Saba Sazonov
 Sazonov with Dynamo Moscow in 2022 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Saba Andreyevich Sazonov | ||
| Date of birth | 1 February 2002 | ||
| Place of birth | Saint Petersburg, Russia | ||
| Height | 1.94 m (6 ft 4 in)[1] | ||
| Position | Centre-back | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Getafe | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2008–2020 | Zenit Saint Petersburg | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2019–2021 | Zenit-2 Saint Petersburg | 24 | (3) |
| 2021 | Zenit Saint Petersburg | 1 | (0) |
| 2021–2023 | Dynamo Moscow | 34 | (1) |
| 2021–2022 | → Dynamo-2 Moscow | 9 | (2) |
| 2023–2026 | Torino | 13 | (0) |
| 2024–2025 | → Empoli (loan) | 0 | (0) |
| 2026– | Getafe | 0 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2022–2025 | Georgia U21 | 12 | (2) |
| 2022– | Georgia | 3 | (0) |
|
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 31 August 2025 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 18 June 2025 | |||
Saba Andreyevich Sazonov (Russian: Саба Андреевич Сазонов; Georgian: საბა საზონოვი; born 1 February 2002) is a professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for La Liga club Getafe. Born in Russia, he plays for the Georgia national team internationally.
Early life
[edit]His mother Nino Nishnianidze is a former professional Georgian volleyball player from Samtredia. She moved to Saint Petersburg where she met her Russian husband. During his childhood, Sazonov moved to Georgia and then back to Russia, to feel more comfortable with both countries' language and culture.[2]
Club career
[edit]Sazonov made his debut in the Russian Premier League for FC Zenit Saint Petersburg on 16 May 2021 in a game against FC Tambov. He was substituted on for Magomed Ozdoyev in the 76th minute.[3]
In June 2021, he joined Dynamo Moscow on trial.[4] On 9 July 2021, after impressing on trial, he signed a three-year contract with Dynamo.[5]
On 31 August 2023, he signed for Serie A club Torino, becoming the third Georgian in the Serie A ahead the 2023–24 season.[6]
Having taken part in 13 league matches for Torino, Sazonov signed a year-long loan contract with Empoli on 30 August 2024.[7] Before he played any games for Empoli, he suffered an ACL tear in training, which eventually kept him out of play for the rest on the 2024–25 season.[8]
On 4 August 2026, free agent Sazonov signed a one-year contract with La Liga club Getafe.[9]
International career
[edit]In September 2022, Sazonov was called up to the Georgia national under-21 football team.[10] He was also called up to the Russian team for the same dates,[11] but he chose to represent Georgia. Sazonov took part in all four games of the 2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship, scoring a header in a 2–0 win over Portugal.[12]
Sazonov debuted with the senior Georgia national team in a friendly 3–0 loss to Morocco on 17 November 2022.[13]
Career statistics
[edit]Club
[edit]- As of matches played on 17 August 2024
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Zenit-2 St. Petersburg | 2019–20 | Russian Second League | 6 | 0 | – | – | – | 6 | 0 | |||
| 2020–21 | Russian Second League | 18 | 3 | – | – | – | 18 | 3 | ||||
| Total | 24 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 24 | 3 | |||
| Zenit St. Petersburg | 2020–21 | Russian Premier League | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 1 | 0 | |
| Dynamo-2 Moscow | 2021–22 | Russian Second League | 9 | 2 | – | – | – | 9 | 2 | |||
| Dynamo Moscow | 2021–22 | Russian Premier League | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 6 | 0 | ||
| 2022–23 | Russian Premier League | 24 | 1 | 6 | 0 | – | – | 30 | 1 | |||
| 2023–24 | Russian Premier League | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | – | 5 | 0 | |||
| Total | 34 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 41 | 1 | |||
| Torino | 2023–24 | Serie A | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 12 | 0 | ||
| 2024–25 | Serie A | 1 | 0 | – | – | – | 1 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 13 | 0 | |||
| Empoli (loan) | 2024–25 | Serie A | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | 0 | 0 | |||
| Career total | 81 | 6 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 88 | 6 | ||
Honours
[edit]Zenit Saint Petersburg
References
[edit]- ↑ "Saba Sazonov" (in Russian). FC Dynamo Moscow. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
- ↑ "Саба Сазонов: "На отборе в "Газпром"-Академию был в майке сборной Бразилии. Меня так и внесли в список — "бразилец""" (in Russian). FC Zenit Saint Petersburg. 8 February 2021.
- ↑ "Tambov v Zenit game report". Russian Premier League. 16 May 2021.
- ↑ "Динамовцы уступили ЧФР в первом матче на "ВТБ тренировочном сборе" в Австрии" (in Russian). FC Dynamo Moscow. 26 June 2021.
- ↑ "Саба Сазонов перешёл в "Динамо"" (in Russian). FC Dynamo Moscow. 9 July 2021.
- ↑ "Saba Sazonov becomes third Georgian in Serie A with move to Torino". Agenda.ge. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
- ↑ "ოფიციალურად: საბა საზონოვი "ემპოლის" ფეხბურთელია". worldsport.ge (in Georgian). Retrieved 30 August 2024.
- ↑ "Report medico su Saba Sazonov" [Medical report on Saba Sazonov] (in Italian). Empoli FC. 26 September 2024. Retrieved 20 May 2025.
- ↑ "COMUNICADO OFICIAL: Saba Sazonov nueva incorporación al club" [OFFICIAL STATEMENT: Saba Sazonov new signing to the club] (in Spanish). Getafe CF. 4 August 2026. Retrieved 4 August 2026.
- ↑ "Динамовцы в национальных сборных" [Dynamo players in national teams] (in Russian). FC Dynamo Moscow. 19 September 2022.
- ↑ "Тренерский штаб молодёжной команды объявил состав на сентябрьский сбор" (in Russian). Russian Football Union. 15 September 2022. Retrieved 15 September 2022.
- ↑ "Georgia U21 vs Portugal U21 match report". UEFA. 21 June 2025. Retrieved 7 June 2025.
- ↑ Strack-Zimmermann, Benjamin. "Morocco vs. Georgia". www.national-football-teams.com.
External links
[edit]- Saba Sazonov at Soccerway
- Saba Sazonov at Russian Premier League (in Russian) (archive in English)
- 2002 births
- Living people
- People from Georgia (country) of Russian descent
- Russian people of Georgian descent
- Sportspeople of Georgian descent
- Russian men's footballers
- Footballers from Saint Petersburg
- Men's footballers from Georgia (country)
- Men's association football central defenders
- Georgia (country) men's international footballers
- Georgia (country) men's under-21 international footballers
- 21st-century sportsmen from Georgia (country)
- Russian Premier League players
- Russian Second League players
- Serie A players
- FC Zenit Saint Petersburg players
- FC Zenit-2 Saint Petersburg players
- FC Dynamo Moscow players
- Torino FC players
- Empoli FC players
- Getafe CF footballers
- Expatriate men's footballers from Georgia (country)
- Russian expatriate men's footballers
- Expatriate men's footballers in Italy
- Expatriate sportspeople from Georgia (country) in Italy
- Russian expatriate sportspeople in Italy
- Expatriate men's footballers in Spain
- Expatriate sportspeople from Georgia (country) in Spain
- Russian expatriate sportspeople in Spain
- 21st-century Russian sportsmen