1. Early life and education
Yury Gazinsky was born on 20 July 1989, in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, which was then part of the Soviet Union. His early football career began at a local club, FC Smena Komsomolsk-na-Amure. Beyond his athletic pursuits, Gazinsky also pursued higher education. In 2011, he earned a Bachelor's degree in Physical Education from Far Eastern Federal University. He continued his academic studies, obtaining a Master's degree in Adaptive Physical Education in 2013.
2. Club career
Yury Gazinsky's professional club career began in 2007 and has seen him play for several clubs across Russian football leagues.
He started his professional journey at his hometown club, FC Smena Komsomolsk-na-Amure, where he played from 2007 to 2010. Following this, he moved to FC Luch-Energiya Vladivostok, playing for them from 2010 to 2012. His next move was to FC Torpedo Moscow, where he played for one season from 2012 to 2013.
In May 2013, Gazinsky signed a three-year contract with FC Krasnodar, marking a significant step in his career and joining a prominent club in the Russian Premier League. He became a key player for Krasnodar, remaining with the club until May 2022 when his contract expired. After nine years with Krasnodar, he joined FC Ural Yekaterinburg on 17 August 2022, signing a two-year deal. He concluded his tenure with Ural when his contract expired in June 2024. On 10 July 2024, Gazinsky made a notable return to his former club, FC Krasnodar, signing a one-season contract.
3. International career
Yury Gazinsky's international career with the Russia national football team began with his first call-up in August 2015. This was for the UEFA Euro 2016 qualifiers, where Russia faced Sweden and Liechtenstein. He made his official debut for the national team on 31 August 2016, in a friendly match against Turkey.
His most prominent international moment came during the 2018 FIFA World Cup, which Russia hosted. On 11 May 2018, he was included in Russia's extended squad for the tournament, and by 3 June 2018, he was confirmed in the finalized World Cup squad. On 14 June 2018, Gazinsky scored the first goal of the 2018 FIFA World Cup in the 12th minute of the opening match against Saudi Arabia. His header contributed to Russia's decisive 5-0 victory in that match. Throughout the tournament, he remained on the bench during Russia's Round of 16 victory against Spain and later appeared as a substitute in the quarter-final match against Croatia, which Russia ultimately lost in a penalty shoot-out. Russia's campaign in the 2018 World Cup saw them surprisingly finish second in their group, eliminate Spain in the Round of 16, and then narrowly lose to Croatia in the quarterfinals on penalties. In May 2021, Gazinsky was also named as a back-up player for Russia's UEFA Euro 2020 squad. Overall, he earned 21 caps and scored 1 goal for the national team between 2016 and 2020.
4. Career statistics
This section provides comprehensive statistical data detailing Yury Gazinsky's professional football career, encompassing his appearances and goals for both club and international competitions.
4.1. Club statistics
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Europe | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Smena Komsomolsk-na-Amure | 2007 | Russian Second League | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 5 | 0 | ||
| 2008 | Russian Second League | 24 | 3 | 4 | 0 | - | - | 28 | 3 | |||
| 2009 | Russian Second League | 23 | 5 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 23 | 5 | |||
| 2010 | Russian Second League | 18 | 2 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 19 | 2 | |||
| Total | 70 | 10 | 5 | 0 | - | - | 75 | 10 | ||||
| Luch-Energiya Vladivostok | 2010 | Russian First League | 14 | 1 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 14 | 1 | ||
| 2011-12 | Russian First League | 37 | 1 | 3 | 0 | - | - | 40 | 1 | |||
| Total | 51 | 2 | 3 | 0 | - | - | 54 | 2 | ||||
| Torpedo Moscow | 2012-13 | Russian First League | 29 | 3 | 2 | 0 | - | - | 31 | 3 | ||
| Krasnodar | 2013-14 | Russian Premier League | 29 | 1 | 4 | 0 | - | - | 33 | 1 | ||
| 2014-15 | Russian Premier League | 21 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 11 | 1 | - | 34 | 1 | ||
| 2015-16 | Russian Premier League | 21 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 1 | - | 34 | 1 | ||
| 2016-17 | Russian Premier League | 29 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 12 | 0 | - | 44 | 2 | ||
| 2017-18 | Russian Premier League | 28 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 31 | 2 | |
| 2018-19 | Russian Premier League | 28 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 41 | 3 | |
| 2019-20 | Russian Premier League | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 | |
| 2020-21 | Russian Premier League | 26 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 35 | 3 | |
| 2021-22 | Russian Premier League | 16 | 1 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 17 | 1 | |||
| Total | 209 | 11 | 18 | 0 | 55 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 282 | 14 | ||
| Ural Yekaterinburg | 2022-23 | Russian Premier League | 14 | 3 | 6 | 2 | - | - | 20 | 5 | ||
| 2023-24 | Russian Premier League | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 8 | 0 | |||
| Total | 21 | 3 | 7 | 2 | - | - | 28 | 5 | ||||
| Krasnodar | 2024-25 | Russian Premier League | 1 | 1 | 4 | 0 | - | - | 5 | 1 | ||
| Krasnodar-2 | 2024-25 | Russian Second League | 2 | 0 | - | - | - | 2 | 0 | |||
| Career total | 383 | 30 | 39 | 2 | 55 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 477 | 35 | ||
4.2. International statistics
| Russia | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Apps | Goals |
| 2016 | 4 | 0 |
| 2017 | 1 | 0 |
| 2018 | 11 | 1 |
| 2019 | 1 | 0 |
| 2020 | 4 | 0 |
| Total | 21 | 1 |
4.3. International goals
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 14 June 2018 | Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow, Russia | Saudi Arabia | 1-0 | 5-0 | 2018 FIFA World Cup |
5. Honours and achievements
Yury Gazinsky has received notable recognition for his performances during his professional football career.
5.1. Individual
- Russian Premier League Defensive Midfielder of the Season: 2018-19