Imants Bleidelis

Football player infobox
playername = Imants Bleidelis
fullname = Imants Bleidelis


dateofbirth = birth date and age|1975|8|16
cityofbirth = Riga
countryofbirth = Latvia, USSR (now Republic of Latvia)
height = 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
currentclub = Unattached
position = Midfielder
youthyears =
youthclubs =
years = 1992-1993
1994
1994-1999
1999-2002
2002-2005
2005-2006
2006-2007
2007-
clubs = Skonto
Interskonto
Skonto
Southampton
Viborg FF
Grazer AK
FK Jūrmala
Liepājas Metalurgs
caps(goals) = 001 0(0)
011 0(1)
128 (24)
002 0(0)
055 0(6)
028 0(0)
011 0(3)
00 0(0)
nationalyears = 1995-
nationalteam = Latvia
nationalcaps(goals) = 0106 (10)
pcupdate = 20:55 2 February 2008 (UTC)
ntupdate = 22:25 2 February, 2008 (UTC)

Imants Bleidelis (born August 16, 1975 in Riga,Latvia) is a football midfielder from Latvia. He currently plays for FK Liepājas Metalurgs and has made over 100 appearances for the Latvia national team.

Club career

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,cite news
title = Bleidelis signs in £650,000 Dell move
publisher = Basingstoke Gazette
date = 1999-12-21
url = http://archive.basingstokegazette.co.uk/1999/12/21/88029.html
accessdate = 2008-02-02 ] where he joined fellow-countryman Marian Pahars. Bleidelis signed a three-and-a-half-year contreact. However, he played only two league games in three seasons, and after being allowed to go on trial in Denmark with Superliga club, Viborg FF January 2003cite news
title = Bleidelis leaves Saints
publisher = BBC Sport
date = 2003-01-13
url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/s/southampton/2655047.stm
accessdate = 2008-02-02 ] Southampton released him on 26 January,cite web
title = Transfers: 20-26 January
publisher = UEFA
date = 2003-01-26
url = http://www.uefa.com/footballeurope/news/kind=1/newsid=51086.html
accessdate = 2008-02-02] and two days later he signed a two year contract with Viborg,cite web
title = Bleidelis set for fresh start
publisher = UEFA
date = 2003-01-28
url = http://www.uefa.com/footballeurope/news/kind=1/newsid=51254.html
accessdate = 2008-02-02] where he scored six goals in 55 appearances.

However, he left Viborg in winter 2004 after turning down a new contract. Despite offers from two Latvian clubs, Skonto and FK Venta in 2005 he moved to Austria to play for Austrian Bundesliga Grazer AK where he signed a two year contract.cite web
title = Bleidelis bound for GAK
publisher = UEFA
date = 2005-01-24
url = http://www.uefa.com/competitions/uefacup/news/kind=1/newsid=274646.html
accessdate = 2008-02-02] He made his debut for the club on 17 February 2005 in the UEFA Cupcite web
title = Schachner eyes Middlesbrough upset
publisher = UEFA
date = 2005-02-17
url = http://www.uefa.com/competitions/uefacup/history/season=2004/round=1977/match=79934/report=pr.html
accessdate = 2008-02-02] against English club Middlesbrough.cite web
title = GAK equalisers ensure parity
publisher = UEFA
date = 2005-02-17
url = http://www.uefa.com/competitions/uefacup/history/season=2004/round=1977/match=79934/report=rp.html
accessdate = 2008-02-02]

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

International career

Bleidelis has played over 100 international matches and scored ten goals for Latvia. 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.cite web
title = Imants Bleidelis - Century of International Appearances
publisher = Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation
date = 2007-12-14
url = http://rsssf.com/miscellaneous/bleidelis-intl.html
accessdate = 2008-02-02]

Honours

Club
*Skonto
** Virsliga champion: (6) 1992, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998
** Latvian Football Cup: (4) 1992, 1995, 1997, 1998

*Metalurgs
** Virsliga runner-up: (1) 2007
** Baltic League winner: (1) 2007

References

External links

*soccerbase|id=17307|name=Imants Bleidelis
* [http://www.lff.lv/lv/aizlase/speletaji/bleidelis/ Profile at the Latvian Football Federation] lv icon
* [http://www.rsssf.com/miscellaneous/bleidelis-intl.html International career at www.rsssf.com]