{{short description|Russian footballer (born 1970)}} {{BLP sources|date=May 2017}} {{Use dmy dates|date=December 2021}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Valeri Popovitch | image = Valeri popovits.jpg | image_size = 250 | caption = Popovitch with Ilves in a charity match in 2010 | fullname = Valeri Aleksandrovich Popovitch | height = {{height|meters=1.85}} | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1970|5|18|df=yes}} | birth_place = Gorky, Soviet Union | currentclub = | position = Striker, attacking midfielder | years1 = 1986 | caps1 = 3 | goals1 = 1 | clubs1 = Khimik Dzerzhinsk | years2 = 1987 | caps2 = 3 | goals2 = 0 | clubs2 = Lokomotiv Gorky | years3 = 1988–1989 | caps3 = 25 | goals3 = 0 | clubs3 = CSKA Moscow | years4 = 1990–1991 | caps4 = 10 | goals4 = 0 | clubs4 = Spartak Moscow | years5 = 1992–1993 | caps5 = 48 | goals5 = 26 | clubs5 = TPV | years6 = 1994 | caps6 = 12 | goals6 = 3 | clubs6 = Ilves | years7 = 1994–2008 | caps7 = 323 | goals7 = 170 | clubs7 = Haka | years8 = 1995–1996 | caps8 = 6 | goals8 = 3 | clubs8 = → Ikast (loan) | years9 = 1999–2000 | caps9 = 18 | goals9 = 6 | clubs9 = → Heerenveen (loan) | years10 = 2009 | caps10 = 16 | goals10 = 3 | clubs10 = HJK | years11 = 2010–2012 | caps11 = ? | goals11 = ? | clubs11 = Ilves | totalcaps = 464 | totalgoals = 212 | nationalyears1 = | nationalcaps1 = | nationalgoals1 = | nationalteam1 = USSR U-17 | nationalyears2 = | nationalcaps2 = | nationalgoals2 = | nationalteam2 = USSR U-19 | manageryears1 = 2010–2012 | managerclubs1 = Ilves (player-coach) | manageryears2 = 2012 | managerclubs2 = Haka (youth coach) }} '''Valeri Aleksandrovich Popovitch''' ({{langx|ru|Валерий Александрович Попович}}; born 18 May 1970) is a Russian former football forward.<ref>[https://www.eurosport.ru/football/story_sto5968161.shtml Interview with Valeri Popovitch] eurosport.ru</ref> Popovitch is the all-time scoring leader of FC Haka. After his contract ended with HJK in 2010, he joined Ilves Tampere playing in Kakkonen, as a player-coach, signing a two-year contract. Currently he is a youth coach at FC Haka. Popovitch also holds Finnish citizenship.
He has also capped several times for Soviet U-17 and U-19 National football teams. U-17 finished third in the 1986 UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship, and U-19 won the UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship in 1988. Popovitch played in both tournaments.
Popovitch played for FC CSKA Moscow in Soviet First League and FC Spartak Moscow in the Soviet Top League.{{citation needed|date=May 2017}}<ref>{{cite web|publisher=KLISF|title=Popovich Valeriy Aleksandrovich|url=http://klisf.info/numeric/index.app?cmd=ln&lang=en&id=122022486075141|access-date=2010-03-30}}{{Dead link|date=May 2017}}</ref>
==Legacy== Popovitch holds a legendary status in Finland and especially in Valkeakoski, where he is regarded as one of the best players ever to play for FC Haka. FC Haka retired his number, 14. During his career, he made 395 appearances and scored 166 goals in Finnish top-tier, making him the top scorer in the Veikkausliiga history.
His son Anton Popovitch is also a professional footballer, currently playing for Ilves.
==References== {{reflist}}
{{Finnish Football Hall of Fame}} {{Veikkausliiga top scorers}} {{Ilves managers}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Popovitch, Valeri}} Category:1970 births Category:Living people Category:Footballers from Nizhny Novgorod Category:Finnish men's footballers Category:Soviet men's footballers Category:Soviet Top League players Category:Veikkausliiga players Category:Eredivisie players Category:Danish Superliga players Category:PFC CSKA Moscow players Category:FC Spartak Moscow players Category:SC Heerenveen players Category:FC Haka players Category:Helsingin Jalkapalloklubi players Category:FC Lokomotiv Nizhny Novgorod players Category:Ikast FC players Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Denmark Category:Expatriate men's footballers in the Netherlands Category:Russian emigrants to Finland Category:FC Haka managers Category:Men's association football forwards Category:Men's association football midfielders Category:FC Khimik Dzerzhinsk players Category:Russian football managers Category:Russian expatriate sportspeople in Finland Category:Russian expatriate sportspeople in Denmark Category:Russian expatriate sportspeople in the Netherlands Category:Ilves (football) managers Category:Ilves (football) non-playing staff Category:Finnish Football Hall of Fame inductees