Yuri Syomin (Russian: Юрий Павлович Сёмин, last name also transliterated as Semin) (born 11 May 1947 in Orenburg) is a Russian football coach most notable for his work as FC Lokomotiv Moscow manager and president.

[edit] Biography

Syomin was born on 11 May 1947 in Orenburg. His family moved to Oryol some time later. As a child he has showed interest in football, ice hockey, volleyball, and athletics. His son Andrei Syomin is also a player and a coach.

[edit] Player career

At the age of 16, while still attending school, Syomin started his player career at Spartak Oryol, a Soviet Second League club.

One year later he was invited to Spartak Moscow. He has scored two first Spartak's goals in a European competition (in 1966 against OFK Beograd).

At the age of 20, Syomin changed club again, this time to Dynamo Moscow. With this club, he won his only player's trophy, the 1970 Soviet Cup. He calls the spell with Dynamo the most successful period of his player career.

Syomin left Dynamo due to disagreements with the coach after he was not fielded in a European match. After that he has changed several other clubs. Syomin played for Kairat Almaty, Chkalovets Novosibirsk, Lokomotiv Moscow, and Kuban Krasnodar. He ended his career as a player at the age of 33.

[edit] Coach career

Syomin started his coaching career in 1983, when he was called to save Pamir Dushanbe, a First League team, from relegation. Syomin succeeded and was recognized as the honorary coach of Tajik SSR for this achievement.

In 1986 Syomin went on to coach FC Lokomotiv Moscow, where he spent 19 years. During the period of his work Lokomotiv transformed from a mid-table club to one of the leaders of Russian football, winning the championship in 2002 and 2004. Syomin also enjoyed cup success, winning Russian Cup five times, Russian Super Cup twice and reaching Cup Winners' Cup semifinal twice.

In 2005 Syomin left Lokomotiv for the Russia national team to help it reach the 2006 FIFA World Cup final tournament. He failed to achieve that and decided to leave the national team. In November 2005, Syomin began coaching Dynamo Moscow, but was sacked in 2006. In 2007 he returned to FC Lokomotiv Moscow as club president, but one year later his contract was terminated due to team's low league position.[1]

Later in 2007 Syomin took over the managerial position with Dynamo Kyiv in Ukraine and guided the club to a championship in the 2008-09 season as well as a semi-final appearance in the UEFA Cup.

On 26 May 2009 he quit Dynamo Kiev and returned to Lokomotiv Moscow. Under the terms of his contract, he should stay in the club until December 2011. Syomin replaced Rashid Rakhimov (who had been fired a few weeks before that).

[edit] Clubs played for

• Spartak Oryol (1964)
• Spartak Moscow (1965-1967)
• Dynamo Moscow (1968-1971)
• Kairat Almaty (1972-1973)
• Chkalovets Novosibirsk (1974)
• Lokomotiv Moscow (1975-1977)
• Kuban Krasnodar (1978-1980)

Winner of the 1970 Soviet Cup and runner-up of Soviet Top League with Dynamo.

[edit] Teams coached

• Kuban Krasnodar (1982)
• Pamir Dushanbe (since 1983)
• Lokomotiv Moscow (1986-1989, 1991-2005, 2009-present)
• Russia (1992-1994 and 1996-1999 as assistant coach, 2005 as head coach)
• New Zealand U21 (1990)
• Dynamo Moscow (2006)
• Dynamo Kyiv (2007-2009)

[edit] Achievements

• Russian Premier League
  • Winner: 2 (2002, 2004)
  • Runner-up: 4 (1995, 1999, 2000, 2001)
  • 3rd position: 2 (1994, 1998)
• Ukrainian Premier League
  • Winner: 1 (2008/09)
  • Runner-up: 1 (2007/08)
• Russian Cup
  • Winner: 5 (1996, 1997, 2000, 2001) as head coach, 2007 as president
• Russian Super Cup
  • Winner: 2 (2003, 2005)
• Ukrainian Cup
  • Runner-up: 1 (2007/08)
• Soviet Cup
  • Runner-up: 1 (1990)
• UEFA Cup
  • Semifinalist (2008/09)
• Cup Winners' Cup
  • Semifinalist (1997/98, 1998/99)

All of this has been achieved with Lokomotiv and Dynamo.

[edit] References

• Yuri Syomin's Russian hills, by Yury Yarygin, Rossiyskaya Gazeta, 15 April 2005 (Russian)