Among the legends of domestic sports, Ivanov Valentin Kozmich, a Soviet football player, occupies a special place. His name is inscribed in the history of European and world football, not only as a talented player, but also as a wonderful coach.
Ivanov Valentin Kozmich: biography. Start
The famous Soviet football player was born in Moscow on November 19, 1934. His ancestors were from the Smolensk region, and, according to Ivanov, the head of the family was called Kuzma. But due to the mistake of the employee of the passport desk, his documents were written patronymic Kozmich. Valentin Ivanov was the youngest child in the family, he had two brothers and a sister. The older brothers, Vladimir and Nikolai, by their example helped the younger one fall in love with football forever.
In a Moscow courtyard on Aviamotornaya Street, they assembled a football team, in which at first Valentin Kozmich got the role of goalkeeper. But the boy’s dream was always the game ahead, in the position of the striker. The elder brother Vladimir made an appointment with teams from other courtyards, surrounding streets and even districts. In these friendly matches, the foundation was laid for the sportsmanship of the future great football player.
At the end of the seven-year school, Ivanov Valentin Kozmich got a job as a worker, following in the footsteps of his brothers to the Central Institute of Aviation Motors (TsIAM). The institute had its own football team, in which Valentine joined. He combined performances for TsIAM with a game in a yard team.
The beginning of a football career
After Valentin Ivanov began working at TsIAM, one of his friends brought him to the youth team “Wings of the Soviets”. This team was coached by Viktor Sergeyevich Bushuev, who became Ivanov’s first mentor. Having no special skills in theory, this wonderful coach was devotedly devoted to football, spending all his time at the stadium in Meerovsky passage. This sports ground became the starting point in the great sport of such famous athletes as Alexander Sevidov, Alfred Kuchevsky, Evgeny Groshev, the Kotov brothers. The final match for the Moscow Cup, in which the “Wings” met with “Spartak”, opened the way to big football for young Valentin Ivanov. During this match, the Moscow Torpedo coaches paid close attention to him.
Torpedo forever
In November 1952, Ivanov Valentin Kozmich, a Soviet footballer, began his debut in a team that he had not changed during his entire professional football career. For him, the Moscow Torpedo became such a team. Having stood the serious test of competition from more experienced players, 18-year-old Valentin Ivanov entered the main team. In 1953, it was led by the Honored Trainer of the RSFSR Valentin Aleksandrovich Maslov. He placed his trust in the young player, exposing him to the most crucial matches. With the exception of cases when Valentin Kozmich was injured or unwell, he always played in the main squad of Torpedo without missing a single game. With dedicated work and full dedication to his beloved work, Ivanov earned fair respect from his teammates and was appointed team captain. He did not remove the captain's armband for 9 years - from 1956 to 1965.
Success is in team play
The sixties of the last century become for Moscow “Torpedo” a period of glorious victories. In 1960, car makers achieved a double. They won the allied championship and in a bitter struggle won the USSR Cup. This success was achieved due to a well-coordinated, well-built game of the whole team. Thanks to the efforts of Leonid Ostrovsky, Glory Metreveli, Viktor Shustikov, Nikolai Manoshin and others, a clear tactical line was built based on a fine pass culture, accurate short passes and a master ball selection and preservation technique. From 1954 to 1958, the center and the right edge of the torpedo attack were a couple of legendary Soviet football players: Valentin Kozmich Ivanov and Eduard Streltsov. Fast and maneuverable, they easily dealt with the defense players of the leading clubs of the Soviet Union.
What deserves the love of fans
In the history of domestic football, there are many players whose game delivered a lot of positive emotions to loyal fans. But not all of them managed to achieve the love and recognition that Valentin Ivanov was awarded. In a fan environment, he was given the nickname Ballerina. Ivanov managed to achieve such a comparison thanks to the ability to cunningly and skillfully deal with any opponent, causing him concern with his intricate actions. This was facilitated by his excellent technical training, the ability to accurately and promptly give a pass to a partner, and sometimes it is dangerous to break through on goal himself. The ability to equally perform targeted shots with both left and right legs took many goalkeepers opposing him off guard. In addition to his high individual skill, Ivanov was also distinguished by a competent team game, being the designer of sharp combinations.
Game in the USSR national team
For the first time Valentin Ivanov entered the field in the main team of the national team on March 6, 1955 in a friendly match against the national team of India. And on June 26, 1955, he scored his first goal for the national team, it happened in a friendly game with Sweden, which the Soviet team beat 6-0.
In 1956, Valentin Ivanov, as part of the national team, went to the Olympic Games in Australian Melbourne. At this championship, the USSR team wins its first Olympic gold medals, and Ivanov is scored a goal against Indonesia in the second Olympic quarterfinal.
The year 1958 was the debut for the national team at world championships. The opponents of our team at the group stage were the teams of England, Austria and Brazil. Our players managed to get a victory over the Austrians, to draw with the English, but the match with the Brazilians was lost. In a repeated, drama-replaying game, the USSR team defeated the British. But in the quarter finals, our team lost to the hosts of the championship - the Swedes. In this championship, Valentin Ivanov twice hit the opponents' goal. His workshop game has earned many rave reviews from foreign experts.
The European Cup tournament of 1960 ended with a triumph for our team, where in the final match they won a victory over the national team of Yugoslavia. Valentin Ivanov scored two goals in this tournament in the semifinal match against Czechoslovakia.
At the world championship in 1962, Valentin Kozmich became the top scorer of the Soviet team, on his account - 4 goals scored.
In 1964, the Soviet team again managed to reach the final of the European Cup. But to win it failed. Soviet footballers lost to the Spaniards with a score of 1: 2. Valentin Ivanov was the captain of our team (he performed this honorable duty in the national team from 1963 to 1965).
Ivanov Valentin Kozmich: coaching career
In 1967, Valentin Ivanov finished his appearances as a player and began his coaching career. Of course, he became the head of his native Torpedo, listening to the requests of his colleagues - Eduard Streltsov and Valery Voronin, who promised him their support. The lack of coaching skills with Ivanov did not stop Torpedo from winning bronze medals and becoming the owner of the USSR Cup in 1968. But in 1970, the club management decided to remove Ivanov from the club management, appointing the more experienced Viktor Maslov as the head coach.
In 1973, Valentin Kozmich received a diploma from the Smolensk State Institute of Physical Culture. Just this year, “Torpedo” almost left the top division of the allied championship, which was the reason for the return of Ivanov to the coaching post. Over the next five years, Valentin Kozmich coached the “Torpedo”. But in the club there was such a situation when, by weaving petty intrigues, people who were far from football achieved his resignation. Ivanov was very offended by this and suffered her very painfully. But Ivanov continued to improve as a football mentor and became a graduate of the Higher School of Trainers.
Coaching downs and ups
The leadership, not noticing much success in the team, came to the conclusion that it was better not to find a coach for Ivanov, and suggested that he again head the Torpedo. Valentin Kozmich, whose photos are presented in the article, gave another 10 years to his beloved club. But in 1991, a conflict broke out in the team, during which he expelled young players convicted of drinking alcohol from the team. The discontent of the players turned into a scandal, because of which Valentin Kozmich had to leave the club. In 1992, he tried his hand as a coach of the Moroccan team "Raja" and put her in second place in the championship.
Ivanov did not stay abroad for long, and in 1993 returned to Russia, where he received the post of head coach of the Asmaral team. In 1997, the car factory club, which was under the tutelage and sponsorship of ZIL, was declared bankrupt and bought out by the chairman of JSC Luzhniki Vladimir Aleshin. Following great ambitions, the new owners of the club, now called Torpedo-Luzhniki, were again invited to the post of coach Valentin Ivanov. But alas, Valentin Kozmich failed to achieve success with the new team.
About family
Ivanov Valentin Kozmich, whose personal life was successful, can be an example of an excellent family man. His wife was an outstanding athlete, champion of the 1956 Olympic Games in gymnastics, Lidia Gavrilovna Ivanova. Their wedding took place on December 3, 1959. For more than 50 years, Lidia Gavrilovna and Ivanov Valentin Kozmich were happy in marriage, whose death occurred on November 8, 2011. Its cause was progressive Alzheimer's disease, which tormented the famous football player in the last years of his life. The son of Valentin Ivanov also associated his profession with football, becoming an arbiter serving not only the Russian Premier League matches, but also judging the matches of the 2004 European Championship in Portugal and the 2006 World Championship in Germany. An example to follow can be Ivanov Valentin Kozmich, whose family has become one of the most famous sports dynasties.
Achievements and rewards
Ivanov Valentin Kozmich, whose achievements became the pride of national football, became the owner of awards of various dignity received for sports successes and for his great contribution to the development of domestic and world football.
He was the top scorer of the 1962 World Cup, scoring 4 goals, and the 1960 European Championship with two goals. The number of goals scored by him in the USSR Championship allowed him to become one of the football scorers of the club Grigory Fedotov.
As part of the “Torpedo”, he won the bronze medal of the Union Championship in 1953, became the silver medalist in the championship in 1957, 1961 and 1964. and twice - the champion of the USSR, in 1960 and 1965.
Valentin Ivanov 12 times recognized as one of the best players in the allied championship.
International recognition
The leadership of FIFA and UEFA praised the contribution of Valentin Ivanov to the history of world football. This was facilitated by his legendary performances at the World and European Championships, in which he became the champion and medalist, as well as one of the top scorers of the competition. UEFA leadership Valentin Ivanov was awarded the Ruby Order of Merit.