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Biography
Anatoliy Oleksandrovych Tymoshchuk (Ukrainian: Анатолій Олександрович Тимощук; Ukrainian pronunciation: [ɑnɑˈtɔlʲi tɪmɔˈʃtʃuk]; born 30 March 1979) is a retired Ukrainian football midfielder. He is also a former captain of his national team, before retiring from international football in 2016. He is "a deep-lying midfielder who is comfortable on the ball and capable of ferocious long-range shooting."
Tymoshchuk began his professional career with his local Volyn Lutsk. He moved to play for Ukrainian giants, Shakhtar Donetsk, whom he captained and with whom he won the Ukrainian Premier League, Ukrainian Cup, and Ukrainian Super Cup titles. In 2008, Tymoshchuk won the UEFA Cup and the UEFA Super Cup as the captain of Zenit St. Petersburg. He also won a Russian Premier League and Russian Super Cup title. With Bayern, Tymoshchuk won the Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal, and the DFB-Supercup titles. Tymoshchuk won the UEFA Champions League in 2013 and he is also a UEFA Champions League runner-up in 2010 and 2012, all with Bayern.
Tymoschuk is regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of Shakhtar Donetsk and Zenit Saint Petersburg, captaining both to championship titles.
Tymoshchuk is the former captain of the Ukraine national football team, and with 140 caps since his debut in 2000 he is their most capped player of all time. He took part in Ukraine's first-ever FIFA World Cup in 2006 and their first European Championship in 2012. He won the Ukrainian Footballer of the Year on three occasions.
Club career
Volyn Lutsk
Anatoliy Tymoshchuk 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, Tymoshchuk was bought from Volyn by Shakhtar. At Shakhtar, Tymoshchuk 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.
In 2006, having captained Shakhtar for a number of years, Tymoshchuk became linked with a string of European clubs, including Juventus, Feyenoord, Celtic, and Roma.
Zenit St. Petersburg
On 27 February 2007, Tymoshchuk transferred to Zenit St. Petersburg for a fee reported to be about €15 million. He was soon named as the new captain of the team. Manager Dick Advocaat was very impressed with him, saying: "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."
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. At the end of the season, Tymoshchuk was included in the annual list of the best 33 players of the Russian Premier League, and was also voted as league player of the year by popular sports magazine Sport-Express.
After FC Zenit Saint Petersburg won the championship title, cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko known as a fan of the team, waved Zenit shirt with Tymoshchuk's name on it while in space. Zenit became the first team to have its uniform shown in space.
During the 2007–08 European season, Tymoshchuk captained Zenit to the 2008 UEFA Cup, in which they defeated Scottish Premier League club Rangers 2–0 in the final. The club then went on to claim the 2008 UEFA Super Cup in a 2–1 victory over Manchester United.
Bayern Munich
In February 2009, Uli Hoeneß, the general manager of Bayern Munich, announced Tymoshchuk had agreed that he would join the club. Initially, Zenit announced that there was no agreement yet between the two clubs, but on 18 February, Bayern announced that Tymoshchuk would join the club in July 2009, in order to let Tymoshchuk play for Zenit until the summer. He played his last games with Zenit on 14 June 2009.
Tymoshchuk officially joined Bayern on 1 July 2009 with a contract that expired on 30 June 2012. The transfer fee was undisclosed but German media reports put the deal at €14 million.
Tymoshchuk played his first game for Bayern Munich against AC Milan during the 2009 Audi Cup, coming on as a second-half substitute. He also started in the final against Manchester United where he was substituted off in the 77th minute. Bayern won the match 7–6 on penalties. He scored his first goal for Bayern Munich against Juventus in the 2009–10 UEFA Champions League. On 8 May 2010, Tymoshchuk won his first trophy with Bayern, the Bundesliga 2009–10 followed a week later by the DFB-Pokal. In total Tymoshchuk made 21 Bundesliga appearances in the 2009–10 season, ten as a substitute, but failed to start a game in the whole of the second half of the season.
Late July 2010, Bayern coach Louis van Gaal described Tymoshchuk's prospects as "not very bright" and added to this "If a player doesn't play or doesn't have bright prospects then I would leave if I were them." Nevertheless, from October 2010 till March 2011 Tymoshchuk started in all of Bayern's games.
In 2011, the manager Jupp Heynckes stated that under him Tymoschuk will play more. Tymoshchuk was given a chance to start in games at the time the team was plagued with injuries, filling in at the centre of defense. He started in central defence alongside Boateng in the Champions League Final in Munich which Bayern eventually lost to Chelsea F.C. on penalties. Before the final the manager Heynckes said: "Tymoschuk is a great team player. He's really important for us, and in situation, when three players are disqualified, his experience and ability to play in different positions is really useful for us". As a result of Tymoschuk playing a bigger role under Heynckes than under Van Gaal he became an important part of the team. Manuel Neuer said about Tymoschuk: "For me the main job – not to let goals in. As a result, I love partners who have the same job. Anatoliy – is quite an aggressive footballer, but it's a smart aggression. He knows perfectly, when to choose the right position, to stop the attack of the opponent, and when to use such a move, like taking the ball harshly. No doubt, Tymoschuk is doing a great job at Bayern!".
Zenit St. Petersburg
After winning the champions league with Bayern in 2013, Tymoschuk returned to Zenit, despite getting offers from different clubs around the continent. Russian media claim that Tymoshchuk was signed by Zenit not only because of his skills as player, but for his ability to integrate the Russians and the foreigners in the team and stop the rumored conflicts among groups in the team. Tymoschuk himself said that the return to Zenit is the last transfer in his career, indicating he will finish his player career in the club.
In 2014, FC Zenit Saint Petersburg lost 4–2 to Borussia Dortmund, with Dortmund scoring twice in the first five minutes of the game. Tymoshchuk has said that there was a chance for his team to score when the score line was 3–2 to tied it up but they never did.
Kairat
On 6 July 2015, Tymoshchuk signed an 18-month contract with Kazakhstan Premier League side FC Kairat. He captained the team in his league debut. He helped the team to its 2015 Kazakhstan Cup win. Tymoshchuk left Kairat upon the completion of his contract in November 2016. Without officially announcing his retirement, he already studied for his PRO coaching license.
International career
Since his 2000 debut, Tymoshchuk has become a key member of the Ukrainian national 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. Tymoshchuk has been described as one of the catalysts for Ukraine's first FIFA World Cup appearance. He is currently the captain of the team, since the retirement of Andriy Shevchenko in 2012. On 11 October 2010, in a friendly match against Brazil, Tymoshchuk became the second player to have 100 caps for the senior team, after Shevchenko, who reached the landmark in a friendly versus Canada two days earlier.
On 20 December 2011, Tymoshchuk has been named the best footballer in the history of his home country Ukraine. The 32-year-old Bayern midfielder came top of a nationwide poll to determine the key individuals in the Ukrainian game since the nation's independence in 1991. He is the most capped Ukrainian player with 144 appearances as of 29 June 2016.
In August 2016, Tymoshchuk officially retired from his international career.
Personal life
Tymoshchuk is married to Nadiya Tymoshchuk (nee Navrotska). The couple met in his hometown Lutsk while living in the same neighbourhood. Their twins were born three months prematurely in April 2010. In July, it was determined that the children were growing well and would be released from hospital. In summer 2016, Nadiya - who currently lives in Munich together with children - announced that she is filing for divorce.
In June 2008, Tymoshchuk was awarded the title of "Honorary citizen of Lutsk".
His favorite player is Lothar Matthäus and he admitted that the historical team in which he most wanted to play with was the German national team in 1990, alongside Matthäus. He is also a fan of the Ukrainian band Okean Elzy and Russian painter Mikhail Vrubel. He is an avid collector of wines, t-shirts, and icons.
Tymoshchuk's lucky number is four. He can speak Ukrainian, Polish, Russian, some basic Croatian and German.
Tymoshchuk and his father have since 2000 organized tournaments, the International Anatoliy Tymoshchuk Junior Cup, for children from Ukraine and neighbour states in the city of Lutsk, Ukraine. The winners get cups and money awards. The mission of the tournament was to encourage children to continue their football training by giving them a chance to participate in a real competition.
Tymoshchuk has twice played on Zinedine Zidane's team at charity matches, an experience he truly enjoyed.
Career statistics
Club
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Europe | Super Cup | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Volyn Lutsk | 1995–96 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 11 | 1 | ||
| 1996–97 | 38 | 6 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 40 | 6 | |||
| 1997–98 | 14 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 16 | 1 | |||
| Total | 62 | 8 | 5 | 0 | — | — | 67 | 8 | |||
| Shakhtar Donetsk | 1997–98 | 9 | 3 | — | — | — | 9 | 3 | |||
| 1998–99 | 18 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 23 | 2 | ||
| 1999–00 | 23 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 28 | 0 | ||
| 2000–01 | 25 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 11 | 0 | — | 41 | 5 | ||
| 2001–02 | 26 | 3 | 7 | 1 | 6 | 1 | — | 39 | 5 | ||
| 2002–03 | 30 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 0 | — | 40 | 5 | ||
| 2003–04 | 29 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 6 | 0 | — | 41 | 7 | ||
| 2004–05 | 25 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 41 | 4 | |
| 2005–06 | 27 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 38 | 6 | |
| 2006–07 | 15 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 26 | 2 | |
| Total | 227 | 32 | 39 | 6 | 57 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 326 | 39 | |
| Zenit Saint Petersburg | 2007 | 29 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 1 | — | 42 | 10 | |
| 2008 | 27 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 44 | 6 | |
| 2009 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | — | 14 | 2 | ||
| Total | 67 | 10 | 5 | 5 | 27 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 100 | 18 | |
| Bayern Munich | 2009–10 | 21 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 1 | — | 32 | 1 | |
| 2010–11 | 26 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 37 | 4 | |
| 2011–12 | 23 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 12 | 0 | — | 39 | 0 | ||
| 2012–13 | 16 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 24 | 1 | |
| Total | 86 | 4 | 15 | 0 | 29 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 132 | 6 | |
| Zenit Saint Petersburg | 2013–14 | 21 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 28 | 0 |
| 2014–15 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 0 | — | 21 | 0 | ||
| Total | 32 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 49 | 0 | |
| Kairat | 2015 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 0 |
| 2016 | 24 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 33 | 1 | |
| Total | 34 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 50 | 1 | |
| Total | 508 | 55 | 71 | 11 | 137 | 6 | 8 | 0 | 724 | 72 | |
International
| Ukraine national team | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Apps | Goals |
| 2000 | 4 | 0 |
| 2001 | 12 | 0 |
| 2002 | 8 | 1 |
| 2003 | 9 | 0 |
| 2004 | 9 | 0 |
| 2005 | 10 | 0 |
| 2006 | 12 | 0 |
| 2007 | 10 | 0 |
| 2008 | 7 | 0 |
| 2009 | 11 | 0 |
| 2010 | 9 | 1 |
| 2011 | 12 | 2 |
| 2012 | 11 | 0 |
| 2013 | 7 | 0 |
| 2014 | 5 | 0 |
| 2015 | 4 | 0 |
| 2016 | 3 | 0 |
| Total | 144 | 4 |
International goals
| No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 17 April 2002 | Lobanovsky Dynamo Stadium, Kyiv, Ukraine | 19 |  Georgia | 2–1 | 2–1 | Friendly |
| 2 | 8 October 2010 | Lobanovsky Dynamo Stadium, Kyiv, Ukraine | 99 |  Canada | 2–2 | 2–2 | Friendly |
| 3 | 1 June 2011 | Lobanovsky Dynamo Stadium, Kyiv, Ukraine | 105 |  Uzbekistan | 1–0 | 2–0 | Friendly |
| 4 | 6 June 2011 | Donbass Arena, Donetsk, Ukraine | 106 |  France | 1–0 | 1–4 | Friendly |
Honours
Club
- Ukrainian Premier League: 2001–02, 2004–05, 2005–06
- Ukrainian Cup: 2000–01, 2001–02, 2003–04
- Ukrainian Super Cup: 2005
- Russian Premier League: 2007, 2014–15
- Russian Super Cup: 2008
- UEFA Cup: 2007–08
- UEFA Super Cup: 2008
- Bundesliga: 2009–10, 2012–13
- DFB-Pokal: 2009–10, 2012–13
- DFL-Supercup: 2010, 2012
- UEFA Champions League: 2012–13
- Kazakhstan Cup: 2015
- Kazakhstan Super Cup: 2016
Individual
- Ukrainian Bravery Order III Degree: 2006
- Ukrainian Footballer of the Year (by Ukrainian Football): 2002, 2006, 2007
- Russian Premier League: Player of the Year 2007
- Russian Premier League Top 33 Players – #1 Defensive Midfielder: 2007, 2008
- Honorary citizen of Lutsk: 2008
- UEFA awards 100 caps
- Best Ukrainian Footballer in History (1991–2011) with Andriy Shevchenko and Oleksandr Shovkovskiy
- Second ever (after Andriy Shevchenko) Ukrainian football player who has played in the UEFA Champions League Final (2012)
- Second ever (after Andriy Shevchenko) Ukrainian football player who has won the UEFA Champions League (2013)