Markin makes his mark

By Eduard Nisenboim

MFC Dina defender Mikhail Markin was 28 when he made his debut for the Russian national side - but despite his later start his impact has been immense.

Immediate honour
He made his bow just before the first official UEFA European Futsal Championship in Granada in 1999 - and appeared in every game in Spain as Russia streaked through the tournament. He scored twice in the semi-final victory against the Netherlands, and one match later joined the celebrations as the hosts were beaten on penalties.

Futsal move
As with many Futsal players, Markin began his sporting career playing football, in his case with the FC Torpedo Moskva reserve side. At the age of 20 he switched to Futsal following an offer from FC Dina-Mab, and in November 1993 moved to Dina, where he has remained ever since.

Title triumphs
He has now appeared more than 500 times for Dina, who were champions every season after he joined up to 2000. And not only is he one of the game's most reliable defenders, but his goal tally of more than 200 is testament to his all-round ability.

Fab four
Markin is part of the legendary quartet of Dina players who have all represented Russia on the international Futsal stage, the others being Konstantin Eremenko, Aleksandr Verizhnikov and Temur Alekberov. His own double century of strikes is exceptional for a defender, and makes him one of the leading goalscorers in Russian Futsal history.

Solid customer
But Markin's reputation is built more around his defensive prowess than his scoring feats. He is a tenacious and composed defender who epitomises solidity, and has become a highly valued member of both the Dinamo and Russia squads. Dinamo president Sergei Kozlov agrees with the assessment of Markin's more robust qualities. "There is no doubt that the word 'solid' is the best way to describe Markin," Koslov said.

Mounting silverware
Markin's international opportunities were initially hampered for non-Futsal reasons, however, and it took some time before he was looked on favourably by Russia's national coaches. He finally broke into the squad in 1999, and then came the European triumph - after which no one was doubting his talent. Russia have not recaptured those heights in recent tournaments, but with Markin in tow in Ostrava no one will be taking them lightly.