Ruslan Nigmatullin

Ruslan Nigmatullin

Nigmatullin in 2008
Personal information
Full name	Ruslan Karimovich Nigmatullin
Date of birth	(1974-10-07) 7 October 1974 (age 50)
Place of birth	Kazan, Soviet Union
Height	1.87 m (6 ft 1+1⁄2 in)
Position(s)	Goalkeeper
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1992–1994	KAMAZ	20	(0)
1995–1997	Spartak Moscow	27	(0)
1998–2001	Lokomotiv Moscow	115	(0)
2002–2004	Hellas Verona	10	(0)
2002	→ CSKA Moscow (loan)	14	(0)
2003	→ Salernitana (loan)	14	(0)
2004	Lokomotiv Moscow	1	(0)
2005	Terek Grozny	19	(0)
2008	SKA Rostov	15	(0)
2009	Anzhi Makhachkala	0	(0)
2009	Lokomotiv-2 Moscow	8	(0)
2009	Maccabi Ahi Nazareth	9	(0)
Total		263	(0)
International career
1994–1995	Russia U-21	10	(0)
2000–2002[1]	Russia	24	(0)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals

Ruslan Karimovich Nigmatullin (Russian: Русла́н Кари́мович Нигмату́ллин, IPA: [rʊˈslan kɐˈrʲiməvʲɪtɕ nʲɪɡmɐˈtulʲɪn], Tatar: Руслан Кәрим улы Нигъмәтуллин; born 7 October 1974 in Kazan, Tatar Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, Soviet Union) is a retired association footballer of Volga Tatar ethnicity who played goalkeeper and is currently working as a DJ. He has appeared for the Russian national team 24 times (including 5 Olympic appearances) and was their starting keeper at the 2002 World Cup. He was voted Russian Player of the Year 2001 and is considered the best Russian goalkeeper of his period.

He is also known as a DJ after completing his football career.

Despite officially retiring from football in February 2006, in September 2008, Nigmatullin decided to make a deal with FC SKA Rostov-on-Don, Russian club from First Division. After playing for another year for 3 clubs, he retired again in November 2009.

Nigmatullin signed with Israeli club, Maccabi Ahi Nazareth for the 2009–10 season. His start was a shaky one but his performance improved over the weeks as he acclimated to Israel. Nevertheless, he requested to leave the club in November 2009.^[2]

• Russian Premier League champion: 1996, 1997, 2004.
• Russian Premier League runner-up: 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002.
• Russian Premier League bronze: 1995, 1998.
• Russian Cup winner: 2000, 2001.
• Russian Cup finalist: 1998.