Name: Ilia (Ilya) Tsymbalar

• Full name: Ilya Vladimirovich Tsymbalar (Илья Владимирович Цымбалар)
• Date of birth: 2 September 1969
• Place of birth: Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union
• Date of death: 23 February 2013
• Position: Midfielder / Attacking midfielder
• Nationality: Represented Russia internationally (also held Ukrainian origins)

Club career (highlights):

• SKA Odessa — early career
• Chornomorets Odesa — played in the early 1990s
• Spartak Moscow (1991–1996) — key period, won multiple Russian league titles
• Lokomotiv Moscow (1997–2000) — continued to be influential in midfield
• Later spells included a return to Chornomorets Odesa and smaller clubs before retirement

International career:

• Represented Russia national team (caps: 32, goals: 6) between 1992 and 1999
• Played at UEFA Euro 1996 for Russia

Playing style and legacy:

• Creative attacking midfielder known for vision, passing and long-range shooting
• Remembered for his contributions to Spartak Moscow’s dominance in the 1990s and as an important figure in the Russian national team during that decade
• Later worked in coaching roles after retiring as a player

Notable honours:

• Multiple Russian Premier League titles with Spartak Moscow
• Domestic cups and recognition as one of the leading Russian midfielders of the 1990s

Trivia: Although born in what is now Ukraine, Tsymbalar chose to represent Russia at senior international level and became a well-known figure in Russian football before his untimely death in 2013.