The Legendary No. 1 – Sergey Kramarenko

Sergey Kramarenko, whose 80th anniversary we marked on May 27 this year, was born in 1946.

The goalkeeper made his debut for Neftçi in 1964 at the age of 18 and, that same year, was named the best newcomer of the USSR Championship alongside Anatoliy Banishevskiy. Two years later, in 1966, he won a bronze medal in the USSR Championship. One of the most prominent figures in Azerbaijani football, Kramarenko spent nearly 20 years with Neftçi and made 412 official appearances for the club — a record that still makes him Neftçi’s all-time appearance holder.

Kramarenko returned to Neftçi as a coach in 1992–1993 before taking charge as head coach. He was one of the key architects behind the club’s first league title and its first Azerbaijani Super Cup triumph. The legendary goalkeeper passed away on March 25, 2008.

The Media Department of Neftçi PFC has produced a documentary dedicated to the late Sergey Kramarenko. In the film, his son Dmitriy Kramarenko, former players Kazbek Tuayev, Asif Aliyev and Rustam Rahimov, Neftçi supporter Akif Aliyev, and renowned journalist Vasif Aghamirov share their memories of the unforgettable No. 1.

Covering virtually the entirety of Sergey Kramarenko’s life and career, from his childhood years through to his passing, the documentary is available to watch via the link below: