Ruslan Nigmatullin

Ruslan Karimowitsch Nigmatulin (Russian Руслан Каримович Нигматуллин; born October 7, 1974 in Kazan, RSFSR, USSR ) is a retired Russian football goalkeeper of Tatar origin.

Nigmatulin began playing football at the club electron in its home city of Kazan. From 1992 he played for Kamas Naberezhnye Chelny, 1995, he moved to Spartak Moscow. Nevertheless, he was Russian champion twice with Spartak, he could not prevail there as a regular player. It was only after his move to Lokomotiv Moscow in 1997, he was goalkeeper in this team and won with locomotive in the seasons 1999/2000 and 2000/2001, the Russian Cup. He was voted Footballer of the Year in Russia 2001.

In 2002, he played briefly in Italy for Hellas Verona but returned that same year to Russia again to CSKA Moscow back. In 2003 he moved again to Italy, this time to Serie B for Salernitana Calcio. After brief stint playing for Terek Grozny at Lokomotiv Moscow and Nigmatulin said in 2005, first his retirement from professional sports. From 2008 he played again as a professional first at SKA Rostov, and later in the second team of Lokomotiv Moscow. In 2009, he moved to Israel Maccabi Ahi Nazareth where he but in November 2009 ended his career for good.

Nigmatulin completed a total of 24 caps for the Russian National Team, he participated in the World Cup in 2002 and some came during this tournament in all three group matches are used.

Since 2012 Nigmatulin plays for Russian beach soccer team.