Robert Zebelyan
Zebelyan in 2009
Personal information
Date of birth (1984-03-31) 31 March 1984
Place of birth Sochi, Soviet Union
Height 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Position(s) Forward
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2002–2004 Zhemchuzhina Sochi 62 (9)
2005–2006 Sochi-04 22 (9)
2006–2007 Kuban Krasnodar 44 (23)
2007–2008 Khimki 10 (0)
2008 → Baltika Kaliningrad (loan) 27 (3)
2009–2010 Zhemchuzhina Sochi 67 (26)
2011 Dinamo Minsk 9 (2)
2011 Tobol Kostanay 11 (2)
2013 Sochi
International career
2006–2008 Armenia 7 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Robert Zebelyan (Armenian: Ռոբերտ Զեբելյան; born 31 March 1984) is an Armenian former professional footballer who played as a forward.

Early life

Born in Sochi, Soviet Union, Zebelyan played different sports as a child, including tennis, before focusing more on football.[1]

Club career

Youth

As a youth player, Zebelyan joined the youth academy of Zhemchuzhina Sochi, before joining a sports boarding school in Krasnodar, where he stayed for over a year.[2]

Senior

Zebelyan started his career with Zhemchuzhina Sochi, where he made sixty-two appearances and scored nine goals.[2] His first stint for Zhemchuzhina Sochi was only a few years after the club's only spell in the Russian Premier League.[3] After that, he signed for Sochi-04, where he suffered unpaid wages.[3] In 2006, Zebelyan signed for Kuban Krasnodar with a contract expiring at the end of 2008.[4] Zebelyan scored 23 goals for Kuban Krasnodar, becoming the club's top scorer that season and one of the top scorers of the league that season.[5][6] However, during the 2007 season, he made significantly less appearances for Kuban Krasnodar due to the manager (Pavlo Yakovenko) trusting him less as the 2007 season began, even after he scored during preseason friendlies.[4] Kuban Krasnodar were initially reluctant to let him play for the Armenia national team due to the congestion of fixtures in the Russian second tier but they eventually let represent Armenia internationally.[7] During the middle of the 2000s, Zebelyan was considered a consistent goalscoring threat in the Russian second tier.[8]

In 2007, he signed for Khimki, where he mainly appeared as a substitute.[9] In 2008, Zebelyan signed for Baltika Kaliningrad, where he wore the number ninety-nine shirt, a number considered by some to be unusual for a footballer.[9] That year, he suffered an injury which caused him to receive treatment.[10] In 2009, he returned to Zhemchuzhina Sochi.[11] Zebelyan dropped a division to return to Zhemchuzhina Sochi with the aim of resurrecting the club's fortunes, but the club dissolved a few seasons later.[5]

Before the 2011 season, Zebelyan signed for Dinamo Minsk, where he failed to completely establish himself as a starting player.[12][13] He scored his first goal for Dinamo Minsk during a 1–0 win over Dnepr, the club's first win in four matches and the first goal his team scored after a goalless streak of 403 minutes, and temporarily eased the pressure on then Dinamo Minsk manager Oleg Vasilenko.[13][12] In total, he made nine league appearances and scored two goals for Dinamo Minsk.[5] In 2011, Zebelyan signed for Tobol Kostanay, debuting in the Champions League against Slovan Bratislava, but suffered an injury which caused him to get treatment in Armenia.[5][10]

International career

Youth

Zebelyan has represented Armenia at youth level.[14] He was eligible to represent Russia, having been born there.[15]

Senior

Zebelyan made seven appearances for the Armenia national team from 2006 to 2008.[8][15] He debuted for Armenia during a 1–0 loss to Finland.[16] He participated in the UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying matches.[17] In 2011, he was recalled to a training camp for the Armenia national team but did not make another appearance for them.[18]

Post-playing career

After retirement, Zebelyan worked in real estate.[3]

Style of play

As a youth player, Zebelyan initially operated as a defender before starting to operate as a striker.[1]

Personal life

Zebelyan's father had to buy his transfer rights so he could play for Zhemchuzhina Sochi.[1] Zebelyan has a wife and son.[6]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Роберт Забелян: думаю, в чемпионате Беларуси немало шороху наведем". pressball.by.
  2. 1 2 "ПРЕДСТАВЛЯЕМ ЛУЧШЕГО БОМБАРДИРА КОМАНДЫ".
  3. 1 2 3 ""ПОСЛЕ ВЫХОДА В ФНЛ БЫЛ БАНКЕТ С "ВИАГРОЙ" И КСЕНИЕЙ СОБЧАК". ЧТО ТВОРИЛОСЬ В ГОРОДЕ, ГДЕ СЫГРАЛА СБОРНАЯ РОССИИ". matchtv.ru.
  4. 1 2 "Роберт Зебелян: "Не знаю, почему не попадаю в основной состав "Кубани"". euro-football.ru.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "Роберт Зебелян: С уходом из "Кубани" я поторопился". sportfiction.ru.
  6. 1 2 "Роберт Зебелян: "В "Жемчужине" я играл с Русланом Балтиевым"". sports.kz.
  7. ↑ "Председатель совета директоров "Кубани": "Зебелян в сборной Армении получил порцию уверенности"". armenia-online.ru.
  8. 1 2 "20 հայ ֆուտբոլիստներ, որոնք չարդարացրին սպասելիքները".
  9. 1 2 "Зебелян: первый круг отыграл очень плохо". championat.com.
  10. 1 2 "Ռոբերտ Զեբելյան. Ռոման Բերեզովսկու խորհրդով վիրահատվեցի Երեւանում". news.am.
  11. ↑ "Ռոբերտ Զեբելյանը տխրեցրեց Ռոման Բերեզովսկուն". aysor.am.
  12. 1 2 "Ռոբերտ Զեբելյան. Ցանկություն ունեմ ամռանը տեղափոխվել ուրիշ ակումբ". tert.am. Archived from the original on 7 April 2023. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
  13. 1 2 "Роберт Зебелян: с каждым годом Олег Василенко становится все более зрелым наставником". pressball.by.
  14. ↑ "Роберт Зебелян: "Приеду в сборную Армении, но только через год"". regnum.ru.
  15. 1 2 "Роберт Зебелян: "Тобол" – команда с традициями»". sports.kz.
  16. ↑ "Роберт Зебелян: На 90% был уверен в том, что сыграю за сборную". yuga.ru.
  17. ↑ "Роберт Зебелян: От вердикта УЕФА пострадала сборная Армении". aze.az.
  18. ↑ "На матч с Россией вызовут Зебеляна". sport-express.ru.
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