Background
Lev Yashin, in full Lev Ivanovich Yashin, was born on October 22, 1929, in Moscow, Russian Federation (then part of the Soviet Union). He was the son of Ivan Petrovich Yashin and Anna Mitrofanovna Yashina, both industrial workers.
Lev Yashin wearing his famous cloth cap. Photo by Berlin-Bild/ullstein bild.
4, Sireneviy Boulevard, Moscow, Russian Federation 105122
In 1967, Yashin graduated from the trainers' school of the State Central Institute of Physical Education (currently Russian State University of Physical Education, Sport, Youth and Tourism).
1957
Moscow, Russian Federation
The Moscow Dynamo team pictured in Moscow, (from left to right, back row): B. Kuznetsov, A. Sokolov, D. Shapovalov, A. Mamykin, V. Kesarev, V. Tsarev, K. Krizhevsky and trainer M. Yakushin; (from left to right, front row): V. Belyayev, V. Ryzhkin, Lev Yashin, G. Fedosov and A. Mamedov. Photo by Popperfoto.
1958
Gothenburg, Sweden
England's Tom Finney strikes his penalty kick past diving Lev Yashin to level the scores at 2-2 during their Group Four match at the World Cup Finals. Photo by Popperfoto.
1960
The Soviet National Football Team players (from left to right): Valentin Ivanov, Lev Yashin, Vladimir Kesarev, Victor Ponedelnik, Valentin Bubukin, Anatoly Maslyonkin, Victor Tsarev, Anatoly Krutikov, Yuriy Voynov, Slava Metreveli and Mikhail Meskhi. Photo by Valentin Mastyukov/TASS.
1963
London HA9 0WS, United Kingdom
Rest of the World goalie Lev Yashin saves the ball from the feet of England inside right Jimmy Greaves during a Football Association match at Wembley. Photo by Dennis Oulds/Central Press.
1964
Lev Yashin playing against Yugoslavia (a former country in Southeast Europe and Central Europe). Photo by Schirner/ullstein bild.
1965
Av. Pres. Castelo Branco, Portão 3 - Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro - RJ, 20271-130, Brazil
Lev Yashin comes out to punch clear as Brazil's Pelé outjumps a defender during friendly international at Maracana Stadium, Rio de Janeiro. Photo by Popperfoto.
1966
The Soviet Union football team before the start of their World Cup quarterfinal match with Hungary Sunderland. Goalkeeper Lev Yashin can be seen in black on the back row. Photo by Central Press.
1966
London HA9 0WS, United Kingdom
Portugal's Eusebio (white shirt) hammers his penalty kick past Lev Yashin, to put his country in the lead during the World Cup third-place playoff game at Wembley Stadium. Photo by Keystone.
1966
Goodison Rd, Liverpool L4 4EL, United Kingdom
West German striker Uwe Seeler leaps over Lev Yashin while Vasily Danilov watches during a World Cup semi-final at Goodison Park. Photo by Central Press.
1966
Goodison Rd, Liverpool L4 4EL, United Kingdom
Lev Yashin (right) helps West Germany striker Uwe Seeler to his feet, watched by Albert Shesterniev (left) and Vasili Danilov, after a goalmouth collision during the World Cup semi-final between West Germany and the Soviet Union at Goodison Park in Liverpool. Photo by Rolls Press/Popperfoto.
1968
Lev Yashin holding a ball. Photo by Schirner/ullstein bild.
1968
Lev Yashin on the soccer field. Photo by Horstmller/ullstein bild.
Goodison Rd, Liverpool L4 4EL, United Kingdom
Lev Yashin dives athletically to save a free kick in the World Cup semi-final against West Germany at Goodison Park, Liverpool. Photo by Central Press.
Lev Yashin during a training session. Photo by Keystone.
Budapest, Hungary
Lev Yashin arriving in Budapest for a training session before the World Cup. Photo by Keystone.
United Kingdom
Lev Yashin at the World Cup Finals, about 1966. Photo by Popperfoto.
Training session of Lev Yashin. Photo by Universal/Corbis/VCG.
(From left to right) The USSR team members are filmed as they run out onto the pitch before the match: goalkeeper Lev Yashin, Anatoly Banishevski, Joszef Szabo. Photo by PA Images.
Lev Yashin. Photo by Universal/Corbis/VCG.
Training session of Lev Yashin. Photo by Universal/Corbis/VCG.
The USSR team group (back row, from left to right): Joszef Szabo, Valeri Voronin, Lev Yashin, Albert Shesterniev, Vasily Danilov, Vladimir Ponomarev; (front row, from left to right) Igor Chislenko, Valeri Porkujan, Anatoly Banishevski, Eduard Malofeev, and Galimzian Khusianov. Photo by PA Images.
Lev Yashin (right) chats with Portugal's Eusebio (left) before the match. Photo by PA Images.
The USSR team group (back row, from left to right): Valeri Voronin, Lev Yashin, Albert Shesterniev, Murtaz Khurtsilava, Vasily Danilov; (front row, from left to right) Joszef Szabo, Igor Chislenko, Anatoly Banishevski, Eduard Malofeev, Galimzian Khusianov, and Vladimir Ponomarev. Photo by PA Images.
Lev Yashin (center) claims the ball under pressure from teammate Valeri Voronin (second left) and Hungary's Florian Albert (left), watched by Hungary's Kalman Meszoly (second right) and Janos Farkas (right). Photo by PA Images.
Leningradskiy ave., 36, building 1, Moscow, Russian Federation, 127083
A bronze statue of Yashin at the VTB Arena - Dynamo Central Stadium in Moscow
Lev Yashin was honored with the Ballon d'Or in 1963.
Lev Yashin received the Order of Lenin in 1967.
Lev Yashin was honored with the Silver Olympic Order in 1986.
Lev Yashin was given the FIFA Order of Merit in 1986.
Lev Yashin received the Hero of Socialist Labour Medal in 1990.
Lev Yashin was a recepient of the Medal for Valiant Labour in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945.
Lev Yashin was honored with the Order of the Red Banner of Labour two times, in 1957 and 1971.
1930
Little Lev Yashin. Photo from the family archive.
1957
Moscow, Russian Federation
The Moscow Dynamo team pictured in Moscow, (from left to right, back row): B. Kuznetsov, A. Sokolov, D. Shapovalov, A. Mamykin, V. Kesarev, V. Tsarev, K. Krizhevsky and trainer M. Yakushin; (from left to right, front row): V. Belyayev, V. Ryzhkin, Lev Yashin, G. Fedosov and A. Mamedov. Photo by Popperfoto.
1958
Stockholm, Sweden
Lev Yashin joking with his teammates Sergej Salnikov and Igor Netto at the FIFA World Cup. Photo by Emilio Ronchini/Mondadori.
1958
Gothenburg, Sweden
England's Tom Finney strikes his penalty kick past diving Lev Yashin to level the scores at 2-2 during their Group Four match at the World Cup Finals. Photo by Popperfoto.
1960
The Soviet National Football Team players (from left to right): Valentin Ivanov, Lev Yashin, Vladimir Kesarev, Victor Ponedelnik, Valentin Bubukin, Anatoly Maslyonkin, Victor Tsarev, Anatoly Krutikov, Yuriy Voynov, Slava Metreveli and Mikhail Meskhi. Photo by Valentin Mastyukov/TASS.
1963
London HA9 0WS, United Kingdom
Rest of the World goalie Lev Yashin saves the ball from the feet of England inside right Jimmy Greaves during a Football Association match at Wembley. Photo by Dennis Oulds/Central Press.
1963
10 Air St, Soho, London W1B 4DY, United Kingdom
(From left to right) Alfred Di Stefano of Spain, Denis Law of England and Lev Yashin at a dinner at the Cafe Royal, London, held after a Football Association Centenary Match at Wembley. Photo by Keystone/Hulton Archive.
1963
London, United Kingdom
Lev Yashin uses a cine camera to capture scenes at his hotel in London, the day before facing England in the Rest of the World football match at Wembley. Photo by Keystone/Hulton Archive.
1964
Lev Yashin playing against Yugoslavia (a former country in Southeast Europe and Central Europe). Photo by Schirner/ullstein bild.
1965
Manchester M90 1QX, United Kingdom
Lev Yashin arrives at Manchester Airport, on his way to Stoke, to take part in Sir Stanley Matthews's Testimonial match at the Victoria Ground. Photo by Bernard/Mirrorpix.
1965
Moscow, Russian Federation
Lev Yashin presents a souvenir to Pelé, one of the players of the Brazilian soccer team, at Lenin Stadium. Photo by Keystone-France/Gamma-Keystone.
1965
Av. Pres. Castelo Branco, Portão 3 - Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro - RJ, 20271-130, Brazil
Lev Yashin comes out to punch clear as Brazil's Pelé outjumps a defender during friendly international at Maracana Stadium, Rio de Janeiro. Photo by Popperfoto.
1965
Paris, France
Lev Yashin discovers Paris. Photo by Keystone-France/Gamma-Rapho.
1966
The Soviet Union football team before the start of their World Cup quarterfinal match with Hungary Sunderland. Goalkeeper Lev Yashin can be seen in black on the back row. Photo by Central Press.
1966
London HA9 0WS, United Kingdom
Portugal's Eusebio (white shirt) hammers his penalty kick past Lev Yashin, to put his country in the lead during the World Cup third-place playoff game at Wembley Stadium. Photo by Keystone.
1966
Goodison Rd, Liverpool L4 4EL, United Kingdom
West German striker Uwe Seeler leaps over Lev Yashin while Vasily Danilov watches during a World Cup semi-final at Goodison Park. Photo by Central Press.
1966
Lev Yashin signs autographs for young fans during the World Cup competition. Photo by Central Press/Hulton Archive.
1966
Goodison Rd, Liverpool L4 4EL, United Kingdom
Lev Yashin (right) helps West Germany striker Uwe Seeler to his feet, watched by Albert Shesterniev (left) and Vasili Danilov, after a goalmouth collision during the World Cup semi-final between West Germany and the Soviet Union at Goodison Park in Liverpool. Photo by Rolls Press/Popperfoto.
1966
2-24 Kensington High St, Kensington, London W8 4PT, United Kingdom
Lev Yashin (right) after receiving an award during the Football Association World Cup Banquet in honour of FIFA and the teams competing in the World Cup Finals at the Royal Garden Hotel, London. Photo by Russ Hyams/Paul Popper/Popperfoto.
1968
Lev Yashin holding a ball. Photo by Schirner/ullstein bild.
1968
Lev Yashin on the soccer field. Photo by Horstmller/ullstein bild.
1971
Lev Yashin with his awards. Photo by ADN-Bildarchiv/ullstein bild.
1973
Lev Yashin. Photo by Schlage/ullstein bild.
1989
Lev Yashin. Photo by Engler/ullstein bild.
1990
Lev Yashin with his daughters Irina and Elena and his wife Valentina (far right). Photo from the family archive.
2017
Moscow, Russian Federation
(From left to right) An ambassador for the FIFA World Cup, football player Alexei Smertin, the widow of Lev Yashin, Valentina Yashina, retired Brazilian football star Pelé (Edson Arantes do Nascimento), and Hublot Ricardo Guadalupe pose with a ball during a ceremony in Moscow's Manezhnaya Square marking the one-year countdown to the start of the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Photo by Anton Novoderezhkin/TASS.
2018
Moscow Region, Russian Federation
Dynamo Moscow fans unfurl a banner with a likeness of Lev Yashin during a Russian Football Premier League Round 4 match between Dynamo Moscow and FC Ufa at Khimki Arena. Photo by Sergei Bobylev.
Goodison Rd, Liverpool L4 4EL, United Kingdom
Lev Yashin dives athletically to save a free kick in the World Cup semi-final against West Germany at Goodison Park, Liverpool. Photo by Central Press.
Lev Yashin during a training session. Photo by Keystone.
Budapest, Hungary
Lev Yashin arriving in Budapest for a training session before the World Cup. Photo by Keystone.
Lev Yashin in about 1966. Photo by Central Press.
United Kingdom
Lev Yashin at the World Cup Finals, about 1966. Photo by Popperfoto.
Lev Yashin. Photo by Jean-Yves Ruszniewski/Corbis/VCG.
Training session of Lev Yashin. Photo by Universal/Corbis/VCG.
(From left to right) The USSR team members are filmed as they run out onto the pitch before the match: goalkeeper Lev Yashin, Anatoly Banishevski, Joszef Szabo. Photo by PA Images.
Lev Yashin. Photo by Universal/Corbis/VCG.
Training session of Lev Yashin. Photo by Universal/Corbis/VCG.
Lev Yashin holding an archive photo featuring him with his teammates. Photo by Jean-Yves Ruszniewski/TempSport/Corbis/VCG.
The USSR team group (back row, from left to right): Joszef Szabo, Valeri Voronin, Lev Yashin, Albert Shesterniev, Vasily Danilov, Vladimir Ponomarev; (front row, from left to right) Igor Chislenko, Valeri Porkujan, Anatoly Banishevski, Eduard Malofeev, and Galimzian Khusianov. Photo by PA Images.
Lev Yashin (right) chats with Portugal's Eusebio (left) before the match. Photo by PA Images.
London, United Kingdom
Lev Yashin grins for the cameras as he arrives at London Airport with his teammates. Photo by PA Images.
The USSR team group (back row, from left to right): Valeri Voronin, Lev Yashin, Albert Shesterniev, Murtaz Khurtsilava, Vasily Danilov; (front row, from left to right) Joszef Szabo, Igor Chislenko, Anatoly Banishevski, Eduard Malofeev, Galimzian Khusianov, and Vladimir Ponomarev. Photo by PA Images.
Lev Yashin (center) claims the ball under pressure from teammate Valeri Voronin (second left) and Hungary's Florian Albert (left), watched by Hungary's Kalman Meszoly (second right) and Janos Farkas (right). Photo by PA Images.
Lev Yashin with his daughter Elena and her daughter Natasha. Photo by TASS.
Lev Yashin holding a guitar. Photo by RIA News.
Lev Yashin (center) plays hockey with famous Soviet footballers Gennadi Gusarov and Viktor Anichkin. Photo from the family archive.
Lev Yashin received the Order of Lenin in 1967.
Lev Yashin was honored with the Silver Olympic Order in 1986.
Lev Yashin was given the FIFA Order of Merit in 1986.
Lev Yashin was honored with the Ballon d'Or in 1963.
Lev Yashin received the Hero of Socialist Labour Medal in 1990.
Lev Yashin was a recepient of the Medal for Valiant Labour in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945.
Lev Yashin was honored with the Order of the Red Banner of Labour two times, in 1957 and 1971.
Leningradskiy ave., 36, building 1, Moscow, Russian Federation, 127083
A bronze statue of Yashin at the VTB Arena - Dynamo Central Stadium in Moscow
Moscow, Russian Federation
A memorial plaque indicating the home in Moscow where Yashin lived from 1964 to 1990.
4, Sireneviy Boulevard, Moscow, Russian Federation 105122
In 1967, Yashin graduated from the trainers' school of the State Central Institute of Physical Education (currently Russian State University of Physical Education, Sport, Youth and Tourism).
2018
Moscow, Russian Federation
Yashin's widow Valentina at the premiere of Svetlana Kharchevina's movie "Lev Yashin No 1," a documentary about the legendary Soviet football goalkeeper. Photo by Alexander Shcherbak/TASS.
Lev Yashin (back row) with (from left to right, front row) his father Ivan Petrovich, his stepmother Alexandra Petrovna and stepbrother Boris. Photo from the family archive.
Irina Frolova, one of Lev Yashin's daughters
Vasili Frolov, Lev Yashin's grandson
Former Soviet soccer and ice hockey player, and then coach, Arkady Chernyshev invited Lev Yashin to join Dynamo Moscow.
Soviet Dynamo Moscow goalkeeper and coach, Alexei Khomich trained Lev Yashin to be his successor in the first team squad.
Лев Яшин
coach athlete Goalkeeper football player
Lev Yashin, in full Lev Ivanovich Yashin, was born on October 22, 1929, in Moscow, Russian Federation (then part of the Soviet Union). He was the son of Ivan Petrovich Yashin and Anna Mitrofanovna Yashina, both industrial workers.
Lev Yashin developed a passion for both football and hockey at an early age. Living in the north-west of Moscow, he played street football with his peers all year round except winter when hockey took center stage. Actually, Lev, like many children of the time, was involved in a wide range of various pickup games which were good preparation for further intense physical exertions of adult sport.
At the outbreak of World War II, Yashin's family was evacuated to Ulyanovsk, a city 705 kilometers east of Moscow, where young Lev was obliged to work in a local industrial factory. He had become a fitter's apprentice by the spring of 1943, and a year later, the family came back to Moscow. Lev, who continued to work in a factory, spent all his spare time playing as a goalkeeper for a local football team.
In 1967, Yashin graduated from the trainers' school of the State Central Institute of Physical Education (currently Russian State University of Physical Education, Sport, Youth and Tourism).
The start of Lev Yashin's career can be counted from 1947 when he was called up for military service in Moscow. While there, Lev continued to play his favorite game and soon captured the attention of then Dynamo Moscow football team's coach Arkady Ivanovich Chernyshev who invited the budding player to the youth team of the club. By 1949, Yashin was assigned the third goalkeeper of the first team squad. Alexei Khomich, a noted football player and then goalkeeper of the team, trained Yashin to be his successor.
An emerging athlete, Lev Yashin tried himself in Dynamo Moscow ice hockey team, again as a goalkeeper. While Alexei Khomich was the main goalkeeper in Dynamo Moscow football team in the early 1950s, Yashin managed to win the USSR ice hockey cup in 1953 and to triumph at the Soviet Hockey Championship. He was even among the candidates for the country's ice hockey national team but decided to remain true to football. Yashin debuted for Dynamo Moscow football team in a friendly match of 1953. He was deeply entrenched in the squad since then.
Throughout Yashin's entire career with the club which lasted till 1971, the team was a five-time champion of the Soviet League and won three Soviet Cups. He also enjoyed important success with the Soviet national team, for which he was invited in 1954. Playing 78 matches for the squad, he helped it to triumph at the 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne, Australia, and to win the first European championship, the European Nations' Cup four years later. In 1966, the Soviet National Football Team finished fourth in the World Cup held in the United Kingdom, which was its best result in the competition at the time.
Lev Yashin led his last match for Dynamo Moscow on May 27, 1971, at the Grand Arena of the Central Lenin Stadium (present-day Luzhniki Stadium) in Moscow. Later, in August, Yashin appeared as a goalkeeper for the All-Star team which played against Italy. Yashin remained true to his team after retiring from active sport and served as its coach from 1971 to 1975. Over about the next twenty years, he took a number of various administrative posts at Dynamo Moscow and other sports-related non-profit institutions, including the position of deputy chairman in the Football Federation of the Soviet Union.
An incredible goalkeeper, Lev Yashin was a Soviet sports hero. Capable of acrobatic saves on the goal-line, he made others rethink the traditional perception of a keeper as he dominated the entire penalty area shouting out pieces of advice to the defenders of his team and rushing out toward attacking players.
An Olympic Champion, UEFA European Football Champion, and five-time USSR Champion, Yashin recorded 207 shutouts and 150 penalty saves in 812 games played, including 326 matches for Dynamo Moscow's main line-up. In the World Cup finals, he is praised for four clean sheets out of the 12 games.
The only goalkeeper to be chosen the European Footballer of the Year, Yashin was a recipient of Silver Olympic Order and FIFA Gold Order of Merit, among others. He was also presented with many prestigious Soviet civilian accolades during and after his distinguished career, including the Order of Lenin or the Hero of Socialist Labour Medal. In 2000, the International Federation of Football History & Statistics named Yashin the best goalkeeper of the 20th century.
In 1994, FIFA established Lev Yashin Award for best goalkeeper. In 2006, it was renamed the Golden Glove Award. There is a bronze statue of Yashin at the VTB Arena - Dynamo Central Stadium in Moscow. A small copy of the statue was erected at the Museu de Arte Moderna, Rio de Janeiro, in 2014.
The Central Bank of Russia issued a commemorative 100-ruble banknote on the occasion of 2018 FIFA World Cup featuring Lev Yashin. A number of streets in Russia are named after the legendary goalkeeper and there is a memorial plaque indicating the home where Yashin lived for some time. Russian feature movie Lev Yashin: The Goalee of My Dreams was released in 2019.
Lev Yashin joined the Communist Party of the Soviet Union in 1958.
Quotations:
"What kind of a goalkeeper is the one who is not tormented by the goal he has allowed? He must be tormented! And if he is calm, that means the end. No matter what he had in the past, he has no future."
"There have only been two world-class goalkeepers. One was Lev Yashin, the other was the German boy who played for Manchester City."
"I am not the best goalkeeper in the world, it is Vladimir Beara."
"The joy of seeing Yuri Gagarin flying in space is only superseded by the joy of a good penalty save."
Lev Yashin collected such nicknames as Black Spider, Black Octopus or Black Panther for the combination of his innovative style of play and the habit of wearing a black uniform (actually very dark blue). A cloth cap of burnt-brick color was a kind of mascot for him during the games.
Physical Characteristics:
Lev Yashin was 1.89 meters tall.
He was diagnosed with thrombophlebitis after his fifties. The disease led to the amputation of his leg in 1984. He also had heart attacks, stroke and suffered from stomach cancer.
Quotes from others about the person
Gordon Banks, professional footballer: "Lev Yashin was first-class, a real super goalkeeper. His positional play was excellent, but everything he did was top-class. He was the model for goalkeeping for the next 10 to 15 years, without a doubt. I visualized myself doing some of the things he was doing, even though I was already playing in the top division I used to learn from him."
Eusébio, Portuguese footballer: "Yashin was "the peerless goalkeeper of the century"."
Sandro Mazzola, Italian former professional footballer: "Yashin plays football better than me."
France Football: "Yashin revolutionized the role of a goalkeeper like no other before him, by always being ready to act as an extra defender and by starting dangerous counter-attacks with his positioning and quick throws."
Lev Yashin married Valentina Timofeevna Shashkova on December 31, 1954. The family produced two daughters, Irina and Elena.
(died 1935)
(née Shashkova; born June 18, 1930)
(née Frolova)
Alexandra Petrovna became Lev Yashin's stepmother in 1937.
(born 1939)
(by marriage Frolova)
(born February 22, 1986)
Vasili Frolov, following in his famous grandfather's footsteps, played in the Dynamo's youth section, then for the St Petersburg's Dynamo and FC Zelenograd. After retiring from active sport as a player in 2009, he became a football coach. Nowadays, he manages a goalkeeper training school in Moscow near Otkritie Arena (literally Discovery Arena).
(born March 16, 1914 – died October 22, 1992)
Arkady Ivanovich Chernyshev was a Soviet ice hockey and soccer player. After retiring from active sport, he coached Dynamo Moscow and the Soviet Union national ice hockey team.
(born March 14, 1920 – died May 30, 1980)
Aleksey Petrovich Khomich, dubbed the Tiger, was a Soviet goalkeeper. He played for FC Dynamo Moscow and FC Dinamo Minsk and was a two time Soviet Champion. After retiring from active sport, Khomich served as a sports photographer for newspapers Sovetsky Sport and Soviet Football.
