Anton Popovitch
 Popovitch with Ilves in 2024 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 11 July 1996[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Valkeakoski, Finland | ||
| Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Ilves | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –2015 | Haka | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2015–2020 | Haka | 134 | (17) |
| 2021–2023 | KuPS | 71 | (6) |
| 2024– | Ilves | 26 | (3) |
Medal record | |||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 19 October 2024 | |||
Anton Popovitch (Russian: Антон Попович; born 11 July 1996) is a Finnish professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Veikkausliiga club Ilves.
Club career
Haka
Born in Valkeakoski, Popovitch played in the youth sector of his hometown club Haka, before he was promoted to the club's senior squad for the 2015 season in the second-tier Ykkönen.[2] After the 2019 season,[3] which has been considered his breakthrough season, Haka earned a promotion back to Finland's premier league Veikkausliiga.[4][5]
KuPS
Popovitch transferred to fellow Veikkausliiga club Kuopion Palloseura (KuPS) ahead of the 2021 season.[6][7] He was named a vice-captain of his team in March 2022.[8] Popovitch left the club after the 2023 season, after having spent three years with KuPS and having won two Finnish Cup titles[9] and finished three times as Veikkausliiga runner-up.[10] Popovitch also represented KuPS in the UEFA Europa Conference League qualifiers in his every season with the club.[11][12][13]
Ilves
On 16 January 2024, fellow Veikkausliiga side Ilves announced the signing of Popovitch on a three-year deal.[14][15][16][17] On 23 May 2024, Popovitch scored his first goal for Ilves in the league, in a 3–0 home win over Inter Turku.[18] On 31 May 2024, in a home match against KuPS, Popovitch made his 100th appearance in Veikkausliiga. At the end of his first season with Ilves, the club finished as the league runner-up, falling two points short to KuPS. Popovitch was named in the Team of the Year, for the second time in his career after 2022.
Personal life
Popovitch holds dual Finnish-Russian citizenship. He is the son of former professional footballer Valeri Popovitch, who is the all-time leading goalscorer of Haka and of the whole Finnish top-tier league Veikkausliiga.[19][20] His brother Sasha is also a footballer. Their mother is Finnish.
Career statistics
- As of 19 October 2024[21]
| Club | Season | Division | League | Cup[a] | League cup[b] | Europe | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| FC Haka | 2015 | Ykkönen | 18 | 2 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 21 | 2 | ||
| 2016 | Ykkönen | 18 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | — | 22 | 0 | |||
| 2017 | Ykkönen | 26 | 1 | 5 | 0 | — | — | 31 | 1 | |||
| 2018 | Ykkönen | 25 | 5 | 4 | 1 | — | — | 29 | 6 | |||
| 2019 | Ykkönen | 27 | 7 | 5 | 0 | — | — | 32 | 7 | |||
| 2020 | Veikkausliiga | 20 | 2 | 8 | 1 | — | — | 28 | 3 | |||
| Total | 134 | 17 | 29 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 163 | 19 | ||
| KuPS | 2021 | Veikkausliiga | 25 | 3 | 6 | 1 | — | 8[c] | 0 | 39 | 4 | |
| 2022 | Veikkausliiga | 24 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4[c] | 0 | 35 | 3 | |
| 2023 | Veikkausliiga | 22 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 1[c] | 0 | 31 | 1 | |
| Total | 71 | 6 | 13 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 105 | 8 | ||
| Ilves | 2024 | Veikkausliiga | 26 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 4[c] | 0 | 36 | 3 |
| Career total | 231 | 26 | 43 | 4 | 13 | 0 | 17 | 0 | 234 | 30 | ||
- ^ Includes Suomen Cup
- ^ Appearances in Finnish League Cup
- ^ a b c d Appearances in UEFA Europa Conference League
Honours
FC Haka
Kuopion Palloseura
Ilves
Individual
References
- ^ Anton Popovitch at WorldFootball.net
- ^ ANTON POPOVITCH SOPIMUKSEEN HAKAN KANSSA, fchaka.fi, 23 December 2016
- ^ Haka kiinnitti Ojalan ja Popovitchin myös ensi kaudeksi – Fribergille uusi ja pidempi sopimus, Valkeakosken Sanomat, 18 September 2019
- ^ "Anton Popovitch". soccerway.com. Retrieved 2023-09-24.
- ^ ANTON POPOVITCH EI OTA PAINEITA SUURISTA ODOTUKSISTA – ”HALUAN VAIN NAUTTIA FUTIKSESTA”, fchaka.fi, 29 June 2020
- ^ Nyt se on varmaa: Anton Popovitsh siirtyy Hakasta KuPSiin, Valkeakosken Sanomat, 9 November 2020
- ^ "Anton Popovits tottui valokeilaan jo lapsena: "Ajattelin, että muillakin on samanlaista" - KuPS-tähti kertoo selkeän kantansa sotaan" (in Finnish). Yle. Retrieved 2023-09-24.
- ^ Tässä on KuPS:n kapteenisto, sportti.com, 25 March 2022
- ^ Cup-mestari on noussut Suomessa suurseuraksi - Vuonna 2017 alkanut eurotarina jatkuu, Viikko-Savo, 12 May 2021
- ^ Anton Popovichille kelpaa vain mestaruus – ”Ei voi mitään ohipelejä tulla”, veikkausliiga.com, 17 August 2023
- ^ KuPS järjesti huikean trillerin Kazakstanissa ja kohtaa seuraavaksi Union Berlinin, Helsingin Sanomat, 12 August 2021
- ^ "Hyökkäämme, mutta emme pelaa mitään kaaosfutista" – Anton Popovitch määrittää pelaamisen rytmiä, Savon Sanomat
- ^ Anton Popovitchin ja 11-vuotiaan Leevin ystävyys sulattaa sydämet – ”Heti sellainen fiilis”, Ilta-Sanomat, 13 May 2023
- ^ TERVETULOA ILVEKSEEN, ANTON POPOVITCH!, ilvesedustus.fi, 16 January 2024
- ^ Anton Popovitch siirtyy Kuopion Palloseurasta Tampereen Ilvekseen, Yle, 16 January 2024
- ^ Kova kaappaus! Tähtipelintekijä siirtyy Ilvekseen, MTV Oy, mtvuutiset.fi, 15 January 2024
- ^ Ilves kiinnitti huippuhankinnan vuosiksi – Haka-kasvatti ehti käydä tutustumassa yhteen seuraan jo ulkomaillakin, Aamulehti, 16 January 2024
- ^ Ilves on löytänyt voittovireen - "Olen erittäin tyytyväinen siihen, missä olemme", veikkausliiga.com, 23 May 2024
- ^ "Valkeakoskelaislähtöisen Anton Popovitšin nousussa tähtipelaajaksi on omalaatuinen piirre - Legenda-asemaan nousseen isän varjo toi kohtuuttomat odotukset, joista jalostui oma identiteetti" (in Finnish). Valkeakosken Sanomat. Retrieved 2023-09-24.
- ^ ""Tsaari" täyttää 50 vuotta - Veikkausliigan legenda jätti pysyvän jäljen historiaan" (in Finnish). Veikkausliiga. Retrieved 2023-09-24.
- ^ Anton Popovitch stats, Football Association of Finland
- ^ Savon Sanomat: SM-hopeaa ottanut KuPS tekee satojentuhansien eurojen tappion – HJK-pelaaja on siirtymässä joukkueeseen, Helsingin Sanomat, 1 November 2021
- ^ HJK on mestari 2022! – KuPS varmisti hopeamitalit, Honka pronssin, veikkausliiga.com, 10 October 2022
- ^ Veikkausliigan otteluennakko: Veikkausliigan mestaruus ratkeaa Helsingissä, kups.fi, 20 October 2023
- ^ Miesten Suomen Cupissa mukana 314 joukkuetta!, Finnish FA, 11 January 2022
- ^ Ilveksen päävalmentaja hopeasta: ”Voitettu mitali”, Yle, 19 October 2024
- ^ Koplajoukkue 2024 nimetty - jalkapallotoimittajien valinnat vuoden parhaiksi palkitaan lauantaina, veikkausliiga.com, 19 October 2024
- ^ Anton Popovitch Ykkösen Veikkauksen kuukauden pelaaja, JPY, 10 June 2019
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