Yaqin Senovichi
 Senovichi playing for Osĵätoņ Aztecs in 2012. | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Yaqin Senovichi | ||
| Year of birth | 1981 | ||
| Place of birth | Osĵätoņ, Craitland | ||
| Playing position | Attacking midfielder | ||
| Senior career | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls)* |
| 2003–15 |  Osĵätoņ Aztecs FC | ||
| International career | |||
| 2006–15 | Craitland | 100 | (13) |
| * Appearances (Goals) Player has received at least one call-up for any emboldened national teams | |||
Yaqin Senovichi is a Craitish former-footballer who last played for Osĵätoņ Aztecs FC, with whom he spent his entire professional career. Widely considered one of the best players on Micras in his prime, playing in central midfield, he has had considerable success at both club and international level, and was the first player to reach 100 caps for the Craitish national side. He is a member of Craitland's "Golden Generation".
Career
Club
Senovichi's professional career began in 2003, upon signing for Osĵätoņ Feyenoord FC—as Osĵätoņ Aztecs FC were then known—for the inaugural CrFA League 1 season. He was given the team's number 9 jersey, which he wore for the club's first three campaigns. While the team finished second in the league in both their first and second seasons, they won the first edition of the King's Cup in 2004, with Senovichi scoring the winner in the 3–2 semi-final victory over Cherry Trees FC. Senovichi and the newly-renamed Aztecs won their first league title in 2005, before following that up with a second consecutive championship the following year, with Senovichi—now donning the 13 shirt—tallying five goals that season.
While the 2007 season saw the Aztecs miss-out on a third successive league win by a sole point to Cherry Trees, the club regained its King's Cup title as Senovichi scored the opening goal in the 2–0 semi-final versus Hänävissen-ó-Cräiteland FC. A then-record lowest third-place finish in the league was coupled with a cup final defeat as Senovichi was unable to help the team to a trophy win for the first time in five years in 2008.
The 2009 season saw League 1 expanded to eight teams for the first time, which the Aztecs benefited from to win a third—also Senovichi's third—league title, before finishing second behind Sverige Tiem FC the following season by a point. While the 2011 CrFA League 1 campaign finished with another Aztecs second-placed finish, the team also reached the final of the 2011 EMUFA Champions' League, the run to which Senovichi scored in against Passas' Zidado West United in the quarter-finals, but lost 3–1 to Morfaga North Rangers of Hamland. The team's final appearance led to qualifying for the first FMF Champions' League, where Senovichi's involvement helped the Aztecs to a 2–1 payback win against Morfaga in the final, making the Aztecs the first Craitish team to win any Champions' League trophy and compensating for a poor fifth-placed finish in the league that year.
Buoyed by their international success, the Aztecs narrowly sealed a fourth national title in 2013, despite Senovichi suffering from injury and having a lessened impact on the team's goals tally. Due to a combination of the severity of his injury prior to recovery and his age of 32, the Aztecs brought in fellow Craitish international Vän Vanisen from Róndlinga Diamonds FC with the aim of a long-term replacement for Senovichi as an attack-minded midfielder for the club.
Following Vanisen's transfer, Senovichi found himself a bit-part player in his final two seasons with the club; 2014 and 2015, but still contributed to the team as they reached the 2015 Cities' Cup final and also won a first confederational trophy with the 2014–15 WMFA Cup, in which they overcame both Eĵars Town FC and Xäiville Teflons FC in the semi-finals and final, respectively. Senovichi announced his retirement from football at the cessation of the 2015 season, alongside long-term teammates Paulio Demhivo, Tommy Hjansen and Vaja Neil, and ended with a total of eight trophies won with his hometown side.
International
Senovichi's international career began in 2006, when he was called-up to Craitland's squad for the first edition of the FMF World Cup. He played in all of the team's matches in the tournament as they topped the group before losing on penalties to Nova England in the quarter-finals. His importance to the national team was cemented in 2007, as an integral part of the side that won the nation its first ever title, as well as in EMU 2007, where his performances contributed to a third-placed finish; including a successful penalty conversion in the shoot-out loss to Riponia in the semi-finals.
The 2008 FMF World Cup, to which Craitland qualified as holders, was Senovichi's most prolific tournament finals appearance, as his two goals—both the third in the 3–0 quarter-final win over Hamland and in the 4–1 final defeat of Passas, respectively—helped the team to a second successive world title. Passas avenged the 2008 final defeat in the following year's EMUs, by beating Senovichi and Craitland in the final, and the World Cup later in the summer saw Senovichi score in extra-time against Bobalania in the quarter-finals; a match which Craitland won on penalties with Senovichi scoring his effort, as the team finished in third place.
Craitland and Bobalania met again in the 2010 qualifiers, with the former edging the competition once more to reach the 2010 FMF World Cup, where Senovichi found great success. Despite not finding the back of the net as the team won a third World Cup title, beating hosts Hamland in the final, Senovichi was voted the winner of the tournament's Best Player award. The midfielder was one of the big names to not be included in Craitland's EMU 2011 squad, as the team's managers chose to rest certain players with the year's World Cup in mind; a move which ended in fruition as Senovichi scored once—in a 6–1 group defeat of Antica—and scored his quarter-final shoot-out penalty as the Craits' powered their way to a record fourth world title.
Senovichi was a Craitland regular throughout 2012, appearing in EMU 2012 as the team fell 2–1 at the semi-final stage to Hamland, and scored the side's third goal in a 4–3 extra-time win over Interland to finish third. Later in the year, Senovichi was part of an underwhelming Craitish World Cup squad which lost their quarter-final 3–0 to Alexandria. Following a domestic season curtailed by injury, Senovichi still received a call-up to the nation's 2013 EMU Championships squad, but had limited impact as Craitland were eliminated at the group stage for the first time ever.
Senovichi won his 100th international cap after EMU 2013, becoming the first Craitish player to make a century of appearances, and scored in the friendly match loss to Interland. However, he was not chosen to be part of the 2013 FMF World Cup squad. Senovichi never announced his international retirement, as many players do, and remained eligible to play up until 2015 when he called time on his whole footballing career, but failed to gain any further caps following his 100th. He finished with a total of 13 international goals for Craitland.
Honours
- FMF World Cup (4): 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011
- MicrOlympics Gold (1): 2008
- CrFA League 1 (4): 2005, 2006, 2009, 2013
- King's Cup (2): 2004, 2007
- FMF Champions' League (1): 2012
- WMFA Cup (1): 2014–15
- Individual
- FMF World Cup Best Player (1): 2010
- CrFA Player of the Year (1): 2006
Personal life
Senovichi was born in Osĵätoņ. Despite its unfortunate connotations, Senovichi considers his lucky number to be 13, having worn it on his shirt at both club and international level for a number of years.
