Sergei Karimov (
German: ''Sergej Karimow'',
Russian: ''Сергей Каримов''; 21 December 1986 – 24 December 2019) was a
Kazakh
Kazakh, Qazaq or Kazakhstani may refer to:
* Someone or something related to Kazakhstan
*Kazakhs, an ethnic group
*Kazakh language
*The Kazakh Khanate
* Kazakh cuisine
* Qazakh Rayon, Azerbaijan
*Qazax, Azerbaijan
*Kazakh Uyezd, administrative dis ...
former professional
footballer who played as a
left back
In the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield position whose primary role is to stop attacks during the game and prevent the opposition from scoring.
Centre-backs are usually positioned in pairs, with one full-back on either s ...
.
Personal life
Karimov was of German descent on his mother's side and Russian on his father's side. He was born in the present-day city of
Saran, Kazakhstan, but grew up in
Wolfsburg.
He died on 24 December 2019 at the age of 33.
Club career
In the 2005–06 season, Karimov began playing for the
VfL Wolfsburg reserve side, which played in
Oberliga Nord
The Oberliga Nord was the fourth tier of the German football league system in the north of Germany. It covered the states of Lower Saxony, Bremen, Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein. With the introduction of the 3. Liga, the league ceased to exist f ...
. The following season, he had appeared for the side on 19 occasions, now playing in
Regionalliga Nord, before manager
Bernd Hollerbach recommended him to
Felix Magath's senior team.
On 8 December 2007, Karimov made his first
Bundesliga appearance against
VfB Stuttgart. On 30 January 2008, he played in a
German Cup round of 16 match against
Schalke 04. He scored a 90th-minute equaliser, before scoring the decider in the penalty shootout. Karimov subsequently signed a professional contract with Wolfsburg until 2010 and was put to the reserve team in summer 2009.
International career
In February 2008, the
Football Federation of Kazakhstan made an official invitation to Karimov to play for the
national team. The player's final decision was to be made in the summer, after the season's finish. On 11 August 2010, Karimov made his first appearance in a 3–1 victory over
Oman.
References
External links
*
1986 births
2019 deaths
Men's association football defenders
Kazakhstani men's footballers
Kazakhstan men's international footballers
Kazakhstani people of German descent
Kazakhstani people of Russian descent
German men's footballers
German people of Russian descent
VfL Wolfsburg II players
VfL Wolfsburg players
MSV Duisburg players
Lupo Martini Wolfsburg players
Bundesliga players
2. Bundesliga players
Regionalliga players
Sportspeople from Karaganda Region
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