View source for Yuriy Nikiforov

{{short description|Ukrainian footballer}}
{{for|the American scientist|Yuri Nikiforov (scientist)}}
{{family name hatnote|Valeryevich|Nikiforov|lang=Eastern Slavic}}
{{EngvarB|date=January 2025}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Yuriy Nikiforov
| image = Yuriy Nikiforov 2019.jpg
| caption = Nikiforov as coach of Dynamo Moscow in 2019
| full_name = Yuriy Valeryevich Nikiforov
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1970|9|16|df=yes}}
| birth_place = [[Odesa]], [[Ukrainian SSR]] (now Ukraine)
| height = 1.88 m
| position = [[Centre-back]]
| currentclub = [[Russia national football team|Russia]] (assistant coach)
| youthyears1 = | youthclubs1 = [[FC Chornomorets Odesa|Chornomorets Odesa]]
| years1  = 1986–1987 | clubs1 = [[FC Chornomorets Odesa|Chornomorets Odesa]] | caps1  =  0 | goals1 =  0
| years2  = 1987      | clubs2 = [[SC Odesa|SKA Odesa]]                       | caps2  =  5 | goals2 =  0
| years3  = 1988      | clubs3 = [[FC Chornomorets Odesa|Chornomorets Odesa]] | caps3  =  1 | goals3 =  0
| years4  = 1988–1989 | clubs4 = [[FC Dynamo Kyiv|Dynamo Kyiv]]               | caps4  =  0 | goals4 =  0
| years5  = 1990–1993 | clubs5 = [[FC Chornomorets Odesa|Chornomorets Odesa]] | caps5  = 76 | goals5 =  4
| years6  = 1993–1996 | clubs6 = [[FC Spartak Moscow|Spartak Moscow]]         | caps6  = 85 | goals6 = 16
| years7  = 1993      | clubs7 = [[FC Spartak-2 Moscow|Spartak-d Moscow]]     | caps7  =  3 | goals7 =  2
| years8  = 1996–1998 | clubs8 = [[Sporting de Gijón|Sporting Gijón]]         | caps8  = 65 | goals8 =  2
| years9  = 1998–2002 | clubs9 = [[PSV Eindhoven|PSV]]                        | caps9  = 99 | goals9 =  5
| years10 = 2002–2003 | clubs10 = [[RKC Waalwijk|RKC]]                        | caps10 = 23 | goals10 = 1
| years11 = 2003–2004 | clubs11 = [[Urawa Red Diamonds]]                      | caps11 = 12 | goals11 = 0
| totalcaps = 369 | totalgoals = 30
| nationalyears1 = 1986–1987 | nationalteam1 = [[Soviet Union national under-16 football team|Soviet Union U-16]] | nationalcaps1 =   | nationalgoals1 = 
| nationalyears2 = 1990–1991 | nationalteam2 = [[Soviet Union national under-21 football team|Soviet Union U-21]] | nationalcaps2 = 5 | nationalgoals2 = 0
| nationalyears3 = 1992      | nationalteam3 = [[CIS national football team|CIS]]                                 | nationalcaps3 = 4 | nationalgoals3 = 0
| nationalyears4 = 1992      | nationalteam4 = [[Ukraine national football team|Ukraine]]                         | nationalcaps4 = 3 | nationalgoals4 = 0
| nationalyears5 = 1993–2002 | nationalteam5 = [[Russia national football team|Russia]]                           | nationalcaps5 = 55 | nationalgoals5 = 6
| manageryears1 = 2014–2015 | managerclubs1 = [[FC Irtysh Pavlodar|Irtysh Pavlodar]] (assistant)
| manageryears2 = 2015      | managerclubs2 = [[FC Kuban Krasnodar|Kuban Krasnodar]] (assistant)
| manageryears3 = 2017      | managerclubs3 = [[FC Dynamo-2 Moscow|Dynamo-2 Moscow]] (assistant)
| manageryears4 = 2017      | managerclubs4 = [[FC Dynamo Moscow|Dynamo Moscow]] (reserves assistant)
| manageryears5 = 2017–2019 | managerclubs5 = [[FC Dynamo Moscow|Dynamo Moscow]] (assistant)
| manageryears6 = 2022–     | managerclubs6 = [[Russia national football team|Russia]] (assistant)
}}

'''Yuriy Valeryevich Nikiforov''' (alternate spelling '''Valeriovych'''; {{lang|ru|Юрий Валерьевич Никифоров}}, {{langx|uk|Юрій Валерійович Никифоров}}; born 16 September 1970) is a professional [[association football|football]] coach and a former player who played mainly as a [[central defender]]. He is an assistant coach with the [[Russia national football team|Russia national team]].

==Club career==
Born in [[Odesa]], Ukraine, Soviet Union, Nikiforov started playing professionally with hometown's [[FC Chornomorets Odesa|Chornomorets]]. After one year with [[FC Dynamo Kyiv|Dynamo Kyiv]] in which he appeared solely for the reserves in the league, he returned to his first club, playing in [[1992 Ukrainian Premier League|the inaugural edition]] of the [[Ukrainian Premier League]].

In early 1993, Nikiforov moved to Russia with [[FC Spartak Moscow|Spartak Moscow]], being an instrumental defensive unit as the [[Moscow|capital]] side won three out of four [[Russian Premier League|Premier League]] titles, with the player also netting regularly. His first abroad experience came with [[Sporting de Gijón]], to where he arrived at the same time as former compatriot [[Dmitri Cheryshev]] (he would also share team with another Russian while in [[Asturias]], [[Igor Lediakhov]]).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.futbolprimera.es/2011/12/16/desde-rusia-con-amor|title=Desde Rusia con amor|trans-title=From Russia with love|publisher=Fútbol de Primera|language=es|date=16 December 2011|access-date=4 July 2016}}</ref>

After Gijón's [[1997–98 La Liga|relegation]] from [[La Liga]], Nikiforov played five years in the Netherlands, starting with [[PSV Eindhoven]] which he helped to consecutive [[Eredivisie]] accolades. For [[2002–03 Eredivisie|2002–03]], the 32-year-old signed with lowly [[RKC Waalwijk]] also in the Dutch top level, with the club finishing in a comfortable ninth place. He finished his career in Japan, after one year with [[Urawa Red Diamonds]].

==International career==
Nikiforov played four times for the [[CIS national football team|Commonwealth of Independent States]] in 1992, as the national team that rose from the ashes of the Soviet Union took part in [[UEFA Euro 1992|that year]]'s [[UEFA European Championship]] – he did not make the squad for the finals. His debut came on 25 January in a 1–0 [[Exhibition game|friendly]] win over the [[United States men's national soccer team|United States]], in Miami.

After briefly representing [[Ukraine national football team|Ukraine]], also in that year, Nikiforov switched to [[Russia national football team|Russia]], with which he would participate in two [[FIFA World Cup]]s – [[1994 FIFA World Cup|1994]] and [[2002 FIFA World Cup|2002]] – as well as [[UEFA Euro 1996]] (eight matches in total, but with the national side always exiting in the group stage).<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.rsssf.org/miscellaneous/nikiforov-intl.html|title=Yury Nikiforov – International Appearances|publisher=[[Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation|RSSSF]]|access-date=18 July 2006}}</ref>

In [[2009 Legends Cup|2009]], Nikiforov was part of the Russian squad that won the [[Legends Cup (Russia)|Legends Cup]].

==Coaching career==
After retiring, he became a coach, following his former PSV teammate [[Dmitri Khokhlov]] as an assistant to [[FC Kuban Krasnodar]] and [[FC Dynamo Moscow]] in the [[Russian Premier League]].

On 12 August 2022, he was hired as an assistant to [[Valeri Karpin]] in the [[Russia national football team]].<ref>{{cite web|publisher=[[Russian Football Union]]|url=https://rfs.ru/news/216458|title="Юрий Никифоров вошёл в тренерский штаб сборной России"|date=12 August 2022|language=ru}}</ref>

==Personal life==
Nikiforov's older brother, [[Oleksandr Nikiforov|Oleksandr]], was also a footballer. He too represented Chornomorets (four different spells), and coincided with Yuri from 1989 to 1990.

==Career statistics==
===Club===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition{{citation needed|date=January 2025}}
|-
!rowspan="2"|Club
!rowspan="2"|Season
!colspan="3"|League
!colspan="2"|Cup
!colspan="2"|Continental
!colspan="2"|Other
!colspan="2"|Total
|-
!Division!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals
|-
|[[FC Chornomorets Odesa|Chornomorets Odesa]]
|[[1987 Soviet First League|1987]]
|[[Soviet First League]]
|0||0||0||0||colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–||0||0
|-
|[[SC Odesa|SKA Odesa]]
|[[1987 Soviet Second League|1987]]
|[[Soviet Second League]]
|5||0||colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–||5||0
|-
|Chornomorets Odesa
|[[1988 Soviet Top League|1988]]
|[[Soviet Top League]]
|1||0||colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–||1||0
|-
|rowspan="3"|[[FC Dynamo Kyiv|Dynamo Kyiv]]
|[[1988 Soviet Top League|1988]]
|Soviet Top League
|0||0||colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–||0||0
|-
|[[1989 Soviet Top League|1989]]
|Soviet Top League
|0||0||2{{efn|name=UEFACUP|Appearances in the [[UEFA Cup]]}}||0||colspan="2"|–||1{{efn|name=USSRFED|Appearances in the [[USSR Federation Cup]]}}||0||3||0
|-
!colspan="2"|Total
!0!!0!!2!!0!!0!!0!!1!!0!!3!!0
|-
|rowspan="5"|Chornomorets Odesa
|[[1990 Soviet Top League|1990]]
|Soviet Top League
|17||0||3||0||3{{efn|name=UEFACUP}}||0||4{{efn|name=USSRFED}}||1||27||1
|-
|[[1991 Soviet Top League|1991]]
|Soviet Top League
|30||2||4||1||colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–||34||3
|-
|[[1992 Vyshcha Liha|1992]]
|[[Ukrainian Premier League]]
|18||2||6||1||colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–||24||3
|-
|[[1992–93 Vyshcha Liha|1992–93]]
|Ukrainian Premier League
|11||0||1||0||4{{efn|Appearances in the [[UEFA Cup Winners' Cup]]}}||4||colspan="2"|–||16||4
|-
!colspan="2"|Total
!76!!4!!14!!2!!7!!4!!4!!1!!101!!11
|-
|rowspan="5"|[[FC Spartak Moscow|Spartak Moscow]]
|[[1993 Russian Top League|1993]]
|[[Russian Premier League]]
|23||0||2||0||5{{efn|name=UCL|Appearances in the [[UEFA Champions League]]}}||0||colspan="2"|–||30||0
|-
|[[1994 Russian Top League|1994]]
|Russian Premier League
|26||2||5||0||9{{efn|name=UCL}}||0||colspan="2"|–||40||2
|-
|[[1995 Russian Top League|1995]]
|Russian Premier League
|22||9||2||0||6{{efn|name=UCL}}||3||colspan="2"|–||30||12
|-
|[[1996 Russian Top League|1996]]
|Russian Premier League
|14||5||3||2||2{{efn|name=UCL}}||2||colspan="2"|–||19||9
|-
!colspan="2"|Total
!85!!16!!12!!2!!22!!5!!0!!0!!119!!23
|-
|[[FC Spartak-2 Moscow|Spartak-d Moscow]]
|[[1993 Russian Second League|1993]]
|[[Russian Second League]]
|3||2||1||0||colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–||4||2
|-
|rowspan="3"|[[Sporting de Gijón|Sporting Gijón]]
|[[1996–97 La Liga|1996–97]]
|[[La Liga]]
|38||2||3||1||colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–||41||3
|-
|[[1996–97 La Liga|1996–97]]
|La Liga
|27||0||0||0||colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–||27||0
|-
!colspan="2"|Total
!65!!2!!3!!1!!0!!0!!0!!0!!68!!3
|-
|rowspan="5"|[[PSV Eindhoven|PSV]]
|[[1998–99 Eredivisie|1998–99]]
|[[Eredivisie]]
|25||1||4||1||5{{efn|name=UCL}}||0||1{{efn|name=JCS|Appearance in the [[Johan Cruyff Shield]]}}||0||35||2
|-
|[[1999–2000 Eredivisie|1999–2000]]
|Eredivisie
|29||3||1||0||5{{efn|name=UCL}}||0||colspan="2"|–||35||3
|-
|[[2000–01 Eredivisie|2000–01]]
|Eredivisie
|26||1||5||0||12{{efn|Six appearances in the [[UEFA Champions League]], six appearances in the [[UEFA Cup]]}}||0||1{{efn|name=JCS}}||0||44||1
|-
|[[2001–02 Eredivisie|2001–02]]
|Eredivisie
|19||0||3||0||6{{efn|Three appearances in the [[UEFA Champions League]], three appearances in the [[UEFA Cup]]}}||0||1{{efn|name=JCS}}||0||28||0
|-
!colspan="2"|Total
!99!!5!!13!!1!!28!!0!!3!!0!!143!!6
|-
|[[RKC Waalwijk|RKC]]
|[[2002–03 Eredivisie|2002–03]]
|Eredivisie
|23||1||4||0||colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–||27||1
|-
|[[Urawa Red Diamonds]]
||[[2003 J.League Division 1|2003]]
|[[J1 League]]
|12||0||colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–||4{{efn|Appearances in the [[J.League Cup]]}}||0||16||0
|-
!colspan="3"|Career total
!369!!30!!49!!6!!57!!9!!12!!1!!486!!46
|}
{{notelist}}

===International===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|+ Appearances and goals by national team and year<ref name="YuriyNikiforovImportantStatistics">{{cite news|url=http://eu-football.info/_player.php?id=15093|title=Yuriy Nikiforov|access-date=4 July 2016|language=|website=EU-Football.info|archive-url=|archive-date=|url-status=}}</ref> 
|-
!National team!!Year!!Apps!!Goals
|-
|[[CIS national football team|CIS]]
|1992||4||0
|-
!colspan="2"|Total!!4!!0
|-
|[[Ukraine national football team|Ukraine]]
|1992||3||0
|-
!colspan="2"|Total!!3!!0
|-
|rowspan="10"|[[Russia national football team|Russia]]
|1993||2||0
|-
|1994||9||2
|-
|1995||8||1
|-
|1996||13||3
|-
|1997||4||0
|-
|1998||4||0
|-
|1999||0||0
|-
|2000||0||0
|-
|2001||7||0
|-
|2002||8||0
|-
!colspan="2"|Total!!55!!6
|}

:''Scores and results list Russia's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Nikiforov goal.''

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ List of international goals scored by Yuriy Nikiforov<ref name="YuriyNikiforovImportantStatistics"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://rfs.ru/match/15964|title=Товарищеские матчи национальной сборной: Россия - Бразилия 2:2, 28 августа 1996, среда|website=rfs.ru|first=|last=|language=Russian|date=|access-date=22 August 2024}}</ref>
|-
!scope="col"|No.
!scope="col"|Date
!scope="col"|Venue
!scope="col"|Opponent
!scope="col"|Score
!scope="col"|Result
!scope="col"|Competition
|-
| style="text-align:center"|1 || 17 August 1994 || [[Wörthersee Stadion]], [[Klagenfurt]], Austria || {{fb|Austria}} || style="text-align:center"|2–0 || style="text-align:center"|3–0 || [[Friendly (association football)|Friendly]]
|-
| style="text-align:center"|2 || 12 October 1994 || [[Luzhniki Stadium]], [[Moscow]], Russia || {{fb|San Marino}} || style="text-align:center"|3–0 || style="text-align:center"|4–0 || [[UEFA Euro 1996 qualifying Group 8|UEFA Euro 1996 qualifying]]
|-
| style="text-align:center"|3 || 26 April 1995 || [[Kaftanzoglio Stadium]], [[Thessaloniki]], Greece || {{fb|Greece}} || style="text-align:center"|1–0 || style="text-align:center"|3–0 || UEFA Euro 1996 qualifying
|-
| style="text-align:center"|4 || 28 August 1996 || [[Central Dynamo Stadium|Dynamo Stadium]], [[Moscow]], Russia  || {{fb|Brazil}} || style="text-align:center"|1–0 || style="text-align:center"|2–2 || Friendly
|-
| style="text-align:center"|5 ||rowspan="2"|1 September 1996 || rowspan="2"|[[Central Dynamo Stadium|Dynamo Stadium]], [[Moscow]], Russia || rowspan="2"|{{fb|Cyprus}} || style="text-align:center"|1–0|| rowspan="2" style="text-align:center"|4–0 || rowspan="2"|[[1998 FIFA World Cup qualification – UEFA Group 5|1998 FIFA World Cup qualification]]
|-
| style="text-align:center"|6 || style="text-align:center"|3–0
|}

==Honours==
'''Chornomorets Odesa'''
*[[Ukrainian Cup]] (1): 1992

'''Spartak Moscow'''
*[[Russian Football Premier League]] (3): 1993, 1994, 1996
*[[Russian Cup (football)|Russian Cup]] (1): 1994

'''PSV Eindhoven'''
*[[Eredivisie]] (2): 1999–2000, 2000–01
*[[Johan Cruyff Shield]] (3):[[1998 Johan Cruyff Shield|1998]], [[2000 Johan Cruyff Shield|2000]], [[2001 Johan Cruyff Shield|2001]]

'''Soviet Union'''
*[[FIFA U-17 World Cup|FIFA U-16 World Cup]] (1): [[1987 FIFA U-16 World Championship|1987]]
*[[UEFA European Under-19 Championship|UEFA European Under-18 Championship]] (1): [[1988 UEFA European Under-18 Championship|1988]]

'''Russia'''
*[[Legends Cup (Russia)|Legends Cup]] (2): 2009, 2010

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://rusteam.permian.ru/players/nikiforov.html RussiaTeam biography and profile] {{in lang|ru}}
*{{FootballFacts.ru|12175}}
*[http://www.beijen.net/frank/cvs/nikiforov-j.htm Beijen profile] {{in lang|nl}}
*{{BDFutbol|2660}}
*{{NFT player|14037}}
*{{FIFA player|95645}}
*{{J.League player}}
*{{FFU}}

{{Navboxes
|title= Russia squads
|bg = white
|fg = #00F
|bordercolor = #F00
|list1=
{{Russia Squad 1994 World Cup}}
{{Russia Squad 1996 UEFA Euro}}
{{Russia Squad 2002 World Cup}}
}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nikiforov, Yuriy}}
[[Category:1970 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Ukrainian emigrants to Russia]]
[[Category:Naturalized citizens of Russia]]
[[Category:Footballers from Odesa]]
[[Category:Soviet men's footballers]]
[[Category:Ukrainian men's footballers]]
[[Category:Russian men's footballers]]
[[Category:Men's association football defenders]]
[[Category:Soviet Top League players]]
[[Category:Soviet Second League players]]
[[Category:Ukrainian Premier League players]]
[[Category:Russian Premier League players]]
[[Category:Russian Second League players]]
[[Category:FC Dynamo Kyiv players]]
[[Category:FC Chornomorets Odesa players]]
[[Category:SKA Odesa players]]
[[Category:FC Spartak Moscow players]]
[[Category:FC Spartak-2 Moscow players]]
[[Category:La Liga players]]
[[Category:Sporting de Gijón players]]
[[Category:Eredivisie players]]
[[Category:PSV Eindhoven players]]
[[Category:RKC Waalwijk players]]
[[Category:J1 League players]]
[[Category:Urawa Red Diamonds players]]
[[Category:Soviet Union men's under-21 international footballers]]
[[Category:Soviet Union men's international footballers]]
[[Category:Ukraine men's international footballers]]
[[Category:Russia men's international footballers]]
[[Category:Dual internationalists (men's football)]]
[[Category:1994 FIFA World Cup players]]
[[Category:UEFA Euro 1996 players]]
[[Category:2002 FIFA World Cup players]]
[[Category:Russian expatriate men's footballers]]
[[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Spain]]
[[Category:Russian expatriate sportspeople in Spain]]
[[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in the Netherlands]]
[[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Japan]]
[[Category:Russian expatriate sportspeople in the Netherlands]]
[[Category:Russian expatriate sportspeople in Japan]]
[[Category:Russian football managers]]
[[Category:Russian expatriate football managers]]
[[Category:Expatriate football managers in Kazakhstan]]
[[Category:Russian expatriate sportspeople in Kazakhstan]]
[[Category:20th-century Russian sportsmen]]