Place of birth Gorky, USSR Role Football player Number 14 Height 1.85 m | Years Team Position Forward Name Valeri Popovitch Current team HJK Helsinki | |
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Full name Valeri Aleksandrovich Popovitch Date of birth (1970-05-18) 18 May 1970 (age 45) Playing position | ||
Valeri Aleksandrovich Popovitch (Russian: Валерий Александрович Попович, born 18 May 1970 in Gorky, USSR, now Nizhny Novgorod, Russia) is a former Russian football striker with Finnish nationality. Popovitch is the all-time scoring leader of FC Haka. After his contract ended with HJK in 2010, he joined Ilves Tampere playing in Kakkonen, as a player-coach, signing a two-year contract. Currently he is a youth coach at FC Haka.
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He has also capped several times for Soviet U-17 and U-19 National football teams. U-17 finished third in the 1986 UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship, and U-19 won the UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship in 1988. Popovitch played in both tournaments.
Popovitch played for FC CSKA Moscow in Soviet First League and FC Spartak Moscow in the Soviet Top League.
Legacy
Popovitch holds a legendary status in Finland and especially in Valkeakoski, where his regarded as one of the best players ever to play for FC Haka. FC Haka retired his number, 14.