The red and White man: who is grateful to Nikita Simonyan and for what

There is a huge loss in Russian football — Nikita Pavlovich Simonyan died at the age of 100. A four—time national champion with Spartak Moscow, a two-time winner of the USSR Cup, Olympic champion and the author of the first goal of the Soviet national team at the World Cup - these are only the achievements of Simonyan as a player, Simonyan's track record as a coach is no less impressive. Izvestia recalls the most striking milestones of Nikita Pavlovich's career and life and his invaluable contribution to the development of Soviet and Russian football. As a player, coach and functionary, who served as the first vice-president of the RFU until the last days of his life.

By 10:00 a.m. sharp

Alexander Mirzoyan, a friend of the famous football player and coach, president of the Russian Football Veterans Union, was the first to tell about the legend's death.

— Nikita Pavlovich is dead. He became ill on Thursday and was hospitalized. He died half an hour ago. It's a horror," Mirzoyan told Izvestia.

Simonyan celebrated his 99th birthday only last month— on October 12. The legend was literally congratulated by the whole country — even the Russian national team went to the match with Bolivia in T-shirts dedicated to Nikita Pavlovich's birthday. In addition, Russian President Vladimir Putin awarded Simonyan the title of "Hero of Labor" on the eve of his 99th birthday. At the beginning of the month, Nikita Pavlovich became the oldest living Olympic champion — on November 2, at the age of 102, French cyclist Charles Coast, who won gold at the 1948 Olympics, died.

Nikita Pavlovich spoke about his longevity with irony.

"How should I know?" I should have asked my parents. Actually, I feel awkward somewhere, because my whole galaxy — and I'm taking not only Spartak, but everyone else — has already gone "there", but I'm holding on for now! — Nikita Simonyan said in an interview with Sport-Express after his last birthday.

Simonyan is a real lump. As a football player, he managed to play for Dynamo Sukhumi and Krylia Sovetov, but became famous primarily as a striker for Spartak. During his ten years with the Red and white team (1949-1959), Nikita Pavlovich scored 160 goals, becoming the best scorer in the club's history - the result has not been surpassed so far. With the Muscovites, the forward won the national championship four times and the USSR Cup twice.

The USSR national team was no less important for Simonyan — he did not play many matches for it, but he managed to win the 1956 Olympics and be the captain at the 1958 World Cup, as well as become the author of the first goal of the Soviet national team in the history of the World Cup — against the British.

After completing his playing career, Nikita Pavlovich became a coach and in this capacity worked with Spartak, Ararat Yerevan, Chernomorets Odessa and the USSR national team. Simonyan's teams won the championship three times: the Red and white won twice (1962, 1969), and Ararat won once (1973). In addition, Simonyan, the coach, has won four USSR Cups.

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Since the mid-1980s, Nikita Pavlovich began his career as a functionary: he worked for the USSR national team, the USSR Football Federation, and from 1992 until his death he held various positions in the Russian Football Union.

"Until the last few days, he came to the RFU at exactly ten in the morning," recalls Igor Rabiner, a columnist for Sport—Express. — According to Simonyan and his appearance in the office, you could compare any Swiss watch. Even during the pandemic, when the elderly were not allowed into the Football House, he beat out an exception for himself. Just three months ago, in August, I was in his office, and we had a wonderful conversation. He admitted that after his wife Lyudmila passed away five years ago, he does not want to stay at home, but strives to be among people — work and communication prolong his life. When I later showed his picture to my friends and told them his age, they were speechless. And they should have heard how he talked and what he remembered... except that he complained about his severely impaired eyesight. Because it did not allow us to watch the matches of our native Spartak more closely. As he said, he would not give the opportunity to see in all the details the soon-to-be released film about the golden double of Yerevan's "Ararat" in 1973.

The role of Nikita Simonyan's head coach will be played by Egor Beroev, who came to talk to him in order to better understand the hero. He told how, due to his weakened eyesight, he asked the RFU to remove the powers of the chairman of the technical committee from him, but they unanimously refused. And they did the right thing, because just as the deaf Beethoven wrote the Ninth Symphony, the poorly sighted Simonyan understood football a thousand times more than almost everyone with one hundred percent vision.

Man is a phenomenon

The main team in Simonyan's career, Spartak Moscow, was among the first to say goodbye to Nikita Pavlovich: "We express our sincere and deep condolences to his family and friends. This is a huge loss for the entire red and white family."

The hockey teammates of the red and white also expressed their condolences: "Spartak Moscow Hockey Club grieves and condolences to the family and friends of Nikita Pavlovich Simonyan. This is a great loss for the entire national sport, Spartak Moscow FC and the entire red and white family. Eternal memory of the legend!". Other Russian clubs are also grieving, among them Krasnodar, Lokomotiv, Dynamo Makhachkala, Sochi, Fakel and more. In addition, the RFU and the Russian national team have already expressed their condolences. RPL President Alexander Alaev called Simonyan's death an irreparable loss.

—Nikita Pavlovich Simonyan's departure is a huge loss for the entire Russian football," the RPL press service quotes Alaev. "His importance to our game cannot be described in one status, in a couple of words. He is not just the best scorer in the history of Spartak, not just the USSR champion both as a player and as a coach, not just the Olympic champion in 1956. Simonyan is a human phenomenon, a symbol of the connection of many generations. Nikita Pavlovich was the hero of our football, the idol of Soviet boys and a role model for those who were born in a completely different era. Nikita Pavlovich is unique: he was successful as a player, as a coach, as a manager, because he served as the first vice-president of the RFU until the last day of his life.

Many famous coaches also did not stay away. Former Spartak coach Massimo Carrera called Simonyan a legend of world football in a comment for Izvestia.

— I was acquainted with Nikita Simonyan. I am very sorry that he passed away. I offer my deepest condolences to his family. He was and will always remain a legend of Spartak and world football," said the Italian specialist.

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Fabio Capello, the former coach of the Russian national team, called Simonyan his friend in a conversation with Izvestia.

— I recently called him via video link and congratulated him on his 99th birthday, and today I find out about his death. I am very sad. Condolences to Simonyan's family and friends," said Capello.

Akhmat head coach Stanislav Cherchesov noted that he had been in professional contact with Simonyan for many years.

"I knew Nikita Pavlovich since the days of Spartak Ordzhonikidze,— Stanislav Cherchesov told Izvestia. — The Spartak line, but it was in absentia. When I moved to Moscow, I played for Spartak, and we didn't see each other very often. But Nikita Pavlovich was already the head of the team in the national team, and we talked. In recent years, we have worked closely together, our offices were next to each other. Every morning I started with a visit to Nikita Pavlovich. He was at work all the time, spending the whole day there. We discussed the World Cup and preparations, exchanged opinions. I also remember the draw he held. It was a success for us. I wasn't in Moscow, but we were on the phone all the time. Nikita Pavlovich's departure is a great loss not only for Russian, but also for world football. My condolences to the family, friends and the entire football community.

The Izvestia editorial board shares the grief and expresses its sympathy and support to the relatives and friends of the deceased. Eternal memory, Nikita Pavlovich.