sentences:  He started playing professionally at local FC Shinnik Yaroslavl, then signed with country giants FC Spartak Moscow.In 1993, Popov moved to Spain alongside teammate Dmitri Radchenko, and would spend there the following six-and-a-half years, with Racing de Santander (in the 1995–96 season, he teamed up there with compatriot Ilshat Faizulin), SD Compostela and CD Toledo.In January 2000 he joined Israel's Maccabi Tel Aviv FC, retiring at the end of the campaign.