Oleksandr Kucher

Oleksandr Kucher

Kucher with Shakhtar Donetsk in 2011
Personal information
Full name Oleksandr Mykolayovych Kucher
Date of birth (1982-10-22) 22 October 1982
Place of birth Kiev, Soviet Union
Height 1.84 m (6 ft 1⁄2 in)[1]
Playing position Defender
Club information
Current team
 Shakhtar Donetsk
Number 5
Senior career*
Years Team Apps† (Gls)†
2000–2002 Arsenal Kharkiv 59 (5)
2002–2005 Metalurh Donetsk 9 (0)
2002–2003 → FC Kharkiv (loan) 14 (0)
2003–2004 → Banants Yerevan (loan) 19 (3)
2004–2005 → FC Kharkiv (loan) 12 (0)
2005–2006 Metalist 28 (2)
2006– Shakhtar Donetsk 124 (6)
National team‡
2006– Ukraine 46 (2)

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 1 August 2014.
† Appearances (goals)

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 6 April 2015
This name uses Eastern Slavic naming customs; the patronymic is Mykolayovych and the family name is Kucher.

Oleksandr Mykolayovych Kucher (Ukrainian: Олександр Миколайович Кучер; born 22 October 1982) is a Ukrainian footballer who currently plays for Ukrainian Premier League club Shakhtar Donetsk. He is a powerful defender who is good in the air and provides good coverage in the back. He also can play as a defensive midfielder.

A Shakhtar player since 2006, he has won honours including four Premier League titles and the 2008–09 UEFA Cup. He made his senior international debut in 2006 and has since earned 40 caps, representing Ukraine when they co-hosted UEFA Euro 2012.

Career

Club

Kucher started his career with Youth Academy alumnus "Athlete" Kiev and Arsenal Kyiv, playing 59 times and scoring 5 goals. He joined Metalurh Donetsk in 2002, spending a season on loan at FC Kharkiv during the 2002–03 season, a season at Armenian side Banants Yerevan during the 2003–04 season and another spell with FC Kharkiv in the 2004–05 season. He made 26 appearances for FC Kharkiv over his two seasons on loan. He scored 3 goals in 19 appearances for Banants. Having made 9 appearances for Metalurh, Kucher moved to Metalist Kharkiv during the 2005–06 season playing 28 matches with his only two goals coming in 5–2 defeat to Chornomorets Odesa.[2] Oleksandr joined Shakhtar Donetsk in the 2006–07 season. He made his debut for Shakhtar as a substitute in a 5–0 victory over his former club Metalist. He scored in a 4–1 victory over Metalurh Donetsk on 9 August 2009.[3] He netted an extra time winner in the final of the 2011–12 Ukrainian Cup.[4] Kucher scored a brace in a 3–1 victory over Dynamo Kyiv on 4 September 2012[5] in a man of the match performance.[6]

On 11 March 2015, he was given the quickest red card in the history of the Champions League when he was sent off in the third minute of a last 16 second leg against Bayern Munich for conceding a penalty on Thomas Müller; Bayern won 7–0.[7]

International

Kucher made his debut for the Ukrainian national team on 15 August 2006 at the age of 23 years, 9 months and 24 days in a 6–0 friendly victory over Azerbaijan. He scored his first goal for Ukraine on 11 October 2006 in a 2–0 Euro 2008 qualifying match victory over Scotland.[8] He was part of Ukraine's squad as they co-hosted UEFA Euro 2012 with Poland, but did not feature in the group stage exit.

Statistics for Shakhtar

As of 13 April 2012
Club Season League Cup Europe Super Cup Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Shakhtar 2006–07 1404150--231
2007–08 2114080--331
2008–09 1502011010290
2009–10 14110110--261
2010–11 1005030--180
2011–12 210416010321
2012–13 133107010223
Total 1085212510301837

International goals

Scores and results list Ukraine's goal tally first.
# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1. 11 February 2006 Olimpiyskiy National Sports Complex, Kiev  Scotland 1–0 2–0 Euro 2008 qualifying
2. 13 November 2012 Vasil Levski Stadium, Sofia  Bulgaria 0–1 0–1 International Friendly

Honours

Shakhtar Donetsk

References

  1. ↑ http://shakhtar.com/en/team/player/?id=192
  2. ↑ "Olexandr Kucher: We were upset after conceding a goal before the break". Retrieved 4 September 2012.
  3. ↑ "Shakhtar Donetsk vs Metalurh Donetsk 4–1". Retrieved 4 September 2012.
  4. ↑ "Metalurh Donetsk vs Shakhtar Donetsk 1–2". Retrieved 4 September 2012.
  5. ↑ "Shakhtar Donetsk vs Dynamo Kyiv 3–1". Retrieved 4 September 2012.
  6. ↑ "Kucher named Man of the Match". Retrieved 4 September 2012.
  7. ↑ "Bayern Mun 7–0 Shakt Donetsk". BBC Sport. 11 March 2015. Retrieved 11 March 2015.
  8. ↑ "Ukraine vs Scotland 2–0". Retrieved 4 September 2012.

External links


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