The story of Nikita Chaikin, the goalkeeper of Bodo Glimt who will play tonight against Rome in the quarter-final rematch of the Conference League (1: 2 for the Norwegians in the first game), is of great interest to the Israeli reader.
Still, this is a 26-year-old Netanya native who left Israel at a young age but returned to it a few years later and during his career.
Chaikin was a partner in Bnei Yehuda's winning of the Toto Cup in 2017 and a season later stood in Hapoel Kfar Saba's goal in several games. Tonight to Olimpico hoping to make history.
Israel is one small pin on Chaikin's busy football map.
At the age of two, he left Netanya following his father, a businessman and banker, back to Russia.
He made his first steps in football in the schools of Dynamo and Torpedo from Moscow, but following accusations against his father (which Nikita vehemently denies), the family was forced to leave Russia and move to England.
There he continued to study and develop at Chelsea, Portsmouth and Reading - coincidentally or not, three clubs that at the time were owned by Russian oligarchs - and then it was time to try and start a career.
Chaikin moved to Madeira in Portugal, from there to Marbella in Spain, until he eventually returned to Russia - to Saransk and Krasnodar.
In all of these clubs he either did not make the senior team squad or was a substitute goalkeeper who was not a partner at all.
The first time he played was in Bnei Yehuda, but only when Emilio Zubas was injured, and in Kfar Saba when she struggled at the bottom of the national league. The release from Kfar Saba left Chaikin without a team and direction.
Even when he was granted English citizenship, groups like Bradford City and Stevenage Town rejected him, and retirement thoughts began to pop into his mind.
Just before he hung up his gloves, the offer came from Bodo Glimt.
Chaikin said he had never heard of the team from northern Norway, and although it was made clear to him that he would arrive as a second goalkeeper, he took the offer with both hands.
In the first season he did sit on the bench, but in 2020 - during the corona plague - he took the place of the Dutch Joshua Smiths and has not looked back since.
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Bodo-Glimt vs Celtic
A reminder Bodo-Glimt will be without first choice goalkeeper Nikita Khaykin for tomorrow's fixture due to suspension.
29 year old Dutchman Joshua Smits is in line to make his first appearance since the beginning of August.
pic.twitter.com/0uqNOZyDRp
- Everything Celtic (@aboutceltic) February 23, 2022
Precisely in the little Bodo Glimt, Chaikin shows all his abilities: feline leaps, excellent height play, and no less important - control of the foot game.
He was a senior partner in the team's two consecutive and historic championships and of course in its incredible journey in Europe - which currently includes a loss-free campaign with victories over Celtic, Alkmaar, CSKA Sofia and two over Rome: a huge six in the home leg, and last week's 1-2 Excellent and prevented three goals.
Chaikin is at the peak of his career today.
He has not lost a game since August last year, and was recently called up to the Russia squad.
"Look at the way he did, it's amazing," complimented veteran coach Yuri Siumin, "the fact that he did not give up testifies to his special character."
Tonight, in the highlight of his life, Chaikin will try to record another great moment in his hallucinatory journey.
Four years ago he was released from KPS, tonight he is against Mourinho.
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