Maksym Kalynychenko

Maksym Kalynychenko

Kalinichenko in 2010
Personal information
Full name	Maksym Serhiyovych Kalynychenko
Date of birth	(1979-01-26) 26 January 1979 (age 38)
Place of birth	Kharkiv, Ukrainian SSR, USSR
Height	1.76 m (5 ft 9 1⁄2 in)
Playing position	Midfielder
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1996–2000	Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk	45	(7)
2000–2008	Spartak Moscow	135	(22)
2008–2011	Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk	42	(11)
2011–2014	Tavriya Simferopol	52	(9)
Total		274	(49)
National team‡
1999–2000	Ukraine U21	9	(1)
2002–2011	Ukraine	47	(7)
Teams managed
2015–2016	Metalist Kharkiv Reserves (ass't)
2016–	Metalist Kharkiv Reserves
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 4 October 2013. ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 29 July 2011

Maksym Serhiyovych Kalynychenko (Ukrainian: Максим Сергійович Калиниченко; born on 26 January 1979 in Kharkiv, USSR) is a retired Ukrainian football midfielder, who played in central midfield or as a winger. Observers noted his pace, creativity, and accuracy in free kicks / penalties.

Kalynychenko's father was a goalkeeper for an amateur side in Kharkiv, and the young Kalynychenko often acted as striker for his father to practise saves. He was enrolled in the Kharkiv Sportinternat, a sports boarding school where despite his smaller frame, tutors noted his tactical ability. The young Kalynychenko, like most of his family and friends, was a supporter of Dynamo Kyiv but was told jokingly that he played in the style of Dynamo's Soviet era rival 'Spartak Moscow'.

At the age of 17, Kalynychenko was talent-spotted by Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk coach Viacheslav Grozny. Kalynychenko progressed to the first team within a year, and also made appearances for the Ukraine national under-21 football team. However, disputes with Dnipro management led to the dismissal of Grozny and several team members, including Kalynychenko.

Following this, Grozny and Kalynychenko migrated to Spartak Moscow.

With Spartak Moscow, Kalynychenko has helped his team win the Russian Premier League Championship title in 2000 and 2001. His team was also runners-up for the Russian Premier League in 2005, 2006, and 2007, and got third place in the Russian league in 2002. Kalynychenko also won the Russian Cup in 2003, and was a runner-up in 2006.

Kalynychenko has overcome two injuries which have commonly signalled the end of footballers' careers: a torn cruciate ligament in his elbow, and a severed achilles tendon. These injuries, and the months spent in recovery, have dampened Kalynychenko's progress and placed him on the bench for long periods of 2005 and 2006. However, he is credited with having overcome these setbacks, steadily improving in skill since his comeback(s).