Lev Yashin
Lev Ivanovich Yashin (Russian Лев Иванович Яшин; born October 22, 1929 in Bogorodskoje in Moscow, † 20 March 1990 in Moscow) was a Soviet football and ice hockey goalie. The European Champion in 1960 was elected by the IFFHS best goalkeeper of the 20th century.
Career start
Yashin had almost not been in the soccer goal. For a long time he hoped some day to be able to replace chess champion Mikhail Botvinnik, at the same time he also used in fencing and basketball, tennis and water polo and guarded the Eishockeytor. As Yashin started to play football, he first played as a striker. During a metal worker apprenticeship, he belonged to the work of self Tushino. In 1945, he joined as a 15- year-old to FK Dynamo Moscow, where he was retrained on the affiliated sports academy for young talents under the guidance of head coach Chernyshev, who was impressed by his reflexes to the goalkeeper.
Career
Despite all the advance praise Yashin was just a place on the bench. Therefore, he first drove further two tracks - in the summer he played football in the winter he tended 1951-1953 the gate of the ice hockey team of the club. In football club, it took until 1953 before he held the 23- year-old was finally allowed to leave the substitutes' bench and his predecessor Alexei Chomitsch and goalkeeper Walter Sanaja finally replaced in goal. In the same year was Dynamo Cup winner and 1954 Soviet football champion. After city rivals Spartak Moscow Dynamo became the most successful Soviet team of the 1950s.
At international level, debuted Yashin 1954, when he guarded the gate of the Soviet Sweden national football team 7-0. In 1956, he took with the Soviet Union at the Olympic Games in Melbourne, the Gold Medal. Since the professionals from the Western states were not allowed to take part, dominated the so-called State Amateurs from Eastern Europe the tournament. In 1958 he participated in his first World Cup. Although separated the Soviet team in the quarter- final against hosts Sweden, but Yashin was voted the best goalkeeper of the tournament.
On winning the fourth national league title in 1959 with Dynamo triumph followed a year later at the European level. With Yashin as backing the USSR defeated in the final of the first European Championship, then called the European Cup of Nations, Yugoslavia in Paris 2-1. With the Football World Cup 1962 in Chile Yashin was with his opinion " fellow " from the goalkeeper, the prototype of the modern Keepers, hailed from the South American audience frenetic. Again, he was re-elected the best goalkeeper of the tournament. In the early 60s, Yashin was at the height of his career and in 1963 voted European Footballer of the Year, which he is the only goalkeeper to today, was bestowed this honor. In the same year he cashed in 27 league games only six goals and Dynamo was again champion.
Were his huge discounts far into the opponent's court, often up in the goal area into legendary, Yashin enjoyed the greatest admiration from fans and experts due to its forward-looking way of playing: he expanded beyond its range on the box, organized his defense and acted in attacks his team as an additional defending field players. His ability to play trains Predictably, made his trips not to risky actions, he rarely let yourself be surprised by long shots. Jaschins third FIFA World Cup in England in 1966 ended in the semifinal, Yashin could not prevent the 1:2 semi-final defeat to Germany. A year later he left after 74 games for the Soviet national football team, where he had conceded just 70 goals. By 1970 he had been 813 times in goal. Among his other achievements include a USSR - runner as ice hockey goaltender and the vice-presidency of the Soviet Football Federation.
Although he took part in his fourth World Cup in 1970, but was no longer used. On 27 May 1971 Yashin, the "Black Panther" (or " Black Spider " and "Black Octopus " ), as he was called because of its black dresses, before 104,000 spectators his farewell game. Celebrated Yashin was the football faithful and moved to the official level. He became chairman of Dynamo Moscow and Vice President of the Soviet Football Federation.
Lev Yashin, who was a heavy smoker during his career goalkeeper, died in 1990, after he had already been six years earlier amputated because of a so-called smoking leg both legs.