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Imants Bleidelis

Imants Bleidelis
Personal information
Date of birth (1975-08-16) 16 August 1975 (age 50)
Place of birth Riga, Latvian SSR, USSR
(now Republic of Latvia)
Height 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s) Midfielder
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1992–1993 Skonto 1 (0)
1994 Interskonto 11 (1)
1994–1999 Skonto 118 (24)
1999–2002 Southampton 3 (0)
2002–2005 Viborg 57 (6)
2005–2006 Grazer AK 28 (0)
2006–2007 Jūrmala 26 (7)
2007–2008 Liepājas Metalurgs 22 (1)
Total 266 (39)
International career
1995–2007 Latvia 106 (10)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals

Imants Bleidelis (born 16 August 1975) is a Latvian former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He made 106 appearances for the Latvia national team.

Club career

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Born in Riga, Latvian SSR, Soviet Union, Bleidelis started his career at Skonto in 1992. In 1994, he played for Inter Skonto, and then between 1994 and 1999 he played 128 games scoring 24 games for Skonto. Skonto then sold him to English club, Southampton who were then in the Premier League, for £650,000,[1] where he joined fellow countryman Marians Pahars.[2] Bleidelis signed a three-and-a-half-year contract.[1] He played only three league games in three seasons, and after being allowed to go on trial in Denmark with Superliga club, Viborg January 2003[2] Southampton released him on 26 January,[3] and two days later he signed a two-year contract with Viborg,[2][4] where he scored six goals in 57 appearances.

He left Viborg in winter 2004 after turning down a new contract. Despite offers from two Latvian clubs, Skonto and Venta, in 2005, he moved to Austria to play for Austrian Bundesliga club Grazer AK, where he signed a two-year contract.[5] He made his debut for the club on 17 February 2005 in the UEFA Cup[6] against English club Middlesbrough.[7]

He moved back to Latvia in 2006 with Jūrmala. In 2007, he moved to Liepājas Metalurgs. Bleidelis had his contract with Liepājas Metalurgs terminated on 7 July 2008, along with another Latvian international, Andrejs Rubins.

International career

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Bleidelis played over 100 international matches and scored ten goals for the Latvia national team. He made his debut on 19 May 1995 against Estonia in the Baltic Cup. He played at the Euro 2004 finals and his 100th appearance came on 2 June 2007 against Spain in UEFA European Championship qualifier.[8]

Career statistics

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International

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Appearances and goals by national team and year[9]
National team Year Apps Goals
Latvia 1995 6 0
1996 5 0
1997 13 2
1998 9 2
1999 7 1
2000 7 0
2001 9 0
2002 8 0
2003 10 3
2004 12 0
2005 8 2
2006 4 0
2007 8 0
Total 106 10
Scores and results list Latvia's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Bleidelis goal.
List of international goals scored by Imants Bleidelis
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition Ref.
1 25 June 1997 Daugava Stadium, Riga, Latvia  Andorra 2–0 4–1 Friendly [10]
2 4–1
3 6 February 1998 National Stadium, Ta' Qali, Malta  Georgia 1–2 1–2 Friendly [11]
4 26 June 1998 Pärnu Rannastaadion, Pärnu, Estonia  Andorra 2–0 2–0 Friendly [12]
5 8 September 1999 Boris Paichadze National Stadium, Tbilisi, Georgia  Georgia 1–2 2–2 UEFA Euro 2000 qualifying [13]
6 30 April 2003 Skonto Stadium, Riga, Latvia  San Marino 2–0 3–0 UEFA Euro 2004 qualifying [14]
7 3–0
8 10 September 2003 Skonto Stadium, Riga, Latvia  Hungary 2–0 3–1 UEFA Euro 2004 qualifying [15]
9 30 April 2005 Skonto Stadium, Riga, Latvia  Luxembourg 1–0 4–0 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification [16]
10 8 June 2005 Skonto Stadium, Riga, Latvia  Liechtenstein 1–0 1–0 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification [17]

Honours

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Skonto[18]

Metalurgs

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Bleidelis signs in £650,000 Dell move". Basingstoke Gazette. 21 December 1999. Archived from the original on 6 December 2008. Retrieved 2 February 2008.
  2. ^ a b c "Bleidelis leaves Saints". BBC Sport. 13 January 2003. Retrieved 2 February 2008.
  3. ^ "Transfers: 20–26 January". UEFA. 26 January 2003. Retrieved 2 February 2008.[dead link]
  4. ^ "Bleidelis set for fresh start". UEFA. 28 January 2003. Retrieved 2 February 2008.[dead link]
  5. ^ "Bleidelis bound for GAK". UEFA. 24 January 2005. Archived from the original on 30 January 2005. Retrieved 2 February 2008.
  6. ^ "Schachner eyes Middlesbrough upset". UEFA. 17 February 2005. Retrieved 2 February 2008.[dead link]
  7. ^ "GAK equalisers ensure parity". UEFA. 17 February 2005. Retrieved 2 February 2008.[dead link]
  8. ^ "Imants Bleidelis - Century of International Appearances". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. 14 December 2007. Retrieved 2 February 2008.
  9. ^ "Imants Bleidelis". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmermann. Retrieved 4 August 2025.
  10. ^ "Latvia vs. Andorra". National Football Teams. Retrieved 4 August 2025.
  11. ^ "Georgia vs. Latvia". National Football Teams. Retrieved 4 August 2025.
  12. ^ "Andorra vs. Latvia". National Football Teams. Retrieved 4 August 2025.
  13. ^ "Georgia vs. Latvia". National Football Teams. Retrieved 4 August 2025.
  14. ^ "Latvia vs. San Marino". National Football Teams. Retrieved 4 August 2025.
  15. ^ "Latvia vs. Hungary". National Football Teams. Retrieved 4 August 2025.
  16. ^ "Latvia vs. Luxembourg". National Football Teams. Retrieved 4 August 2025.
  17. ^ "Latvia vs. Liechtenstein". National Football Teams. Retrieved 4 August 2025.
  18. ^ "Imants Bleidelis". 90minut.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 16 August 2024.
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