Yuri Kovtun

Kovtun working with Arsenal Tula in 2021
Personal information
Full name	Yuri Mikhailovich Kovtun
Date of birth	(1970-01-05) 5 January 1970 (age 54)
Place of birth	Azov, Soviet Union
Height	1.91 m (6 ft 3 in)
Position(s)	Defender
Team information
Current team	Aktobe (assistant coach)
Youth career
	SDYuShOR-3 Azov
	ROShISP-10 Rostov-on-Don
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1987–1988	Luch Azov	36	(1)
1989–1990	SKA Rostov-na-Donu	61	(0)
1991–1993	Rostselmash Rostov-on-Don	64	(1)
1992	Rostselmash-2 Rostov-on-Don	1	(0)
1993–1998	Dynamo Moscow	156	(5)
1999–2005	Spartak Moscow	122	(7)
2000	Spartak-2 Moscow	1	(0)
2006–2007	Alania Vladikavkaz	29	(5)
2007	MVD Rossii Moscow (amateur)
2011–2012	Arsenal Tula (amateur)
Total		470	(19)
International career
1994–2003	Russia	50	(2)
Managerial career
2007–2009	MVD Rossii Moscow
2010	Salyut-Energia Belgorod (assistant)
2013–2014	Volga Nizhny Novgorod (assistant)
2015–2016	Tosno (assistant)
2016–2017	Dynamo Moscow (assistant)
2019–2020	Ural Yekaterinburg (assistant)
2020–2021	Arsenal Tula (assistant)
2022–2023	Rodina Moscow (assistant)
2023–	Aktobe (assistant)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Yuri Mikhailovich Kovtun (Russian: Юрий Михайлович Ковтун; born 5 January 1970) is a Russian football coach and a former defender, well known as a 1990s Russia national football team player, as well as Dynamo Moscow and Spartak Moscow stopper. He is an assistant coach of Kazakhstani club Aktobe.

Kovtun's career started in minor Russian club Luch Azov in 1988. Then he started his career as a professional player in SKA Rostov-na-Donu and Rostselmash Rostov-on-Don. In 1992, Rostselmash and Kovtun starred in the first Russian championship where they unexpectedly promoted to 8th place. Kovtun was impressive during the season so two top teams were interested in him at the same time : Dynamo and Spartak Moscow. In 1993, Kovtun chose Dynamo Moscow and became their key player for years, until his move to Spartak in 1999.

Whereas Kovtun's only honour during his 6-year spell in Dynamo was a Russian Cup in 1995, he won 3 titles in 1999, 2000 and 2001 after joining Spartak. Moreover, he took part in numerous UEFA Champions League games and found himself a regular Russian national football team player.

Kovtun played for the Russian international team 50 times, scoring 2 goals.^[1] The most notable moments of his international career were his long shot goal to Yugoslavia during a 2002 World Cup qualifier and an own goal in a 0–1 away loss to Iceland Euro 2000 qualifying. He was a part of the Russian squad in the Euro 96 and World Cup 2002 finals.^[2] Kovtun was sent off in a Euro '96 match for a lunge at Germany's Dieter Eilts.

Kovtun's strong points as a defender were mainly great tackling, tight marking of opponents and scoring goals in the crucial matches. The main weakness of his game throughout his career was a lack of pace and acceleration. Stemming from this lack of speed, he often had to play too dirty so he could easily receive yellow cards or even be sent off (he holds the Russian League record for number of bookings).

During 2005, already a Spartak's veteran, he could not gain a place in the first team and most of the season he played for the reserves. In January 2006, he left Spartak Moscow for just relegated into Russian First Division Alania Vladikavkaz. He retired in 2007 and became a manager for MVD Rossii Moscow. MVD promoted to the Russian First Division under his supervision.

On 8 June 2009, Kovtun resigned from MVD manager position and was replaced by Vladimir Eshtrekov.^[3]

• 1999, 2000, 2001 Russian Premier League
• 1995, 2003 Russian Cup

• Yuri Kovtun at National-Football-Teams.com