 Berezutski in 2007 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Aleksei Vladimirovich Berezutski | ||
| Date of birth | 20 June 1982 | ||
| Place of birth | Moscow, Russian SFSR | ||
| Height | 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) | ||
| Playing position | Centre back, Left Back | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | CSKA Moscow | ||
| Number | 6 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Smena | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1999–2000 | Torpedo-ZIL | 2 | (0) |
| 2001 | Chernomorets | 14 | (1) |
| 2001– | CSKA Moscow | 272 | (5) |
| National team‡ | |||
| 2003– | Russia | 51 | (0) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 2 December 2013.
† Appearances (Goals).
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 18:52, 16 June 2012 (UTC) | |||
Aleksei Vladimirovich Berezutski (Russian: Алексей Владимирович Березуцкий) (born 20 June 1982 in Moscow) is an association footballer who played defender. He began his professional career in 1999 at the age of 17 in Torpedo-ZIL. He is now playing for CSKA Moscow.[1] He tends to play as a central defender but he can play as fullback, wingback, defensive midfielder or even as a winger. He is a defender who can join attacks from the wing. He scored CSKA Moscow's first goal as they came from behind to win the 2005 UEFA Cup Final.
Aleksei started to play football in sport school Smena in Moscow. He is married and has a daughter named Alyona. His identical twin brother, Vasili, is also a CSKA defender.
Berezutski's current contract with CSKA Moscow runs until 2011.
Berezutski is a Russia national football team regular, making 32 appearances since 2003.[2] Aleksey took a big part in Russia's second goal against England in a vital euro 2008 qualification match which Russia won 2–1. He was on the attack and took a shot from just outside the box which Paul Robinson could only parry away. Roman Pavlyuchenko then quickly ran to it and touched it in to the net.
Aleksei was selected Russia's captain for the 0–3 friendly defeat against Romania, though it was speculated that Hiddink only gave him the captain's armband so he could differentiate between Aleksei and Vasili.[citation needed]
He was confirmed for the finalized UEFA Euro 2012 squad on 25 May 2012.[3]
Following his side's Champions League match against Manchester United at Old Trafford on 3 November, Berezutski (along with colleague Sergei Ignashevich) tested positive for the banned substance sudafed. The two players were provisionally suspended until the case was heard by the European governing body's disciplinary committee on 17 December, according to a UEFA statement. It was later revealed that they had taken a cold medicine which had not been reported, and both players were suspended for 1 game, which was applied retroactively.
