Belarussian coup for Tobol
Thursday, January 16, 2003
Article summary
Former Belarussian international goalkeeper Valery Shantalosov has joined Kazakh side FC Tobol Kostanay.
Article body
Former Belarus goalkeeper Valery Shantalosov will become the first winter acquisition of Kazakh side FC Tobol Kostanay.
Financial problems
Shantolosov is joining Tobol, who finished third in the Kazakh Super League in 2002, from FC Torpedo-MAZ Minsk. Voted the best goalkeeper in Belarus for the past two years, he won the 2001 honour playing for Belarussian champions FC Belshina Bobruisk but then moved on to Torpedo due to the club's financial problems. Ironically, he has now left Torpedo in similar circumstances.
Belarussian legend
Shantalosov is one of eleven players who appeared in Belarus's first official international match after gaining independence from the Soviet Union. Overall, Shantolosov made 24 appearances for his country, quitting international football last year after losing the No1 spot to Gennady Tumilovich, Belarus's Player of the Year in 2001.
Russian experience
The Belarussian has spent most of his goalkeeping career playing for top-flight clubs in Russia – FC Lokomotiv Nizhny Novgorod, FC Baltika Kaliningrad and FC Torpedo Moskva. In 1992, he did not concede a single goal from open play in eleven Russian league matches, or 1038 minutes.
