Oleksandr Kucher

Oleksandr Mykolayovych Kucher (Ukrainian: Олександр Миколайович Кучер; born 22 October 1982) is a Ukrainian former professional footballer and current manager.

In this name that follows Eastern Slavic naming conventions, the patronymic is Mykolayovych and the family name is Kucher.

Oleksandr Kucher
Kucher with Shakhtar Donetsk in 2016
Personal information
Full name Oleksandr Mykolayovych Kucher
Date of birth (1982-10-22) 22 October 1982
Place of birth Kyiv, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union
Height 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in)[1]
Position(s) Defender
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2000–2002 Arsenal Kharkiv 59 (5)
2002–2005 Metalurh Donetsk 9 (0)
2002 → Arsenal Kharkiv (loan) 14 (0)
2003–2004 → Metalurh-2 Donetsk 10 (0)
2003–2004 → Banants Yerevan (loan) 19 (3)
2004–2005 → Arsenal Kharkiv (loan) 12 (0)
2005–2006 Metalist Kharkiv 28 (2)
2006–2017 Shakhtar Donetsk 167 (7)
2017–2019 Kayserispor 42 (0)
2019 Karpaty Lviv 4 (0)
2020 Metal Kharkiv 0 (0)
International career
2006–2017 Ukraine 57 (2)
Managerial career
2020–2022 Metalist Kharkiv
2022–2023 Dnipro-1
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

He was a powerful defender who was good in the air and provided good coverage in the back. He could also play as a defensive midfielder.

A Shakhtar Donetsk player from 2006 until 2017, he won many honours including Premier League titles and the 2008–09 UEFA Cup. He made his senior international debut in 2006 and represented Ukraine when they co-hosted UEFA Euro 2012.

Club career

Kucher started his career with Youth Academy alumnus "Athlete" Kharkiv and Arsenal Kharkiv, playing 59 times and scoring 5 goals. He joined Metalurh Donetsk in 2002, spending a season on loan at Arsenal Kharkiv during the 2002–03 season, a season at Armenian side Banants Yerevan during the 2003–04 season and another spell with Arsenal in the 2004–05 season. He made 26 appearances for Arsenal 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 for foul on Thomas Müller in the third minute of a last 16 second leg against Bayern Munich which Bayern won 7–0.[7]

International career

Kucher made his debut for the Ukraine national team on 15 August 2006 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. Four years later, Kucher was again part of his country's 23-man roster to participate in the UEFA Euro 2016. This time, he made one appearance for Ukraine, in a 1–0 loss to Poland, as Ukraine was once again eliminated at the group stage.[9]

Career statistics

Club
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup[lower-alpha 1] Europe Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Shakhtar Donetsk 2006–07 Vyshcha Liha 1404150–231
2007–08 2114080–331
2008–09 Ukrainian Premier League 150201101[lower-alpha 2]0290
2009–10 141101001[lower-alpha 3]0261
2010–11 1005030–180
2011–12 21041601[lower-alpha 2]0321
2012–13 15340701[lower-alpha 2]0273
2013–14 13140801[lower-alpha 2]0261
2014–15 11061601[lower-alpha 2]0241
2015–16 111311311[lower-alpha 2]0283
2016–17 220106000290
Total 16773848317029512
Kayserispor 2017–18 Süper Lig 21050––260
2018–19 19051––241
Total 400101––501
Career total 20774858317034513
  1. Includes Ukrainian Cup, Turkish Cup
  2. Appearance in Ukrainian Super Cup
  3. Appearance in UEFA Super Cup

International
Appearances and goals by national team and year[10]
National teamYearAppsGoals
Ukraine 200621
200750
200840
200980
201020
201170
201231
201360
201460
201540
201680
201720
Total572
Scores and results list Ukraine's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Kucher goal.
List of international goals scored by Oleksandr Kucher[10]
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
111 October 2006Olimpiyskyi National Sports Complex, Kyiv, Ukraine Scotland1–02–0Euro 2008 qualifying
213 November 2012Vasil Levski National Stadium, Sofia, Bulgaria Bulgaria1–01–0Friendly

Managerial
As of match played 24 August 2023
Managerial record by team and tenure
Team Nat From To Record
G W D L GF GA GD Win %
Metalist Kharkiv Ukraine 30 July 2020 12 July 2022 49 43 4 2 132 19 +113 087.76
Dnipro-1 29 July 2022 Present 48 25 10 13 83 55 +28 052.08
Career total 97 68 14 15 215 74 +141 070.10

Honours

Shakhtar Donetsk

References
  1. "Olexandr Kucher | First Team | FC Shakhtar Donetsk". Archived from the original on 7 February 2015. Retrieved 7 February 2015.
  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.
  9. "UEFA Euro 2016 - History - Ukraine-Poland". uefa.com. Retrieved 19 May 2019.
  10. "Oleksandr Kucher - national football team player". eu-football.info. Retrieved 19 May 2019.
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