Ilya Vakhania

Ilya Vakhania's only competitive outing for Zenit's senior side came in the Europa League against Red Star Belgrade in November 2022, a substitute appearance that stands alone on his first-team record in St Petersburg. He never played a Russian Premier League or Russian Cup match for the club he had come through since the academy.

The route to that point ran through Zenit-2, where he made around 60 appearances and scored twice between 2020 and 2023. In July 2023 he moved to Rostov, and there the pattern changed: 86 appearances across all competitions, with two goals. He is both-footed, and most often at right-back, but also on the left, in the centre of defence and further forward as a left midfielder or wing-back.

Russia's youth sides took him through each stage: one cap at under-17, twelve at under-18, then eight at under-19 with a goal, including qualifying for the 2020 European Under-19 Championship. His senior debut followed on 28 May 2024, in a friendly against Belarus. By the middle of 2026 he had around a dozen senior caps and two goals.

Krasnodar signed him in June 2026 on a contract to 30 June 2030, for a reported fee of about €1.55 million — 140 million roubles. He was born in Saint Petersburg and holds Russian citizenship; his Georgian roots come through his father, Sosso Vakhania.