Kharine, Dmitri

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Personal

Fullname:Dmitri Viktorovich Kharine
aka: Dmitri Kharine, sometimes transliterated as “Dmitre Kharine”
Born: 16 Aug 1968
Birthplace: Moscow, Russia
Signed: 22 June 1999
Left: 1 June 2002
Position: Goalkeeper
Debut: Celtic 4-0 Cwmbran Town, UEFA Cup, 26 Aug 1999
Internationals: USSR/CIS/Russia
International Caps: 6/11/23

Biog

Dmitri Kharine arrived at Celtic in summer 1999 after a mostly-successful seven year spell with Chelsea. He was at this stage of his career at the tail-end and was a mature player, soon to turn 31. He had however picked up a nasty knee injury in September 1996 and lost his place in the team – first to the portly Norwegian Frode Grodas, then to the Dutch World Cup goalie Ed de Goey.

He was the first signing of the ill-fated Barnes/Dalglish management team and saw his first-team chances limited due to recurrence of a knee injury and poor form, which included losing two goals in two consecutive games against Dundee and Hibs in what was his longest first team run (four games in a row).

He was to end up playing only sporadically, but not in any major matches.

With the new management under Martin O’Neill having arrived in season 2000/01, Dmitri Kharine was to be given just the one first team outing, in a token end of season match in a 5-2 win over Hibs in the league.

He was unable to truly knock Jonathan Gould out of the side and was released in summer 2002 by an unimpressed Martin O’Neill.

He had in total six shut-outs, a good record out of the eleven games he had played in, but note he had hardly played in any major matches under pressure (no matches against Rangers or tough European opposition).

He was later signed by Hornchurch, of the Ryman League Division 1 North. In his first game for Hornchurch he was sent off for headbutting an opponent.

Dmitri Kharine is one of the few players (Di Stefano of Argentina, Colombia and Spain is another) to have won International Honours for three countries – in his case USSR, CIS and Russia – which was all down to the political turmoil in his country.

As well as playing at World Cup ’94 and Euro ’92 and ’96, he won a Gold medal with the Soviet Union at the 1988 Summer Olympics.

Prior to joining Chelsea, Dmitri Kharine helped CSKA Moscow pull off an amazing 1992-93 Champions League win against holders Barcelona in the Nou Camp. By the time the group stage came round Dmitri Kharine had left and a significantly weakened CSKA were forced by UEFA to play their home games somewhere warmer (they settled on Germany). This all contributed to Rangers’ unlikely second-place finish in the same group.

At time of writing, Dmitri Kharine still pulls on his gloves and trademark tracksuit bottoms as a goalkeeping coach.

Goalkeeping was in the family, as his son Filipp Kharin went on to become a professional goalkeeper.

Playing Career

Honours with Celtic

Pictures

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