Alexey Smertin, Russian footballer
Aleksey Gennadyevich Smertin (Russian: Алексе́й Генна́дьевич Сме́ртин, IPA: [ɐlʲɪkˈsʲej ɡʲɪˈnːadʲɪvʲɪtɕ ˈsʲmʲertʲɪn]; born 1 May 1975) is a Russian football official and a former player. He was a fairly versatile player and was able to play in defence as well as midfield. He works in the Russian Football Union in two positions - "director of regional policies and international relations" and "anti-discrimination and anti-racism officer".
He played for clubs in Russia, France and England. Smertin retired from professional football in 2008 after having his contract with Fulham terminated and discovering a new career in politics.
He was the captain of the Russian national team, and earned 55 caps from 1998 to 2006, representing the nation at the 2002 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2004.