Denys Bunchukov

Denys Bunchukov
Personal information
Full name	Denys Olehovych Bunchukov
Date of birth	20 June 2003 (age 21)
Place of birth	Kyiv, Ukraine
Height	1.76 m (5 ft 9 in)
Position(s)	Midfielder
Team information
Current team	URSL Visé
Number	6
Youth career
2013–2018	Dynamo Kyiv
2018–2019	Arsenal Shchaslyve
2019	Atlet Kyiv
2020–2021	Brooke House College
2022	Seraing
Senior career*
Years	Team
2022–2023	Seraing
2022–2023	Seraing U23
2023–	URSL Visé
International career‡
2022	Ukraine U21
	*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 12 January 2024; ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 09:59, 26 April 2023 (UTC)

Denys Olehovych Bunchukov (Ukrainian: Денис Олегович Бунчуков; born 20 June 2003) is a Ukrainian footballer who plays as a midfielder for Belgian side URSL Visé.

Early life

Bunchukov was born in Kyiv.^[2]

Club career

Bunchukov joined the academy of Ukrainian side Dynamo Kyiv at the age of ten, and spent five years with the club.^[3] After falling out of favour with Dynamo's youth coaches, he left the club and moved on to Arsenal Shchaslyve and Atlet Kyiv, spending short spells with each before moving to England in 2020 to enrol at the Brooke House College, playing for their representative football team.^[3]^[4] Having failed to secure a professional contract in England, he unsuccessfully trialled at Belgian sides Eupen, URSL Visé and Union in summer 2021, before another unsuccessful trial at Standard Liège later the same year.^[5]

The following February, he returned to Belgium to trial with Seraing. While on trial, the Russian invasion of Ukraine escalated the Russo-Ukrainian War in his native Ukraine, and he was given refugee status by the Belgian government, giving him an allowance of €1,100 a month, while Seraing did not have to offer him a contract.^[5] He made his debut with Seraing in a 4–0 home loss to Genk on 27 August 2022, playing 69 minutes before being replaced by Valentin Guillaume.^[5]

International career

Bunchukov was called up to the Ukraine under-21 squad for friendlies against Israel and Georgia in November 2022, going on to make his debut against the latter.^[6]

Career statistics

Club

As of 12 January 2024.^[7]

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club	Season	League			Cup		Other		Total
Club	Season	Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Seraing	2022–23	Jupiler Pro League	7	0	1^[a]	0	0	0	8	0
Seraing U23	2022–23	Belgian Division 2	13	1	–		0	0	13	1
Seraing U23	2023–24	Eerste Nationale	17	1	3^[a]	0	0	0	20	1
Career total			37	2	4	0	0	0	41	2

Notes

^ ^a ^b Appearances in the Belgian Cup

References

^ Denys Bunchukov at WorldFootball.net
^ Bondarenko, Bohdan (29 August 2022). "Денис Бунчуков: Якщо переді мною буде дилема грати за збірну Бельгії чи України, на 99 відсотків оберу батьківщину" [Denys Bunchukov: If I have a dilemma to play for the national team of Belgium or Ukraine, 99 percent of the time I will choose my homeland]. football.ua (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 26 April 2023.
^ ^a ^b Valerko, Artur (1 March 2023). ""В очереди за ID беженца просидел пол дня. Зато теперь могу заниматься футболом": Бунчуков – самый уникальный наш легионер в Бельгии" [“I spent half a day in line for a refugee ID. But now I can play football”: Bunchukov is our most unique legionnaire in Belgium]. sportarena.com (in Russian). Retrieved 26 April 2023.
^ Franken, Michaël (27 August 2022). "L'histoire particulière de Denys Bunchukov, un réfugié de guerre.... sans contrat à Seraing: "1100 € par mois, c'est assez pour vivre"" [The special story of Denys Bunchukov, a war refugee... without a contract in Seraing: "€1100 per month is enough to live on"]. dhnet.be (in French). Retrieved 26 April 2023. (subscription required)
^ ^a ^b ^c "Denys Boentsjoekov, contractloze oorlogsvluchteling van Seraing: "Van 1.100 euro per maand kan ik leven"" [Denys Bunchukov, uncontracted war refugee from Seraing: "I can live on 1,100 euros a month"]. sporza.be (in Dutch). 29 August 2022. Retrieved 26 April 2023.
^ Bourlon, Antoine (9 November 2022). "Un jeune Sérésien repris avec l'équipe Espoirs de l'Ukraine" [A young Seresian taken up with the Espoirs team of Ukraine]. walfoot.be (in French). Retrieved 26 April 2023.
^ Denys Bunchukov at Soccerway

External links

Denys Bunchukov at UAF and archived FFU page (in Ukrainian)

[BC-8] Appearances in the Belgian Cup

[1] Denys Bunchukov at WorldFootball.net

[2] Bondarenko, Bohdan (29 August 2022). "Денис Бунчуков: Якщо переді мною буде дилема грати за збірну Бельгії чи України, на 99 відсотків оберу батьківщину" [Denys Bunchukov: If I have a dilemma to play for the national team of Belgium or Ukraine, 99 percent of the time I will choose my homeland]. football.ua (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 26 April 2023.

[sa-3] Valerko, Artur (1 March 2023). ""В очереди за ID беженца просидел пол дня. Зато теперь могу заниматься футболом": Бунчуков – самый уникальный наш легионер в Бельгии" [“I spent half a day in line for a refugee ID. But now I can play football”: Bunchukov is our most unique legionnaire in Belgium]. sportarena.com (in Russian). Retrieved 26 April 2023.

[4] Franken, Michaël (27 August 2022). "L'histoire particulière de Denys Bunchukov, un réfugié de guerre.... sans contrat à Seraing: "1100 € par mois, c'est assez pour vivre"" [The special story of Denys Bunchukov, a war refugee... without a contract in Seraing: "€1100 per month is enough to live on"]. dhnet.be (in French). Retrieved 26 April 2023. (subscription required)

[sporza-5] "Denys Boentsjoekov, contractloze oorlogsvluchteling van Seraing: "Van 1.100 euro per maand kan ik leven"" [Denys Bunchukov, uncontracted war refugee from Seraing: "I can live on 1,100 euros a month"]. sporza.be (in Dutch). 29 August 2022. Retrieved 26 April 2023.

[6] Bourlon, Antoine (9 November 2022). "Un jeune Sérésien repris avec l'équipe Espoirs de l'Ukraine" [A young Seresian taken up with the Espoirs team of Ukraine]. walfoot.be (in French). Retrieved 26 April 2023.

[7] Denys Bunchukov at Soccerway

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