After several years away from the game, former Latvian international and Bundesliga forward Artjoms Rudņevs is returning to football – this time as a youth coach for the U-13 age group at the Daugavpils Football School.
The 37-year-old Daugavpils native retired from professional football in 2017, when he mutually terminated his contract with Bundesliga club 1. FC Köln. Before moving to Germany, Rudņevs made his name in Poland with Lech Poznań, where he became the league’s top scorer and gained international attention after netting a hat-trick against Juventus in the UEFA Europa League.
His performances earned him a 2012 transfer to Hamburger SV for a reported fee of over €3 million, making him the only Latvian ever to feature in the German Bundesliga. In total, he spent five seasons in Germany, making 108 appearances and scoring 22 goals before ending his career for family reasons. He also earned 38 caps for the Latvian national team, scoring two goals.
Speaking about Rudņevs’ appointment, Daugavpils Football School director Deniss Sarafaņuks emphasized the importance of his arrival:
“This is undoubtedly a valuable addition not only for Daugavpils but for the overall development of Latvian football. About a month ago, Artjoms and I discussed the possibility of such cooperation, and I was convinced that we couldn’t miss this opportunity. Having a homegrown talent like him, who wants and is able to share his experience with our young players, is a great privilege.”
