 |
Sergey JarkovSoviet, Ukrainian football player and coach
Date of Birth: 07.05.1958
Country:  Ukraine |
Content:
Biography of Sergei Zharkov
Early Life and Football CareerSergei Zharkov is a former Soviet and Ukrainian football player and coach. He was born and raised in Odessa, Ukraine. Zharkov began playing football at a young age in the local sports school, where he was coached by Alexander Dmitrievich Ruga. At the age of fifteen, he was selected to play for the reserve team of Odessa's "Chernomorets" football club. However, during a fight in his youth, Zharkov was hit in the face with a stone, causing him to lose vision in his right eye. Despite this setback, he continued to play football and concealed his condition from doctors and coaches.
National Team Success
Zharkov's talent did not go unnoticed, and he was eventually invited to join the Soviet Union's youth national team, where he became a key player. In 1977, he was part of the team that won the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Tunisia. Although he did not play in the final due to a conflict with coach Sergei Mosyagin, Zharkov still received a gold medal as a member of the team.
Club Career and Retirement
In 1978, Zharkov was drafted into the army and joined the Odessa SKA football club, which competed in the first league. During his time in the army, he played alongside notable players such as Igor Belanov, Valdas Kasparavicius, and Pyotr Chilibi. After serving two and a half years in the army, Zharkov returned to Chernomorets and became a regular player, primarily in defense and midfield. In 1984, the team achieved fourth place in the Soviet Union championship, earning them a spot in the UEFA Cup, where Zharkov made his debut on September 18, 1985, against Germany's Werder Bremen.
After playing nine seasons for Chernomorets, Zharkov decided to retire in 1988. However, he continued to participate in veteran tournaments as part of the Soviet Union's veteran national team. He also worked as a sports instructor on the cruise ship "Maxim Gorky," completing three circumnavigations and a voyage to the Svalbard archipelago.
Coaching Career
In 1992, Zharkov received an invitation to join the SK Odessa team as a player-coach and later became the head coach in 1993. However, disagreements with the club's management led to his departure from the coaching position. From 1994 to 2000, he played for amateur teams such as "Blago" in Blagoevo, "Rybak" in Odessa, and "Lotto-GCM." With the latter team, he successfully qualified for the second league tournament and played as "SKA-Lotto" during the 1997/98 season. Zharkov continued to play for Odessa-based teams such as "Rybak-Dorozhnik," "Signal," and the KAPO team from Pervomaiske. He also participated in veteran football teams in Odessa. Zharkov later graduated from the Odessa Pedagogical Institute.
Throughout his career, Zharkov achieved notable accomplishments, including winning the FIFA U-20 World Cup in 1977 with the Soviet Union youth team, being the champion of the first league of the Soviet Union in 1987, and being listed among the top 33 football players in the Soviet Union in 1983 and 1984.
