Andrey Alexandrovich Dikan was born on July 16, 1977 in Kharkov. In his youth, he studied at the football school of the Kirovograd "Zvezda", then defended the colors and gates of the team of the Kharkov Institute of Physical Education.
In mid-1995 he signed his first professional contract - with the Avangard-Industry club (Rovenki), which played in the second league of Ukraine. The young goalkeeper did not play very often, but once he was released into the field - coming on as a substitute in the middle of the second half, Andrei Dikan did not hesitate at all and managed to score two goals into the opponents' goal!
In Rovenki, Dikan performed until the end of 1998, and then left for Khabarovsk, where he continued his bombarding exploits at the local SKA-Energia. In the Far East club, Andrey periodically approached the 11-meter mark and did not know a mistake, becoming the author of 9 goals scored! In Khabarovsk in 2000, the goalkeeper received Russian citizenship. Subsequently, he was called up to the national team of Ukraine and even played 8 games in its composition, but since they all had a friendly status, Dikan could theoretically play for the Russian national team, which means that he is not considered a legionnaire in the Russian championship.
Andrey Dikan's real, big career began in Krasnodar Kuban, where he moved in 2004. For three years he was the main experience of the yellow-green goal, he managed to prove himself well both in the First Division and in the Premier League. However, in 2007, when Vladimir Gabulov came to Kuban, Dikan became a reserve goalkeeper due to some health problems and at the end of the season left our city, moving to Siferopol Tavria.
However, in Ukraine the goalkeeper stayed only for a year, and in 2009 he played again in Russia - in Terek Grozny, where he spent a very bright one and a half seasons. Dikan's game made an impression on the leaders of the Moscow "Spartak", and on August 27, 2010 his official transfer to the camp of red and white took place. For three years Andrey was the first number of "Spartak", won the silver of the championship of Russia in 2011/2012, was recognized as the best goalkeeper of the same season according to the newspaper "Soviet Sport", received the prize "Golden boar" from the fans of the club and the prize "Gentleman of the Year 2012 "From the RFU.
Last season, Dikan rarely appeared at Spartak's goal. Nevertheless, the fans continued to consider him the strongest goalkeeper of the team and more than once called on Valery Karpin to return Dikan to the goal. As a result, in the spring of this year, Karpin left the post of mentor of the red and white, and Andrey played several matches at the end of the season.
In the summer of 2014, Andrey Dikan's contract with Spartak expired, and the experienced goalkeeper, having received the status of a free agent, moved to Krasnodar, having signed a contract for a period of 2 years.
Playing career of Andrey Dikan
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Years |
Team |
The country |
Games |
Etc. goals |
Zab. goals |
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"Avangard-Industry" Rovenka |
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SKA-Energia Khabarovsk |
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"Kuban" Krasnodar |
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"Tavria" Simferopol |
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"Terek" Grozny |
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"Spartak Moscow" |
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Krasnodar |
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National team of Ukraine |
All statistics are given taking into account the matches of the national cups and Eurocups.
Achievements
Silver medalist of the Championship of Russia-2011/2012
Bronze medalist of the Russian Championship 2014/2015
Finalist of the Russian Cup 2013/2014
The best goalkeeper of Russia of the 2011/2012 season according to the newspaper "Soviet Sport"
Football Gentleman 2012 in Russia
How he lives today, what plans he makes for the future and what he remembers about the past - Andrey Dikan told in an interview Maxim Bushlet.
They called me to "Tosno" and "Poltava"
In September, after it became known that you would work with the UFK-Olimpik-U19 team, you said that you wanted to understand “for yourself what kind of coach Dikan is”. Did you manage to understand yourself in these incomplete two months and decide whether you made the right decision?
At this stage, I think this is the right decision. The work is going on, I like the work. I see that the guys like it. It's too early to "understand", but I think I have chosen the right path. I'm not going to change anything yet.
- Do you and your wards have anything to boast about? And in general, is the result put at the forefront?
The result is set, but not the score, but the quality of the game, understanding of football, tactics. During this time, we see good progress. The guys are growing, and we enjoy it. We are definitely enjoying ourselves. Naturally, we see prospects for young people.
- What are the conditions at UFC? Was there a feeling of disappointment?
Firstly, not all clubs have the same conditions as Krasnodar. I was ready. We have normal conditions, we have everything for the training process. The guys are shod, dressed, there is something to train. If they want to dress better and eat better, everything is in their hands. We are only for it if there are any invitations, if the guys will be called to the team of masters. We will not keep anyone.
Andrey Dikan's new place of work
There were offers from the First League, and I was called to "Tosno". So far I decided to work here. They called from FC Poltava, but I said that I was not moving anywhere until winter. I have a team. I can't leave her halfway.
Is there a chance that in the future we will see Andrei Dikan as the head coach of some serious team? Do you strive for this in principle?
While I work, I study. In future? Maybe. But, again, I like my current job.
Second league - no big deal
Let's go back to your playing career. Tell us how it happened that at the age of 19 you ended up not in Metalist, but went to the Lugansk region to Avangard-Industry, which at that time was playing in the second league?
We went on an internship, nine people sent us from the boarding school. We arrived, went through the training camp, and took two of them. As an example for my guys - that's how I got into the team of masters. Let this be the second league, that's okay.
- Tell that story when you entered the field in one of the matches and scored two goals.
There are two such stories. One is a home game against Stal of Alchevsk. I left when the score was 4: 0, responded to the pass and scored a goal. I know that after that, in the dressing room of the guests, coach Anatoly Volobuev shouted very loudly: "How did the goalkeeper score a goal for you?"
The second story is in Kerch. Only 12 people came to the game, and in the second half I came out to play either in the attack, or under the attacker. Scored the winning goal, it was very nice.
- After your performances in Rovenki, you went to Khabarovsk. How did you come up with the option with CSKA?
In Rovenki recently we were coached by Oleg Alekseevich Smolyaninov. Then almost all the players and coaches left the team. At this time Smolyaninov gave me assignments - I went to Moldova for two or three months, to Rostselmash for training camps, that is. I was under his supervision. He controlled my training process. He received an invitation from Khabarovsk, and he decided to pick us up. We were still called the "Ukrainian landing" at that time.
- There you were also considered a local Chilavert.
Yes it good story... Two or three people did not score a penalty here, Oleg Alekseevich suggested: "Can you try?" I said, "I'll try." One scored, two, three. And, most importantly, people reached out.
- It is known that you have iron nerves. In order for Andrey Dikan to lose his temper, you need to try. You once said that at the SKA training camp in a match with the Romanian team, you hit an attacking opponent on the head with a ball. Have you ever used unpopular methods in your new role?
No. I believe that you need to always keep yourself in hand. Until this happens, the guys understand everything. As a joke - yes, you can. They know it’s not out of malice. But nobody canceled the carrot and stick.
Football intelligence service works very well
They wrote that in 2001 you were called to Lokomotiv. There were also rumors about Rubin and CSKA. Clubs could not agree?
No. There was a serious conversation with Smolyaninov. He thought it was early for me. Why early? Then people were taken in "packs". It was possible to remain out of sight, but "cook" in the general mass, in double. He said: "If you are destined to play at a high level, you will play." I have pondered these words more than once at the end of my career and I understand that Alekseevich was 100% right.
- At that time, there was no resentment against the coach?
Of course she was. Who didn't want to go to CSKA or Rubin?
- Did Yuri Pavlovich Semin personally call?
Yes, it's also an interesting story. We just bought a new apartment in Kharkov. Honestly, even I didn't know my home phone number back then. But the football intelligence service is doing very well. I don’t know how they did it and how they found it, but Semin called his home phone. We talked, he wanted a young goalkeeper to come. It was with them that Nigmatullin was leaving for Italy. I had a conversation with Yur Palych, then talked with Oleg Alekseevich. He said that I need to play enough here and gain experience, let all my "own" balls pass and not jump over the stairs.
So in the end it happened.
Andrey Dikan at Otkritie Arena, but already as a Krasnodar player
- After there was “Kuban”. In the Premier League, you played only one match, in Tomsk, conceded two goals and returned to the reserve.In "Kuban" just a year was missed for health reasons. When Pal Sanych (Yakovenko, - approx. site) I played, I was the captain. And only later, when the team went to major league, there were some nuances. At that time, Volodya Gabulov was probably stronger. This is a coaching vision.
- Do you remember the period at Tavriya fondly?
Of course with warmth. Firstly, "Tavriya" is Simferopol, it is always warm (laughs)... It was a good team, and my first European experience. I played in the last Cup Intertoto.
Grozny's call - the beginning of a turning point
Simferopol left because of the invitation of Vyacheslav the Terrible? Do you agree that it was this decision that became a kind of starting point, after which you became the Andrei Dikan, who grew up to the national team and the Champions League?
Maybe the beginning of a turning point. It was a step up.
But before being called up to the national team, I played for about a year at Terek. I was almost 33, by that time I did not 100% hope that I would still play for the national team. Already resigned - at this age hardly anyone will be called.
- You did not go to Euro 2012 due to a serious injury. How long did it take to recover from that situation?
In principle, I missed not so much - two or three months. I was optimistic about this. This is how the circumstances developed, the ridiculous trauma. After that they talked with Sasha Kerzhakov and even changed their T-shirts. I told him then: "You are my debtor, you owe a T-shirt."
I think it was a normal game episode that ended like this. The fact that he played after about 15 minutes - perhaps it was a shock. I looked at things adequately and understood that the hematoma was growing, blocking the eye. Better when a man with two eyes stands at the gate, right? (laughs)
Nervousness interfered in Spartak
- Can Spartak be called the main team in your career?
Naturally.
What did Karpin's "Spartak" lack to become the champion? We got close several times, but at the last moment it didn't work out. And how did Karpin react to painful lesions? At press conferences, he often said: "I do not know why this is so." Did you say “don’t know” to the team? How did the debriefing go?
This was all explained, of course. But no one ever reveals all the secrets to the press - what is happening in the team and in the club as a whole.
You see, after Karpin there was Emery, there was Alenichev, and I cannot say that the situation under Valery Georgievich was worse than under other mentors.
I can say that there was some kind of nervousness, it prevented me from taking this long-awaited championship.
Various coaches of "Spartak" told or hinted that their work was constantly interfered "from above", there were some intrigues. Did the players notice this?
We did not feel this pressure. We could have guessed, but this certainly did not prevent us from playing football. Still, the players are playing, not head coach, not the president or CEO.
Everything is in the heads and feet of the players, they are the ones who make the result. Coaches and leaders are the people who guide, suggest, and help.
Therefore, I think that something was missing in the team. There was some kind of irritation over little things. I cannot say that there was some kind of hostile situation. Somewhere someone took offense at someone, someone did not like something, and this all affects the result.
There should be a team of like-minded people. Even if someone is mistaken, then this should be perceived not with malice and not with disdain, but with understanding. We base our work on this here. We see that in two and a half months we have created a team that gnaws the earth for each other.
If there are any trends that we do not like, then we try to immediately eliminate and force the children, if my guys can be called that, to do the right thing. Right for life. Mistakes in football - yes, but they learn. We teach them how to live so that they can move from children's football into an adult fully armed. And so that this weapon is correct.
Autograph for website
- In February 2014, you stopped being considered a legionnaire in the Premier League. Have there been any offers to try yourself in the Russian national team, given that you have not been played for Ukraine in official matches?No, there were no offers.
I don't really like questions about the limit. I believe that the strongest should play football. There were no quarrels with Karpin on this matter, they calmly discussed these moments. No problem, I was sympathetic.
- At that moment you were invited to the Volga?
People called and saw that the goalkeeper was out of the game. If they have the opportunity to invite, then why not. But here the decision was made by me personally. I didn't want to leave Spartak, I wanted to stay and help the club whenever possible.
Which European Cup matches are most often remembered - successful ones, like the game against Marseille, or, for example, failures, like against Legia?
Many, Ajax, for example. I don't remember the unsuccessful ones. Defeat is an experience from which you need to draw the right conclusions and, if possible, forget.
Krasnodar lacks Shirokov
- Now about Krasnodar. How often did you have to communicate with the owner of the club?
He fully lives on football. I don't know how he manages to do other things. He takes part in the life of the academy, its branches, the backup staff, the main team. He attended training two or three times a week. He talked to us, you could easily approach him and ask any question, discuss any game. Barcelona - Real, for example. He knows a lot.
- In May, Sergei Galitsky jokingly said that even at Krasnodar you talked more about Spartak ...
I read this interview. I immediately wanted to answer: "It's not my fault that journalists ask me questions about Spartak!" I answer questions, but I myself am not beginning to talk about the Moscow club.
Do you believe that Krasnodar will take the last step and become a top club that not only wants to win something, but will do it more or less regularly?
- Krasnodar is moving forward all the time. I don’t think the club is standing still. Perhaps there are not enough two or three star players around whom the game would be built. There was Roman Shirokov, and Krasnodar played differently. Roma left and the game changed. Yes, there are good players, the same Mamaev and Pereira, but, probably, something is missing. There are no such qualities as Roman.
But overall, the club is moving forward. New stadium... I think world-class people will go to the team.
The team has been playing in European competitions for several years, and not only playing, but also winning. Borussia, for example.
Not all at once, the club is only eight years old, Krasnodar has everything ahead.
Andrey Dikan in Krasnodar uniform
- Was Kononov's dismissal a shock for you?A little bit yes. So far we have not been able to talk with Oleg Georgievich about the reasons. I don't even understand whether he himself is tired ... Although Georgievich is such a person, with enthusiasm. I would like to talk to him.
It is clear that this is football life. We need a different result.
- Shalimov will be able to give a result?
So far I see the same thing. I think that the team is now following Kononov's developments.
- Have you been to the new stadium?
No. He promised to go with the children to the opening, but it didn't work out. Let's see, the stadium is not going anywhere.
Shevchenko and Cherchesov will succeed
The day before, the Ukrainian national team in Odessa beat Finland (1: 0) in qualifying for the 2018 World Cup. Does Shevchenko's team have a chance to qualify for the world championship directly?
There is. Andrey Nikolaevich is an ambitious coach. As for the match ... The game is not a game. Everyone thought that we would score five goals for the Finns. Nothing wrong. The task - to take three points - is completed.
Shevchenko is also studying now. I think it is correct that he is the head of the national team. He will make every effort and will do everything right so that the Ukrainian team will play at the World Cup.
If the assigned task is completed, will there be no talk that this is not the merit of Shevchenko, but of his assistants? Sergei Rebrov has recently been in a similar situation.
I won't say that for sure. The head coach is responsible for everything, he selects the staff that he sees fit. The headquarters of like-minded people, with a single goal. If there are good results, it will only be the merit of Andrei Nikolaevich.
The Russian national team recently lost in Qatar. Were there any jokes on your part about Gazinsky?
No. There, too, a new team is being built, a change of generations. New coaching staff, everyone is rubbing against each other. The one who does nothing is not mistaken. People work, so there are mistakes, but there are also positive aspects.
- But Qatar is the 91st team in the world.
Yes, we are also now setting up our guys. We are in second place, there is only one round left, we are playing with the last team in the table. And for two weeks my colleagues and I have been trying to hammer into our wards' heads that this is the most dangerous game. Everything must be approached seriously, there are no weak opponents. Everyone has already learned to play football. Both Qatar and Vyshgorod. And the Finns.
Akinfeev does not bother
Artem Rebrov kisses the barbell. Did you have your own signs that helped? Maybe now you can talk about them?
Not all, I will hold on to some - my son is growing up. Gloves were always worn with one hand, the call to my wife was at a certain time.
Andrey Dikan (second from left) and Igor Akinfeev (right)
- How do you feel about Igor Akinfeev's "record" in the Champions League? Do you believe that Igor does not bother about this?I think that it does not bother 100%. He will get out of this position. Igor, first of all, is a strong person. Secondly, an excellent goalkeeper.
Yes, and one must write about something to journalists.
There is almost no time for myself
- What do you do in your free time from work? Are you managing to devote more time to raising children now?
Yes. Children go in for sports. Hockey training, tennis training, study. There is no free time for myself yet (laughs). I thought there would be much more, but it turned out ... Arseny went to the football section, in the summer we had a move, we found a place closer to hockey, so now he goes to hockey. He likes it and he likes it. In football, he gets a little tired - he comes to hockey, changes the situation. He will choose, not me. But he will do something in any case. Our task is to keep him busy.
- Have you thought about sending the children to study abroad?
Arseny has not even gone to school yet. While we are here, we are not going to take such big steps.
- Thanks for the interview. We wish you, your children and of course your team every success!
"Olympiastadion" (Munich, Germany). Opened in 1972. Accommodates 69,250 spectators.
The final match of the first UEFA Champions League draw of the 1992/93 season took place at the Munich Olympic Stadium. “Marseille” and “Milan” fought for the trophy. The meeting, which took place on May 23, 1993, ended with the victory of the French team with a score of 1: 0.
The Munich arena hosted the second final of the main club tournament in Europe in 1997. In that match, Borussia Dortmund beat Juventus 3: 1.
Olympic Stadium (Athens, Greece). Opened in 1982, renovated in 2002-2004. Accommodates 69 618 spectators.
The Olympic stadium in the capital of Greece can be called a lucky one for Milan. After losing in the 1992/93 season finale, the Italian club again reached the decisive stage of the tournament the following year, where they defeated Barcelona 4-0.
Thirteen years later, the Rossoneri again entered the Athens Olympic Stadium as a trophy contender, and again they managed to win, this time over Liverpool - 2: 1.
Ernst Happel Stadion (Vienna, Austria). Opened in 1931, reconstructed twice - in 1986 and 2008. Accommodates 55,665 spectators.
The arena in the Austrian capital hosted the 1994/95 UEFA Champions League final, with Milan appearing for the third time in a row. Like two years earlier, the Italians lost 0-1, but this time to Ajax.
"Stadio Olimpico" (Italy, Rome). Opened in 1937, the last reconstruction was carried out in 1989-1990. Accommodates 72 698 spectators.
In the 1995/96 season, Ajax arrived in Rome as the current winner of the Champions League, but the Dutch club failed to defend their title. Already in the first half of the match with Juventus, the teams exchanged goals, after which they brought matters to a penalty shootout. “Bianconeri” were more accurate and won the main club trophy in Europe.
The Olympic Stadium in Rome won the right to host the 2008/09 Champions League final again, but this time the local teams failed to make it to the decisive stage of the tournament. The trophy this year was won by Barcelona, beating Manchester United 2-0.
"Amsterdam Arena" (Amsterdam, Netherlands). Opened in 1996. Accommodates 54,990 spectators.
The stadium, which now bears the name of Johan Cruyff, hosted the Champions League final just two years after opening. In May 1998, Real Madrid and Juventus met at the Amsterdam Arena. The match ended with a score of 1: 0 in favor of the Madrid club.
Camp Nou (Barcelona, Spain). Opened in 1957, reconstructed twice - in 1995 and 2008. Accommodates 99 354 spectators.
Barcelona's stadium has seen many memorable matches, but the 1998/99 UEFA Champions League final stands alone. That meeting between Bayern and Manchester United can be called legendary without exaggeration. The Germans took the lead already in the 6th minute and controlled the course of the game until the last minutes, but two goals, scored by the Mancunians in stoppage time in the second half, brought the victory to Manchester United.
"Stade de France" (Saint-Denis, France). Opened in 1998. Accommodates 81,338 spectators.
The arena, built on the outskirts of Paris, was the venue for the Champions League final for the 1999/2000 season for the first time. Meeting “Real” and “Valencia” ended with a confident victory of the Madrid club with a score of 3: 0. This was the first time in the history of the Champions League that clubs from the same country played in the final.
6 years later, in the 2005/06 season, Barcelona and Arsenal competed for the trophy at Stade de France. Londoners, from the 18th minute playing in the minority after the removal of goalkeeper Jens Lehmann, opened the scoring 10 minutes before the break, but in the second half goals from Samuel Eto “O” and Juliano Belletti brought victory to the Catalans - 2: 1.
"San Siro" (Milan, Italy). Opened in 1926. The last reconstruction was carried out in 1989. Accommodates 80,018 spectators.
Stadium "San Siro" was renamed in honor of Giuseppe Meazza in 1979, but the historical name of the arena remains the most popular and recognizable all over the world. The Champions League final has been played here twice.
In the 2000/01 season, Bayern Munich and Valencia played a dramatic match in Milan, in which the 11-meter kicks played the main role. Already in the 2 nd minute, Gaisk Mendieta brought the Spaniards ahead from the penalty spot, and after 4 minutes the goalkeeper of the “Bats” Santiago Canisares deflected the 11-meter kick performed by Mehmet Scholl. At the beginning of the second half, Stefan Effenberg equalized the score from the penalty spot, and the fate of the match was decided in a series of post-match strikes, in which Bayern's players were more precise.
15 years later, in May 2016, Real and Atletico in the same arena almost exactly repeated the scenario of the game of Bayern and Valencia. Regular time also ended with a score of 1: 1, in extra time the teams failed to distinguish themselves, and the “Royal Club” won in the penalty shootout.
Hampden Park (Glasgow, Scotland). Opened in 1903. Renovated in 1999. Accommodates 51,866 spectators.
Real Madrid and Bayer 04 entered Hampden Park in the Champions League final in May 2002, and six months later the arena celebrated its 99th anniversary. The match itself ended with a score of 2: 1 in favor of “Real” and was remembered for the most beautiful goal of Zinedine Zidane from the penalty line.
Old Trafford (Manchester, England). Opened in 1910. The last reconstruction was carried out in 2006. Accommodates 74,879 spectators.
The second single-country final in modern UEFA Champions League history took place in the 2002/2003 season. V decisive match tournament, which took place in Manchester, met Milan and Juventus. The main and extra time ended with a score of 0: 0, and in the penalty shoot-out series Milan won the victory with an accurate blow from Andriy Shevchenko.
"Veltins-Arena" (Gelsenkirchen, Germany). Opened in 2001. The last time the capacity of the stadium was increased in 2015, today it is 62,271 people.
The arena has been bearing its current name since the summer of 2005, earlier it was called "Aufschalke Arena". The stadium hosted the matches of the World Cup and ice hockey. Since 2002, the annual Christmas Biathlon Stars Race has been held here.
The 2004 Champions League final, held in Gelsenkirkhin, is one of the most memorable for Russian fans, as one of the goals was scored by Dmitry Alenichev. The Porto midfielder has set the final score of the match against AS Monaco (3-0). The Portuguese team at the time was led by Jose Mourinho, who became the youngest head coach in history to win the main club trophy in Europe.
Olympic Stadium (Istanbul, Turkey). Opened in 2002. Accommodates 80,500 spectators.
The stadium in Istanbul was built for the alleged holding of the 2008 Summer Olympics, but Turkey's bid did not receive the required number of votes, and the Olympics took place in Beijing. Currently, the arena in Istanbul is named after the first President of Turkey Mustafa Kemal Ataturk and is the largest in the country.
The 2005 Istanbul Champions League final is arguably the greatest in tournament history. In the decisive match, Milan beat Liverpool 3-0 after the first half, but goals from Gerrard, Schmitzer and Alonso turned everything upside down in the second half. There were no goals scored in extra time, and the British club turned out to be stronger in the penalty shootout.
Luzhniki (Moscow, Russia). Opened in 1956. The last reconstruction was carried out in 2017. Accommodates 81,000 spectators.
For the first time, Russia won the right to host the 2007/08 Champions League final, and this honorable mission was entrusted to the Luzhniki Grand Sports Arena. Chelsea and Manchester United fought for the trophy, the first time two English teams faced off in a Champions League decisive match.
The game caused great excitement among fans both in England and in Russia, more than 67 thousand spectators were present in the stands. In the middle of the first half, Cristiano Ronaldo brought Manchester United forward, but before the break, Frank Lampard equalized. The second half and extra time passed without goals scored, and in the penalty shootout, the Mankunians were more precise.
"Santiago Bernabeu" (Madrid, Spain). Opened in 1947. The last reconstruction was carried out in 2001. Accommodates 81,044 spectators.
The home arena of one of the most successful clubs in modern football has hosted the Champions League final only once - in the 2009/10 season, but this so far only match has gone down in history.
In the Madrid final, Inter and Bayern Munich met. The match ended 2-0 in favor of the Italian club, and Jose Mourinho, who was working with the Nerazzurri at that time, became the third coach in history who managed to win the Champions Cup with two different teams (now there are five of them: in addition to the Portuguese Ernst Happel, Ottmar Hitzfeld, Jupp Heynckes and Carlo Ancelotti).
An interesting fact is that in the 2010 final there was only one Italian in the Milanese - Marco Materazzi, and even he appeared on the field in the 90th minute of the match.
Wembley (London, England). Opened in 2007. Accommodates 90,000 spectators.
The new Wembley is built on the site of the legendary arena that hosted the matches of the World and European Championships, Olympic Games and many European finals.
The 2010/11 Champions League final at the new Wembley was somewhat home to Manchester United, but it didn't help the Mancunians win the trophy. Barcelona, led by the Xavi - Iniesta - Messi trio, won 3-1.
In 2013, Wembley hosted the first German Champions League final between Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund. The victory and the cup were brought to the Bavarians by the accurate blow of Arjen Robben, who in the 89th minute set the final score - 2: 1.
Allianz Arena (Munich, Germany). Opened in 2005. Accommodates 67,812 spectators.
The decisive match of the 2011/12 Champions League was the first final of the tournament, which took place at the home stadium of one of the participants in the meeting - Bayern Munich hosted Chelsea. The account was opened only in the 83rd minute after hitting the hosts striker Thomas Muller, but five minutes later the leader of the attacks of Londoners Didier Drogba restored the balance.
The fate of the trophy was decided in a penalty shootout. “Bayern” again took the lead after a precise shot by Philip Lam and a miss by Juan Mata, but then the players of the guests realized all their attempts, while the players of the German team made two misfires. Thus, Chelsea won the Champions League for the first time in their history.
Millennium (Cardiff, Wales). Opened in 1999. Accommodates 73 930 spectators.
The home arena of the Wales national team was opened at the turn of the millennium, having received the corresponding name, but in 2016 the stadium received a new name - Principality Stadium, which, with a certain amount of imagination, can simply be translated as "Princely Stadium", since Wales is part of the United Kingdom, and the Queen's son Elizabeth II Charles bears the title of Prince of Wales.
But back to the Champions League. The final of the main club tournament in Europe took place here in 2017, with Real Madrid and Juventus participating in that match. Madrid won 4: 1 and won the second Champions League title in a row, and football fans will remember that meeting with the super goal of the Turin striker Mario Mandzhukic.
Metropolitano (Madrid, Spain). Opened in 1994. Renovated in 2017. Accommodates 67,700 spectators.
Liverpool and Tottenham met in the 2019 Champions League final. The final was the first in history for Tottenham and the first since the final in 2013, where at least one Spanish club did not play. Liverpool, reaching the final for the second time in a row, won the match 2-0. In his third Champions League final, Jurgen Klopp won the trophy as head coach.
Andrey Dikan was born on July 16, 1977 in Kharkov. He studied at the Institute of Physical Education in his hometown, where he began to play football. He began his career in "big" football in the third league of the Ukrainian championship in the team "Avangard-Industry" - from the city of Rovenka, Luhansk region. The following season, the team broke through to the second league of the Ukrainian championship. It is widely known that during this period of his career, Andrei even periodically acted as a field player. Apparently, this moment was determined by the fact that Dikan will become the goalkeeper-scorer.
And already in the next season, Avangard-Industry made its way to the first league of the Ukrainian championship. In all three seasons, Andrei was not a player in the main team, and therefore entered the field as a field player. In 1999, Dikan ended up in Russia, or rather, in Khabarovsk, where he spent five seasons, making his way from the second division to the first. During this time, Dikan became an unconditional player in the first team. It was in the game for the Khabarovsk club that the goalkeeper's striking talent began to appear, which allowed Andrey to become a regular penalty taker for the team. In total, the goalkeeper scored about ten goals from the point.
Andrei Dikan started the 2004 season in the strongest league of the Russian Championship - in “Kuban” from Krasnodar. The first season turned out to be not very successful, the team flew to the first division, and Andrey himself played only 16 matches, conceding more than twenty goals. But in the next two seasons already Dikan became the goalkeeper number 1, missing much less than the number of games played. Return to the Premier League was the reward for consistent play Russian football... However, here Dikan lost the competition to Vladimir Gabulov, as a result of which he spent the whole season on the bench, leaving in only one, not the most successful match for himself. It seemed that the era of Dikan had already passed, and the goalkeeper himself was thinking about the end of his career, but in the end he returned to his homeland.
In Simferopol “Tavria” Dikan was doing differently, the team was confidently in the middle of the standings, but Andrei himself showed not the most confident game. As a result, after the expiration of the contract, it was decided to leave Tavria, and with it Ukraine. In 2009, the transfer to the Terek Grozny took place.
Dikan returned to Russian Premier League, having spent two seasons as part of the Grozny team. In 2010, as a result of a confident game in the first round of the championship, he moved to Moscow “Spartak”. From the very first matches, Andrei began to show a reliable game, which allowed him to take fourth place in standings, and Dikan himself called this season one of the best in his career. He was also named one of the 33 best players of the season.
Dikan began the transition season of 2011-2012 as the main goalkeeper of Spartak, but an uncertain game put the goalkeeper on the bench for several months. Only in the summer, Andrei returned to the goal, but in the spring an injury followed in a collision with striker Alexander Kerzhakov from Zenit. At the end of the year and a half season, “Spartak” took second place, and Dikan became the silver medalist.
In 2010, based on the results of his game, he was invited to the Ukrainian national team for the first time in his career, for which he played several matches.
