Dmitri Sychev

Spartak Moscow and Marseille

After having trials at clubs in FC Nantes and FC Metz, Sychev was picked up by Spartak Moscow in January 2002, where he scored eight goals in his first 12 matches, and it was during that time when he was transformed into a striker. With Spartak he reached the final of the 2002 Commonwealth of Independent States Cup. He scored 6 goals and finished second on the top scorer list, after coming in as a substitute in every match he played. He entered the symbolic top players list of the tournament. In August 2002, Sychev announced he was quitting Spartak, by giving his employers three months' notice. Having already signed a five-year contract with the Russian club he was banned from football for four months by the Russian Professional Football League (RPFL). After finishing this suspension, Sychev signed a five-year contract with Olympique de Marseille, rejecting an offer from Dynamo Kyiv. He was used as a midfielder, both left and right, but was usually a substitute during his time in France.

Lokomotiv Moscow

In late January 2004, Sychev returned to Russia to join Lokomotiv Moscow on a four-year contract. His transfer played a role in manager Yuri Syomin's decision to change the starting formation from 5–3–2 to 4–2–3–1 or 4–4–1–1, which would help Sychev form a strong attacking partnership with team's primary playmaker and captain Dmitri Loskov. He went on to claim the 2004 Russian Premier League title and the Russian Footballer of…

On 30 January 2024, Sychev was appointed president of his hometown club Irtysh Omsk in the third-tier Russian Second League.

Sychev was selected to play for the Russian national team at the 2002 FIFA World Cup, where he became the youngest player to appear for the Soviet Union or Russia at 18 years and 222 days. In the event, he scored a goal and set up other three in an otherwise disappointing Russian campaign. This goal made him the fourth youngest goalscorer in the FIFA World Cup. Sychev was called up to Russia's squad for UEFA Euro 2008 in Austria and Switzerland. Despite playing as a striker at Lokomotiv Moscow, during Guus Hiddink's stint with the Russian national team, he was used as a midfielder. He won his last cap in 2010.

Sychev was born in Omsk, a city in south-central Russia. He spent his formative years at St. Petersburg's famous Smena football academy before joining FC Spartak Tambov, a second division club. At that time he played as a midfielder.