Aleksei Bugayev

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Aleksei Bugayev

| image = Bugaev Alexey Ivanovich (3x4 cropped).jpg

| caption = Bugayev in 2010

| full_name = Aleksei Ivanovich Bugayev

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1981|8|25|df=y}}

| birth_place = Moscow, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union

| death_date = {{Death date and age|2024|12|29|1981|8|25|df=y}}

| death_place = Ukraine

| height = 1.80 m

| position = Defender

| years1 = 1999–2000

| clubs1 = Torpedo-2 Moscow

| caps1 = 36

| goals1 = 3

| years2 = 2001

| clubs2 = Torpedo Moscow

| caps2 = 2

| goals2 = 0

| years3 = 2001–2002

| clubs3 = Tom Tomsk

| caps3 = 34

| goals3 = 1

| years4 = 2003–2004

| clubs4 = Torpedo Moscow

| caps4 = 39

| goals4 = 0

| years5 = 2005–2006

| clubs5 = Lokomotiv Moscow

| caps5 = 8

| goals5 = 0

| years6 = 2006–2008

| clubs6 = Tom Tomsk

| caps6 = 54

| goals6 = 1

| years7 = 2008

| clubs7 = Khimki

| caps7 = 0

| goals7 = 0

| years8 = 2009–2010

| clubs8 = Krasnodar

| caps8 = 20

| goals8 = 0

| totalcaps = 193

| totalgoals = 5

| nationalyears1 = 2001–2003

| nationalteam1 = Russia U21

| nationalcaps1 = 2

| nationalgoals1 = 0

| nationalyears2 = 2004–2005

| nationalteam2 = Russia

| nationalcaps2 = 7

| nationalgoals2 = 0

}}

Aleksei Ivanovich Bugayev ({{langx|ru|Алексе́й Ива́нович Буга́ев}}; 25 August 1981 – 29 December 2024) was a Russian professional footballer who played as a defender.

Club career

Bugayev played for Tom Tomsk, Torpedo Moscow, Lokomotiv Moscow, Khimki, and Krasnodar.

International career

Bugayev made his debut for the Russia national team in 2004, playing 90 minutes in a friendly match against Austria ending in a goalless draw.{{cite web |title=Austria vs. Russia. 0 - 0 |date=25 May 2004 |url=https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2004/05/25/world/friendlies/austria/russia/633306/ |website=int.soccerway.com |access-date=29 December 2024 |language=en}} He was then included in the squad at the UEFA Euro 2004. He was an unused substitute in the 1–0 loss against Spain, but played the full 90 minutes in the 0–2 loss to Portugal{{cite web|title=History: Russia 0-2 Portugal UEFA EURO 2004 |url=https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuro/match/73739/ |website=UEFA |date=16 June 2004 |access-date=29 December 2024 |language=en}} and in the 2–1 win against Greece.{{cite web |title=History: Russia 2-1 Greece UEFA EURO 2004 |url=https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuro/match/73741/ |website=UEFA |date=20 June 2004 |access-date=29 December 2024 |language=en}} He earned three more caps in 2006 World Cup qualification, playing 90 minutes in 4–0 wins against both Luxembourg{{cite web|title=Luxembourg - Russia. FIFA WC 2006 Prel. Comp. European Zone |url=http://fifa.com/worldcup/archive/germany2006/preliminaries/preliminary%3D8071/matches/match%3D36542/report.html |date=9 October 2004 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071023021401/http://fifa.com/worldcup/archive/germany2006/preliminaries/preliminary=8071/matches/match=36542/report.html |website=Fifa.org |access-date=29 December 2024 |archive-date=23 October 2007}} and Estonia{{cite web|title=Russia - Estonia. FIFA WC 2006 Prel. Comp. European Zone |url=http://fifa.com/worldcup/archive/germany2006/preliminaries/preliminary%3D8071/matches/match%3D36548/report.html |date=17 November 2004 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071023021417/http://fifa.com/worldcup/archive/germany2006/preliminaries/preliminary=8071/matches/match=36548/report.html |website=FIFA.com |access-date=30 December 2024 |archive-date=23 October 2007}} and a 1–7 loss against Portugal.{{cite web |title=Portugal - Russia. FIFA WC 2006 Prel. Comp. European Zone |url=http://fifa.com/worldcup/archive/germany2006/preliminaries/preliminary%3D8071/matches/match%3D36542/report.html |date=13 October 2004 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071023021407/http://fifa.com/worldcup/archive/germany2006/preliminaries/preliminary=8071/matches/match=36543/report.html |website=FIFA.com |access-date=29 December 2024 |archive-date=23 October 2007}} His last appearance for Russia was in a friendly against Italy in 2005.{{cite web |title=Italy vs. Russia 2 - 0 |url=https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2005/02/09/world/friendlies/italy/russia/361737/ |website=int.soccerway.com |date=9 February 2005 |access-date=29 December 2024}} He retired from his career in 2010.{{cite news |last1=Yokhin |first1=Michael |title=Aleksey Bugaev: Russian footballer’s spiralling story ends with death in Ukraine |url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2025/jan/02/aleksey-bugaev-russian-footballer-death-in-ukraine |access-date=2 January 2025 |work=The Guardian |date=2 January 2025}}

Personal life and death

Bugayev had issues with alcohol addiction throughout his adult life and retired early from playing football at the age of 29. He worked for a recycling business after retirement but turned to crime to pay for his alcohol debts. https://www.theguardian.com/football/2025/jan/02/aleksey-bugaev-russian-footballer-death-in-ukraine

On 28 October 2023, Bugayev was arrested in Krasnodar in possession of 495 grams of mephedrone.{{cite web|author=Yevgeniya Lepyokhina |publisher=RTVI |url=https://rtvi.com/news/eks-futbolista-sbornoj-rossii-bugaeva-zaderzhali-s-mefedronom/ |title=Экс-футболиста сборной России Бугаева задержали с мефедроном |trans-title=Ex-football player of the Russian national team Bugayev has been detained with mephedrone |lang=Russian |date=1 November 2023 |access-date=30 December 2024}} On 24 September 2024, he pled guilty to drug distribution and was sentenced to 9.5 years of imprisonment.{{cite web|publisher=Krasnodar Krai Court |website=Telegram |url=https://t.me/opskuban/978 |title=Экс-футболист осужден за покушение на незаконный сбыт наркотиков |trans-title=Ex-football player convicted for attempt to sell illegal drugs |date=24 September 2024 |language=ru |access-date=30 December 2024}} While imprisoned, Bugayev sought to enlist in the military to participate in the war against Ukraine.

On 29 December 2024, Bugayev was killed fighting for Russia in its invasion of Ukraine.{{cite news|title=Бывший футболист сборной России Бугаев погиб в зоне СВО |trans-title=Former Russian national team football player Bugayev has died in the SMO zone |lang=Russian |author=Daniil Arshavsky |url=https://www.sport-express.ru/football/rfpl/news/byvshiy-futbolist-sbornoy-rossii-bugaev-pogib-v-zone-svo-2286242/ |date=29 December 2024 |agency=Sport Express |access-date=30 December 2024}} Due to his death in the war zone, his body could not be immediately recovered.{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/former-russian-national-team-member-killed-ukraine-war-2024-12-29/ |title=Former Russian national team member killed in Ukraine war |author=Ron Popeski |editor=Hugh Lawson |publisher=Reuters |quote="Unfortunately, the news about Aleksei's death is true. It happened today." |date=29 December 2024 |access-date=30 December 2024}}