Anton_Popovitch
Anton Popovitch
Finnish footballer (born 1996)
Anton Popovitch (Russian: Антон Попович; born 11 July 1996) is a Finnish professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Veikkausliiga club Ilves.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | (1996-07-11) 11 July 1996 (age 27)[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Valkeakoski, Finland | ||
| Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Ilves | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 0000–2015 | Haka | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2015–2020 | Haka | 134 | (17) |
| 2021–2023 | KuPS | 71 | (6) |
| 2024– | Ilves | 7 | (0) |
Medal record | |||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 17 May 2024 | |||
FC Haka
Popovitch played in the youth sector of his hometown club Haka in Valkeakoski, before he was promoted to the club's senior squad for the 2015 season in 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]
Kuopion Palloseura
Popovitch transferred to fellow Veikkausliiga club Kuopion Palloseura (KuPS) ahead of the 2021 season.[6][7] He left the club after the 2023 season, after having spent three years with KuPS and having won two Finnish Cup championships[8] and three silver medals in Veikkausliiga.[9] Popovitch also represented KuPS in the UEFA Europa Conference League qualifiers in his every season with the club.[10][11][12] He was also named a vice-captain of his team in March 2022.[13]
Ilves
On 16 January 2024, fellow Veikkausliiga side Ilves announced the signing of Popovitch on a three-year deal.[14][15][16][17]
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.[18][19] His brother Sasha is also a footballer.
- As of 17 May 2024[20]
| Club | Season | League | National cup[lower-alpha 1] | Other | Europe | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | 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[lower-alpha 2] | 0 | 39 | 4 | |
| 2022 | Veikkausliiga | 24 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 2[lower-alpha 3] | 0 | 4[lower-alpha 2] | 0 | 35 | 3 | |
| 2023 | Veikkausliiga | 22 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 6[lower-alpha 3] | 0 | 1[lower-alpha 2] | 0 | 31 | 1 | |
| Total | 71 | 6 | 13 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 105 | 8 | ||
| Ilves | 2024 | Veikkausliiga | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5[lower-alpha 3] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| Career total | 212 | 23 | 42 | 4 | 13 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 280 | 27 | ||
- Includes Suomen Cup
- Appearances in UEFA Europa Conference League
- Appearances in Finnish League Cup
FC Haka
Kuopion Palloseura
Individual
- Ykkönen Player of the Month: May 2019[25]
- 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.
- 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
- Tässä on KuPS:n kapteenisto, sportti.com, 25 March 2022
- 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
- "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". flashscore.
- 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
- Anton Popovitch Ykkösen Veikkauksen kuukauden pelaaja, JPY, 10 June 2019