Biography
Who is Artjoms Rudņevs?
Early football career
Artjoms Rudņevs began his professional path in his hometown of Daugavpils, Latvia, playing for the club FC Daugava. He remained with the team until early 2009. During that year, he signed a contract with the Hungarian club Zalaegerszegi TE. This transition was not without complications, as his previous agreement with Daugava remained active, eventually requiring intervention from FIFA to resolve the dispute. Once settled in Hungary, he became a consistent presence on the pitch for three seasons, where he successfully recorded 20 goals during 30 league appearances.
Time with Lech Poznań
In 2010, Artjoms joined the Polish club Lech Poznań following a successful trial period. After initial negotiations regarding transfer fees and personal terms, he finalized a four-year agreement with the team in August 2010. His impact was immediate as he scored during his debut match against Widzew Łódź. Shortly after, he achieved a significant milestone by scoring a hat-trick against Juventus during a Europa League match, a performance he later described as one of the best moments of his professional career.
Throughout his time in Poland, he became one of the league's most productive scorers. By the conclusion of the 2011-12 season, he had secured 22 goals in 29 matches, making him the leading scorer in the Ekstraklasa. His performance earned him recognition as the 2011 player of the year by the Polish Footballers' Association. His international profile also grew during this period, especially when he scored for Lech against Juventus again in December 2010 and against SC Braga in the 2011 Europa League campaign.
Bundesliga and retirement
In May 2012, Artjoms Rudņevs transferred to the German club Hamburger SV, becoming the first Latvian player to compete in the Bundesliga. He made his league debut shortly after, and he scored his first goal for the club in September 2012 against Borussia Mönchengladbach. During his debut season in Germany, he appeared in 34 league matches and scored 12 goals, sharing the title of the club's joint top scorer with Son Heung-Min. Although he remained with the team for several seasons, his form eventually declined, leading to fewer appearances.
In June 2016, he moved to 1. FC Köln on a free transfer. He played for the club until September 2017, when it was announced that he and the team had mutually agreed to terminate his contract. Following this decision, he chose to end his professional football career entirely.
Personal life and controversies
Outside of his club duties, Artjoms represented the Latvia national team. His international career included participation in UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying matches. He scored his first international goal for Latvia in October 2011 during a 2-0 victory against Malta. He also spent time playing for the Latvia U-21 side.
His time as a professional athlete was marked by occasional public controversy in his native Latvia. These issues included his decision to use the name Rudnev on his jersey, which sparked debate regarding his ethnic identity. Also, he faced criticism from national team captain Kaspars Gorkšs after expressing a reluctance to learn the Latvian language. In his private life, he is married and is a father to a daughter born in 2011.
Birthday and age
Artjoms Rudņevs was born on January 13, 1988, which makes Artjoms 38 years old today. That birthday falls under the Capricorn sign. Artjoms shares the date with 43 other famous people.
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