The most notable poker scored by Russian player is the poker by Andrei Arshavin against Liverpool on Anfield. Arshavin became the first player to score four league goals at Anfield since 1946.

Valeri Shmarov was a key player for Spartak (Moscow) and FC Fakel (Voronezh) in the late 80s, early 90s. Shmarov scored his poker in his last game, a show game between Spartak and Fakel. Shmarov played a time for both teams.

Yuriy Nikiforov is another prominent Spartak player. He has played for a number of teams in various countries. Nikiforov scored poker while playing for Ukrainian side Chornomorets against Vaduz.

Hamlet Mkhitaryan played for Armenian side Ararat from 1980 until 1987, he scored several hat-tricks including one poker in Soviet Championship 84.

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Boris Arkadiev

Boris Arkadiev managed USSR national team in 1952 and 1959, he started playing football in 1914 for Saint Petersburg team Unitas. Since 1936 Arkadiev started his coaching career. He wrote to pioneering books on football theory, “Football tactics” and “Midfielders’ play”.

Gavriil Kachalin

Gavriil Kachalin led USSR national football team to Olympics gold medals in 1956 and European Football Championship title in 1960. In 1965 he also managed USSR U-19 team. Kachalin was a member of FIFA technical committee.

Konstantin Beskov

Konstantin Beskov was a successful club manager and USSR national team manger. Beskov was fired in 1964 despite reaching European Championship final, where USSR lost to Spanish team, which was politically unacceptable on the moment.

Mikhail Yakushin

Mikhail Yakushin managed USSR national team in 1959 and in 1967-1968. In 1967 his team was considered to be the best national team in Europe.

Valentin Nikolayev

Valentin Nikolayev managed USSR national team in 1970-1971. He was most successful with youth teams, winning European U-23 Championship 1976 and USSR U-21 Championship in 1980.

Alexander Ponomarev

Alexander Ponomarev managed USSR team in 1971-1972. USSR team reached the final of European Championship and the semi-final of the summer Olympics football competition.

Eduard Malofeyev

Eduard Malofeyev worked with USSR national team for a comparatively long time, 1983-1986. After the collapse of the USSR he coached Belarus national football team.

Valeriy Lobanovskyi

Valeriy Lobanovskyi is one of the best football managers, most famous for his work with USSR national team and Dynamo (Kyiv). Lobanovskyi has also coached Ukraine, Kuwait and United Arab Emirates national football teams.

Anatoliy Byshovets

Anatoliy Byshovets couched USSR national team in 1986-1988. He also managed Russia and South Korea national teams.

USSR played their first international friendly against Turkey in 1924, USSR won 3-0.

USSR did not compete in a World Cup until 1958. One of the major USSR achievements was winning the first European Championship in 1960, defeating Yugoslavia in a breathtaking final game.

USSR national football team qualified for European Championship 1992, but since the elimination of the country it was replaced by CIS football team, a team representing the Commonwealth of Independent States, 12 out of 15 ex-soviet republics.

USSR national team players were mainly of Ukrainian and Russian origin.

Achievements

European Champions Winners: 1960
European Championship Runners-up: 1964, 1972, 1988
Summer Olympics Golden Medal: 1956, 1988

Notable players

Albert Shesternyov (Russia) made 90 appearances for the national team. He is arguably the best Soviet defender. Shesternyov captained USSR in 62 games.

Anatoliy Demyanenko (Ukraine) is a Soviet defender, he won 80 caps for USSR. Demyanenko was called “a player with two hearts” for his unbelievable pace.

Eduard Streltsov (Russia) was known as Russian Pele, he earned his first cap for USSR being just 17 years old and scored 6 goals in his first two games. In 1958 he was convicted and sentenced prisoner, having spent 7 years in labor camp. Being released in 1966 Streltsov fought his way back to the national team.

Igor Netto (Russia) is a legendary Soviet player, he captained USSR from 1954 to 1963. He lead the team to Summer Olympics golden medal in 1956 and European Champion victory in 1960.

Leonid Buryak (Ukraine) is a brilliant Soviet midfielder, he had a tremendous impact on USSR national team. Buryak made 53 appearances for USSR and scored 10 goals.

Lev Yashin (Russia) is the greatest Soviet goalkeeper. Yashin invented the idea of goalkeeper sweeping, he was voted the best goalkeeper of the 20th century by the IFFHS. He made 74 appearances for the team.

Nikita Simonyan (Armenia) was a USSR striker. With USSR Simonyan won Olympics Golden Medal in 1956, he made 20 appearances for the team, scoring 10 goals.

Oleh Blokhin (Ukraine) is probably the best Soviet striker, he made 112 appearances for USSR and scored 42 goals. Blokhin was named European Footballer of the Year in 1975.

Rinat Dasayev (Russia), one of the best national goalkeepers, won 91 cap for USSR, he was awarded the World’s Best Goalkeeper of the Year title in 1988.

Sergei Aleinikov (Belarus) made 77 appearances for USSR, scoring 6 goals. In 2003 he was selected as the Golden Player of Belarus by the Football Federation of Belarus.

Sergei Baltacha (Ukraine) won 47 caps for USSR. Baltacha’s family is quite sporty, his wife represented USSR in the Olympics, his daughter is a tennis player, his son is a football player, capper for Scotland U-21 team.

Tengiz Sulakvelidze (Georgia) earned 49 caps for USSR, scoring 2 goals.

Vagiz Khidiyatullin (Russia) was a prominent central defender, he won 58 caps for USSR and scored 6 coals.

Valentin Ivanov (Russia) is one of the best USSR national team strikers. He made 59 appearances for the team, scoring 26 goals.

Valery Voronin (Russia) was included in the symbolic World team in 1966. Voronin won 63 caps for USSR and was considered the best Soviet midfielder. In 1969 Voronin met with a serious car accident, since that his career faded.

Viktor Ponedelnik (Russia) collected 29 caps and scored 20 goals for USSR. Ponedelnik scored the winning goal for the team in 1960 European Championship final game.

Vladimir Bessonov (Ukraine) is one of the best defending players of Soviet football. Bessonov earned 79 caps for the national team and scored 4 goals.

Vladimir Kaplichny (Ukraine) won 62 caps for USSR, he was one of the best Soviet defenders.

Vsevolod Bobrov (Russia) is a legendary football and ice-hockey player. Bobrov captained both football and ice-hockey national teams.

Soviet Top League was run since 1936 until 1991. Clubs from Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia have competed for the title. Clubs from Turkmenistan and Kyrgyzstan failed to earn promotion to Soviet Top League.

18 clubs have topped the League, 8 clubs represented Russia, 5 clubs – Ukraine, clubs from Georgia, Armenia, Belarus, Azerbaijan and Lithuania also have won Soviet Top League titles.

4 clubs can be called Soviet football elite: Dynamo (Kyiv, Ukraine), Spartak (Moscow, Russia), Dynamo (Moscow, Russia), CSKA (Moscow, Russia).

Dynamo (Kyiv, Ukraine)

Achievements

Soviet Top League winners: 1961, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1971, 1974, 1975, 1977, 1980, 1981, 1985, 1986, 1990 (13 times)
Soviet Top League runners-up: 1936, 1952, 1960, 1965, 1969, 1972, 1973, 1976, 1978, 1982, 1988 (11 times)

Нistory

Dynamo (Kyiv) is the most successful club in Soviet football history. Dynamo was founded in 1927 and has played only in the top leagues. Additionally to Soviet Top League titles it has won UEFA Super Cup, 2 UEFA Cup Winners’ Cups, 9 USSR Cups, 3 USSR Super Cups.

In many ways Dynamo was a cutting-edge Soviet club, Dynamo hosted the opening match of The Soviet Top League championship in 1936, however, Dynamo failed to win the Soviet Top League until 1961, even though Dynamo was the first club based outside Moscow to clinch the title.

Late 60s and 70s was a brilliant time for Dynamo. The club gained three consecutive wins of Soviet Top League (1966 – 1968), a few Dynamo stars were voted best USSR players, Olekh Blokhin became the top goal scorer in two consecutive seasons.

In 1973 33-year old Valeriy Lobanovsky was introduced as a new coach and the “Lobanovsky era” baegan. Lobanovsky’s team won UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup, UEFA Super Cup, as well as a number of domestic cups and titles. Oleh Blokhin won the Golden Ball in 1975. Dynamo’s success grabbed attention to Lobanovsky’s methodology. In 1983 Lobanovsky became a head coach of USSR national football team.

Dynamo’s Soviet Top League history is a history of a battle between the Kyiv club and three Moscow squads, a battle, which Dynamo, holding 13 national titles, ultimately won.

Soviet time legends

Yozhef Sabo is a Soviet player and coach of Hungarian origin. He played for Dynamo in 1959 – 1969, and also coached the team in 1993 – 1997, 2005 – 2005. He is currently Dynamo vice-president. Sabo also won 40 caps for the USSR squad.

Valeriy Lobanovsky is a brilliant Ukranian manager, best known for his work with Dynamo and USSR national side. Dynamo home ground is called in his name, a monument to Valery Lobanovsky is situated in front of the stadium. As a player Lobanovsky made 144 appearances for Dynamo and won 2 caps for the national squad.

Viktor Bannikov was a prominent Dynamo player, he also made 14 appearances for the national side. He is considered one of the best Soviet goalkeepers.

Oleh Blokhin is one of the best Soviet strikers. He played for Dynamo in 1969 – 1988, scoring 211 goals. He was named European Footballer of the Year in 1975. Blokhin won 112 caps for the USSR, scoring 42 goals. He is the best goalscorer of the Soviet Top League.

Volodymyr Bezsonov is a brilliant defender, he made 377 appearances for Dynamo in 1976-1990. Bezsonov also won 79 caps for the USSR.

Andriy Bal played for Dynamo in 1981–1990. At the 1982 FIFA World Cup he scored a memorable 20-meter against Brazil.

Spartak (Moscow, Russia)

Achievements

Soviet Top League winners: 1936, 1938, 1939, 1952, 1953, 1956, 1958, 1962, 1969, 1979, 1987, 1989 (12 times)
Soviet Top League runners-up: 1937, 1954, 1955, 1963, 1968, 1974, 1980, 1981, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1991 (12 times)

Нistory

Spartak was established in 1922 and was initially called MKS, Krasnaya Presnya, Pisheviki and Promkooperatzia. Spartak represented Soviet food industry and therefore got a nickname “meat”.

The name Spartak is called in the name of Spartacus, a gladiator-slave who led a rebellion against Rome, the name was proposed by Nikolai Starostin. The three Starostin brothers were prominent Spartak players in the 30s and 40s. The Starostin brothers were repressed by Lavrentiy Beria, head of Soviet secret police under Stalin. Beria was Dynamo (Moscow) patron, therefore severe competition between Spartak and Dynamo emerged. During the 50-s Spartak and Dynamo dominated Soviet Top League.

Spartak also won 10 USSR Cups and USSR Federation Cup.

Because of its popularity Spartak was called “the people’s team”.

Soviet time legends

Nikolai Starostin was a football and hockey player, he was one of the founders of Spartak football club. In the late 1930s many of Starostin’s friends and associates were arrested by Stalin’s secret police, Starostin himself was arrested in 1942. However, a few years later he was vindicated and in 1955 became Spartak president.

Igor Netto is one of the greatest Soviet players ever. He spent his whole career in Spartak, making 368 appearances and scoring 36 goals. Netto captained USSR side from 1954 to 1963, leading USSR to the gold medal in the 1956 Summer Olympics and victory at the European Championship in 1960. He also won 5 Soviet Top League titles and 3 Soviet Cups.

Nikita Simonyan is a prominent football player and manager, with Spartak he won Soviet Top League (4 times) and Soviet Cup (2 times). In 1949, 1950 and 1953 he was Soviet Top League top goalscorer. As a Spartak manager he won 2 Soviet Top League titles as well as 3 Soviet Cups.

Fyodor Cherenkov made 344 appearances for Spartak in Soviet Top League and also earned 34 caps for USSR. Due to his popularity he was called “people’s player”.

Rinat Dasayev is one of the best Soviet goalkeepers, in 1988 was awarded the World’s Best Goalkeeper of the Year title.

Evgeny Lovchev made 249 appearances for Spartak and won Soviet Football player of the Year in 1972.

Sergei Rodionov was a brilliant Spartak striker, he scored 119 goals for the club and became Soviet Top League top goalscorer in 1989.

Dynamo (Moscow, Russia)

Achievements

Soviet Top League winners: 1936, 1937, 1940, 1945, 1949, 1954, 1955, 1957, 1959, 1963, 1976 (11 times)
Soviet Top League runners-up: 1936, 1946, 1947, 1948, 1950, 1956, 1958, 1962, 1967, 1970, 1986 (11 times)

Нistory

Dynamo Moscow was founded as a factory team in 1887, in 1917 the club became an Interior Ministry club and gained its current name.

Dynamo won the first two Soviet Top League titles in 1936 and 1937 and also was the first Soviet club to tour the West in 1945. Dynamo earned a draw with Chelsea and Rangers, but won over Cardiff City and Arsenal.

In 1972 Dynamo won UEFA Cup Winners Cup, beating Scottish Rangers 3:2.

Soviet time legends

Lev Yashin is considered to be the greatest goalkeeper in the world football history. He was voted the best goalkeeper of the 20th century by the IFFHS. Yashin spent his entire career with Dynamo Moscow, from 1949 to 1971, winning 5 Soviet Top League titles and 3 USSR Cups. With USSR national team he won the 1956 Summer Olympics and the 1960 European Championship. From 1950 and 1953 Yashin was also Dynamo ice hockey team goalkeeper.

CSKA (Moscow, Russia)

Achievements

Soviet Top League winners: 1946, 1947, 1948, 1950, 1951, 1970, 1991 (7 times)
Soviet Top League runners-up: 1938, 1945, 1949, 1990 (4 times)

Нistory

CSKA was founded in 1911 as a football club of Skiing society. The club was called CSKA in 1960 and before that has changed 6 names, including impressive “Red Army Moscow”.

CSKA became a Soviet army club in 1928, all CSKA players had military ranks. Many talented conscripts were transferred to CSKA system from USSR army.

Soviet time legends

Yuri Nyrkov, major general, was a brilliant player of the late 40s CSKA. He started his football career in 1946, having fought in the World War II from 1941 to 1945. He won 3 caps for USSR national side.

Vsevolod Bobrov was one of the best Soviet strikers in the 40s. He is the only man, who captained both football and ice-hockey national teams on the Olympics. In football he was Soviet Top League top goalscorer in 1945 and 1947, in ice-hockey – Bobrov is the only player having scored 10 goals in one game.

Albert Shesternyov made 278 appearances for CSKA since 1959 until 1972, he also won 90 caps with USSR side. He was nominated for Ballon d’Or in 1968, 1969, 1970 and 1971.

Vladimir Kaplichny is a prominent CSKA and USSR national team captain. He won 62 caps with USSR team and made 288 appearances for CSKA.

Vladimir Fedotov is a son of a famous football and ice-hockey player. He spent his whole career in CSKA and won more caps for CSKA than any other player.