Zelimkhan Bakayev
Zelimkhan Dzhabrailovich Bakayev (Russian: Зелимхан Джабраилович Бакаев; born 1 July 1996) is a Russian footballer who plays as a midfielder for FC Zenit Saint Petersburg and the Russia national team.
![]() Bakayev with Zenit in 2022  | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Zelimkhan Dzhabrailovich Bakayev | ||
| Date of birth | 1 July 1996 | ||
| Place of birth | Nazran, Ingushetia, Russia | ||
| Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)[1] | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team  | Zenit Saint Petersburg | ||
| Number | 7 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2007–2016 | Spartak Moscow | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | 
| 2014–2018 | Spartak-2 Moscow | 52 | (4) | 
| 2015–2022 | Spartak Moscow | 81 | (7) | 
| 2018–2019 | → Arsenal Tula (loan) | 25 | (8) | 
| 2022– | Zenit Saint Petersburg | 17 | (1) | 
| International career‡ | |||
| 2016–2018 | Russia U21 | 15 | (6) | 
| 2019– | Russia | 13 | (1) | 
| 
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 7 May 2023 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 24 September 2022  | |||
Club career
    
He made his debut in the Russian Professional Football League for FC Spartak-2 Moscow on 26 April 2014 in a game against FC Metallurg Vyksa.[2]
He made his debut for the main squad of FC Spartak Moscow on 23 September 2015 in a Russian Cup game against FC Volga Nizhny Novgorod.[3] He made his Russian Premier League debut for Spartak on 23 July 2017 as a starter in a game against FC Ufa.[4]
On 1 August 2018, he joined FC Arsenal Tula on loan for the 2018–19 season.[5]
Upon his return from loan, he scored his first two goals for Spartak on 8 August 2019 in an away Europa League qualifier against FC Thun.[6] 3 days later, he scored his first two Russian Premier League goals for Spartak in a 3–1 victory over FC Akhmat Grozny.[7]
Bakayev left Spartak as a free agent on 1 June 2022.[8]
On 15 June 2022, Bakayev signed a contract with FC Zenit Saint Petersburg for three years with an option for the fourth year.[9]
International
    
He was first called up to Russia national football team for UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying matches against San Marino and Cyprus in June 2019.[10] He made his debut on 13 October 2019 in a Euro 2020 qualifier against Cyprus. He substituted Aleksei Ionov in the 78th minute and participated in one of the three goals Russia scored in the remaining time.[11]
He scored his first international goal on 7 September 2021 in a World Cup qualifier against Malta, establishing the final score of 2–0 at home from the penalty spot.[12]
Honors
    
    Club
    
Spartak Moscow
Zenit St. Petersburg
Career statistics
    
    Club
    
- As of match played 7 May 2023
 
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Spartak-2 Moscow | 2013–14 | Russian Professional Football League | 1 | 0 | – | – | – | 1 | 0 | |||
| 2015–16 | Russian Football National League | 10 | 1 | – | – | – | 10 | 1 | ||||
| 2016–17 | Russian Football National League | 31 | 0 | – | – | 4[lower-alpha 1] | 1 | 35 | 1 | |||
| 2017–18 | Russian Football National League | 10 | 3 | – | – | – | 10 | 3 | ||||
| Total | 52 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 56 | 5 | ||
| Spartak Moscow | 2015–16 | Russian Premier League | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | – | – | 2 | 0 | ||
| 2017–18 | Russian Premier League | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2019–20 | Russian Premier League | 27 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 4[lower-alpha 2] | 3 | – | 35 | 10 | ||
| 2020–21 | Russian Premier League | 23 | 1 | 3 | 0 | – | – | 26 | 1 | |||
| 2021–22 | Russian Premier League | 26 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 7[lower-alpha 3] | 1 | – | 36 | 3 | ||
| Total | 81 | 7 | 13 | 3 | 11 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 105 | 14 | ||
| Arsenal Tula (loan) | 2018–19 | Russian Premier League | 25 | 8 | 4 | 0 | – | – | 29 | 8 | ||
| Zenit Saint Petersburg | 2022–23 | Russian Premier League | 17 | 1 | 7 | 1 | – | 1[lower-alpha 4] | 0 | 25 | 2 | |
| Career total | 175 | 19 | 24 | 4 | 11 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 215 | 29 | ||
- Appearances in the FNL Cup
 - Appearances in the UEFA Europa League
 - Two appearances in the UEFA Champions League, five appearances, one goal in the UEFA Europa League
 - Appearances in the Russian Super Cup
 
International goals
    
Scores and results list Russia's goal tally first.[17]
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 7 September 2021 | Otkritie Arena, Moscow, Russia | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification | 
Personal life
    
His younger brother Soltmurad Bakayev is also a footballer.[18] Bakayev is an ethnic Ingush.
References
    
- "Zelimkhan Bakayev". FC Zenit Saint Petersburg. Retrieved 12 March 2023.
 - "Career Summary". Russian Football Union. 9 June 2015.
 - "Volga-Spartak game report" (in Russian). Russian National Football League. 23 September 2015.
 - "Ufa v Spartak game report". Russian Premier League. 23 July 2017. Retrieved 16 June 2022.
 - "ЗЕЛИМХАН БАКАЕВ ПОПОЛНИЛ "АРСЕНАЛ"" (in Russian). FC Arsenal Tula. 1 August 2018.
 - "Thun v Spartak game report". UEFA. 8 August 2019.
 - "Akhmat v Spartak game report". Russian Premier League. 11 August 2019.
 - "Удачи, Зелимхан! Бакаев покидает "Спартак"" (in Russian). FC Spartak Moscow. 1 June 2022. Retrieved 1 June 2022.
 - ""Зенит" заключил контракт с Зелимханом Бакаевым" (in Russian). FC Zenit Saint Petersburg. 15 June 2022. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
 - "Состав на Сан-Марино и Кипр" (in Russian). Russian Football Union. 23 May 2019.
 - "Cyprus v Russia game report" (in Russian). Russian Football Union. 13 October 2019.
 - "Russia v Malta game report" (in Russian). Russian Football Union. 7 September 2021.
 - ""Спартак" обыграл "Динамо" и стал 4-кратным победителем Кубка России" (in Russian). Russian Premier League. 29 May 2022.
 - "Spartak 2 – 1 Lokomotiv ( 2017, Финал)".
 - ""Зенит" обеспечил 5-е чемпионство подряд благодаря победе над "Спартаком"" [Zenit secured 5th title in a row thanks to a win over Spartak]. Russian Premier League. 7 May 2023.
 - "«Зенит» обыграл «Спартак» в Петербурге и завоевал третий OLIMPBET Суперкубок подряд" (in Russian). Russian Premier League. 9 July 2022.
 - Zelimkhan Bakayev at National-Football-Teams.com
 - "«Зелимхан был против моего ухода из «Спартака». Почему разошлись пути братьев Бакаевых" (in Russian). Championat. 2 February 2021. Retrieved 1 April 2022.
 
