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.