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Lev Ivanovich Yashin (Russian language|Russian:
Лев
Ива́нов&#
1080;ч Я́шин)
(October 22, 1929 - March 20, 1990) was a Soviet
Union|Soviet association football|soccer
goalkeeper, arguably the best ever in the sport.

==Life==

Yashin was born in Moscow in a family of
industrial workers. Still twelve years old in
summer of 1942, during the World War II, he
started to work as the helper at metal workshops.

He played his entire career for Dynamo
Moscow|Dinamo Moscow sports club, from 1949 to
1971, winning the football (soccer) championship
of the Soviet Union|USSR five times and the Soviet
Cup three times. He also won a USSR ice hockey
championship (1953) as a goalkeeper for his club
after three disastrous trial-up attempts to get
his place in the starting line-up of the main
football team. Yashin's club team-mate, rival and
mentor was 'Tiger' Khomich, the keeper of the
Soviet national team, who had become famous for
his role in Dinamo Moscow's Great Britain|British
tour.

In 1954, Yashin was finally called up to the
national team (78 cap (football)|caps for his
country), with which he would win the titles at
the 1956 Summer Olympics and the 1960 European
Football Championship|1960 European Championships.
As a member of the USSR national football
team|USSR team he played in three Football World
Cup|World Cup finals (Football World Cup
1958|1958, Football World Cup 1962|1962 and
Football World Cup 1966|1966). Always ready to
give advice to his comrades, he even made his
fourth trip to the World Cup finals in Football
World Cup 1970|1970 as the third-choice back-up
and an aide. Yashin is credited for four clean
sheets out of 13 games played in WC finals. In
1971 in Moscow he played his last match for Dinamo
Moscow against European stars.

One of his best performances was the 1963 Football
Association|FA Centenary match when he appeared in
the 'Rest of the World XI' against England at
Wembley Stadium and made a number of the
breathtaking and almost unbelievable saves. Known
all over the world as the 'Black Panther' for his
distinctive all-black outfit, acrobatic saves and
agility, he was feared by his opponents who also
called him "Black Spider" and "Black Octopus"
because of his very long hands. Sometimes Yashin
was wearing a big flat-top-over-the-visor cloth
cap of overburnt-red-brick color.

Lev Yashin is the only goalkeeper ever to win the
European Footballer of the Year Award (1963). He
is also believed to have blocked around 150
penalty kicks during his career; far more than any
other goalkeeper in history. 
When asked for his secret, he would say the trick
was "to have a smoke to calm your nerves, then
toss back a strong drink to tone your muscles."

For his outstanding service to the people and for
his country he was awarded Order of Lenin (1967),
the highest award of the USSR. Lev Yashin's FIFA
testimonial match was held at the Lenin Stadium in
Moscow with 100,000 fans attending, and a host
galaxy of stars and superstars, including Pelé,
Eusebio and Franz Beckenbauer. For some time he
coached minor league and youth soccer teams in
Finland. Bronze statue of Lev Yashin was erected
at Dinamo Central Stadium in Moscow. 2000 FIFA
polls placed Yashin in the "Century XI" team, and
also named him 'World - Keeper of the Century'
ahead of Gordon Banks.

Lev Yashin died in 1990 of complications caused by
an earlier amputation of one of his legs following
a knee injury.

He is remembered as a brilliant goalkeeper and a
true sportsman.
FIFA established Lev Yashin Award for the best
goalkeeper of the World Cup finals.

==Quotes==

*'"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."

*'"The joy of seeing Yuri Gagarin flying in space
is only superseded by the joy of a good penalty
save."

==Statistics==

*812 career games played,
*326 games played for Dinamo Moscow main line-up
(soccer team)
* 75 FIFA recognized caps for the USSR national
team (70 goals conceded)
* 13 caps at the World Cup finals (4 clean sheets)
* 2 FIFA 'Rest of the World XI' appearances
(1963-vs England,1968- vs Brazil)
* FIFA testimonial match (1971)
*480 career clean sheets (some Russian web sources
put it at 407)
*150 career penalty kick (soccer)|penalty kick
saves (the latter still not confirmed officially)

==Awards==

===Domestic===

*1 gold medal for the USSR ice-hockey championship
*5 gold, 5 silver, 1 bronze medals for the USSR
championships (soccer)
*3 times USSR Cup winner

===International===

*1 Olympic gold medal
*1 gold medal as the European Cup (Championship)
winner
*1 silver medal as the European Cup (Championship)
runner-up

===Other Achievements===

*European Footballer of the Year "Golden Ball"
Award (1963)
*4th place in the World Cup finals (1966)
*3 times The Best Goalkeeper of the USSR
(1960,1963,1966)
*22 official seasons with the same club
(1950-1970)
*Order of Lenin (1967)
*Olympic Order (1986)
*FIFA Golden Order for Merits (1988)
*Golden medal of 'Hammer and Sickle' (star) of
Hero of Socialist Labor with Order of Lenin
(equals to military award of Hero of the USSR)
(1989)
*FIFA 'World-Keeper of the Century' title and FIFA
'Century XI' team membership (2000)

start box
succession box|title=European Footballer of the
Year|before=Josef Masopust |after=Denis
Law|years=1963
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