерёменко) (born March 24 1983) is a Russian-born Finnish footballer who currently plays for FC Saturn in the Russian Premier League. He is an attacking player who is able to operate in many roles, and is also known as a set piece specialist.

Career

Eremenko was born in Rostov-on-Don, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union but moved to Finland with his family at the age of seven when his father, former FC Dynamo Moscow and FC Spartak Moscow player Alexei Eremenko Sr., came to play in Finland with FF Jaro. He was granted Finnish citizenship in 2003, but still holds Russian passport as well. He is the elder brother of Roman Eremenko.

Eremenko spent some time with Tromsø IL in Norway (his father played for the senior team, he himself played for the under-fifteens team) and with the youth academy of FC Metz in France, before returning to Finland to make his Veikkausliiga debut with FC Jokerit in 2001. A trial with Aston Villa followed, but in the next season he moved to HJK, and eventually became the league's top player. He won two Finnish championships and one Finnish Cup with HJK. In the summer of 2004 Eremenko moved back abroad, joining Italian Serie A club US Lecce. After failing to make a major breakthrough at Lecce, he moved to FC Saturn on a four-year deal in the January 2006 transfer window, becoming a key player for the Russian side.

Eremenko made his debut for the Finnish national team on October 11, 2003 against Canada. He was a key player for Finland in 2006 World Cup qualifying, scoring an impressive eight goals, four of which came from free kicks.

Honours

*Finnish Championship: 2002, 2003
*Finnish Cup: 2003

External links

* [http://www.footballdatabase.com/site/players/byCountry.php?dumpPlayer=6372 FootballDatabase provides Alexei Eremenko's profile and stats]
* [http://www.themoscowtimes.com/stories/2006/09/06/092.html Yeremenko Closer to Russia Than Finland] , The Moscow Times, September 6, 2006.
* [http://www.palloliitto.fi/maajoukkueet/miesten_a-maajoukkue/pelaajat/eremenko_aleksei_jr/ Profile at FA of Finland's official website]
* [http://www.iltalehti.fi/jalkapallo/200609145116942_jp.shtml Finn] , Iltalehti, Semtember 14, 2006.