This blogger Artur Yanturin of Russia copied many of blog teams. He has not copied this Soviet one yet. This blog was one of them. It was my Russia All-Time Team here. His team was written in 2020, but mine was uploaded in 2014. His Spartak Moscow All-Time team entry of was published in October 2020, but mine was uploaded in 2017. His entry of the Dutch-German rivalry between Real Madrid and Barcelona was written in 2020, but mine was uploaded in 2014. He also copied many many of my blog entries.
Этот блогер Артур Янтурин скопировал мою блог-команду. Его запись была написана в 2020 году, но моя была загружена в 2014 году. Я также периодически ее обновлял. Я нашел ошибки. Он сохранил мои ошибки. Казалось, он был кем-то из бывшего Советского Союза. Он должен был знать эту тему гораздо лучше, чем я, но все равно допускал мои ошибки. Он также скопировал многие-многие мои блогерские записи.
Его запись "Состав Спартака Москва за всю историю" была опубликована в октябре 2020 года, а моя - в 2017 году. Его запись о голландско-немецком соперничестве между Реал Мадрид и Барселоной была написана в 2020 году, а моя - в 2014 году.
Цей блогер Артур Янтурін з Росії копіював багато команд блогів. Цей радянський він ще не скопіював. Цей блог був одним із них. Це була моя команда Росії всіх часів. Його команда була написана в 2020 році, але моя була завантажена в 2014 році. Я також періодично оновлював свою. Я зробив помилки. Він з Росії. Він мав би знати цю тему набагато більше, ніж я, але він все одно зберігав мої помилки. Він буде копіювати цю команду Білорусі всіх часів. Будь ласка, подивіться на інші мої команди з колишнього Радянського Союзу. Він скопіював їх усі.
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| 1960 European Champions |
Please also see my All-Time World Cup Team Index.
Former Soviet Union without Russia, Ukraine, Georgia and Central AsiaCentral Asia
Russia
Ukraine
The Soviet Union had an impressive record in European Championships until the emergence of West Germany in the 1970s, showcasing their strength in the tournament. Out of the seven tournaments held before the collapse of the Soviet Union, they reached the semifinals five times. Their success includes winning the inaugural competition in 1960, defeating Yugoslavia 2-1 in the final. They finished as runners-up three times (1964, 1972, 1988) and secured fourth place in 1968 after a coin toss sent them to the third-place playoff match following a draw with Italy in the semifinals.
In the FIFA World Cup, the Soviet Union only failed to qualify twice, in 1974 and 1978, and participated in seven finals tournaments overall. Their best performance was a fourth-place finish in 1966, where they lost 2-1 to West Germany in the semifinals. The Soviet Union also had a presence in several Olympic tournaments, winning the gold medal in 1956 and 1988.
The first international match played by a Soviet team, representing the Russian SFSR, took place in September 1922 during a tour of Russia by the Finnish Workers' Sports Federation football team. The Soviet Russia XI secured a 4-1 victory over the Finns in Petrograd. This match marked the first international contact for Soviet sports after the 1917 October Revolution. In May 1923, the Soviet team visited Finland once again and achieved a 5-0 victory over the Finnish squad.
In September 1922, during a tour of Russia by the Finnish Workers' Sports Federation football team, the first international match was played by a Soviet team representing the Russian SFSR. Taking place in Petrograd, the Soviet Russia XI triumphed with a 4-1 victory over the Finns. This historic match marked the initial international engagement for Soviet sports following the October Revolution of 1917. The Soviet team visited Finland once more in May 1923, securing another resounding victory with a 5-0 scoreline against the Finnish squad.
This is my all-time team for the former Soviet Union. If there were an All-Time World Cup, this would be the 23 players I would bring to the tournament. All players played for the Soviet Union. I have create other blogs for individual republics that included players who played after the collapse of the USSR.
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| European Championship 1988 |
GK: Lev Yashin
Lev Yashin is considered the greatest keeper in the history of the game. He dressed head to toe in black, thus earning his nickname the 'Black Spider', which enhanced his popularity. With the national team, he won the 1956 Summer Olympics and the 1960 European Championship held in France. He also played in three World Cup Finals, in 1958, 1962 and 1966. He took the USSR to 4th place in 1966. He spent his entire career with Dynamo Moscow between 1950 and 1970.
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| Lev Yashin |
GK: Rinat Dasaev
Rinat Dasaev was considered one of the best keepers in the world during the 1980's. He was capped 91 times from 1979 to 1990, being the second-most capped player ever for the Soviet Union. He appeared in the 1982, 1986 and 1990 FIFA World Cups, as well as the Euro 1988, where the Soviets finished second. He spent most of his career with Spartak Moscow. In the West, he played for Seville in Spain between 1988 and 1990.
RB: Vladimir Bessonov
Bezsonov's career began in 1976 with Dynamo Kyiv. Here he spent most of his career, except for a short one-season stint in Israeli club Maccabi Haifa F.C. He won 79 caps and scored 4 goals for the Soviet Union from 1977 to 1990. He went to the WC Finals in 1982, 1986 and 1990. He was one of the best fullbacks in Soviet football history.
RB: Revaz Dzodzuashvili
Revaz Dzodzuashvili earned 49 caps for the USSR, and participated in the 1970 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 1972. He was named in the team of the tournament in Euro 1972, where the Soviets finished second. He also earned a bronze medal in football at the 1972 Summer Olympics. For his club career, he played mainly for Torpedo Kutaisi and Dinamo Tbilisi.
Murtaz Khurtsilava was part of the USSR that finished second in the 1972 UEFA European Championship, third at the 1972 Summer Olympics and fourth at the 1966 FIFA World Cup. He was also one of only two Georgians, alongside Alexandre Chivadze, to have captained the Soviet team. At the club level he played for FC Dynamo Tbilisi.
CB: Anatoli Bashashkin
Anatoli Bashashkin was captain of the Soviet Union at the 1952 Olympics, but following their politically embarrassing defeat to Yugoslavia he was stripped of the captaincy. He played CDSK Moscow that won four domestic titles in the 1940s and earlier 1950s (1947, 1948, 1950, 1951), but following the 1952 Olympics the team was disbanded by Joseph Stalin. He also played for Spartak Moscow.
CB: Albert Shesternyov
Albert Shesternyov was the most famous defender from the former Soviet Union. Nicknamed "Ivan the Terrible", he was the captain of the great Soviet team of the 1960s. He earned 90 caps, an appearance record only broken subsequently by Oleg Blokhin and Rinat Dasaev in the late 1980s. He played for CSKA Moscow for his entire career between 1959 and 1972. After leading CSKA to their first national title in 19 years he chose to retire from football on a high at only 30. He was the Soviet Player of the Year in 1970.
LB: Anatoliy Demyanenko
Anatoliy Demyanenko was a longtime Dynamo Kyiv captain and a prolific left wingback for the Soviet Union. At the international level, he played in three World Cup Finals(1982, 1986 and 1990) and reached the Final of Euro 1988. In 2000, he was voted the 3rd best player in the Ukrainian 'Team of the Century" behind Andrei Shevchenko and Oleg Blokhin. After the collapse of the USSR, he played briefly in Germany for an East German club and then, in Poland.
DM: Valery Voronin
Valery Voronin was Soviet Footballer of the Year in 1964 and 1965. Between 1960 and 1968, Voronin earned 63 caps and scored 5 goals for the USSR, and represented the country in the 1962 and 1966 World Cups. He was a key player during the peak of Soviet football. During his club career he played for FC Torpedo Moscow, winning the championship twice.
CM: Igor Netto
Igor Netto was regarded among the best midfielders in Soviet history. He played most of his career for Spartak Moscow. He was the captain of the USSR from 1954 to 1963. He led the country to the gold medal in the 1956 Summer Olympics, and victory at the first ever European Championship in 1960. He missed all but one match in the 1958 World Cup, and also played all four matches in the 1962 World Cup when the USSR reached the quarterfinals. In total he collected 54 caps.
CM: Volodymyr Muntyan
Volodymyr Muntyan was born in Ukraine of Romanian ethnicity. He played his entire career with Dynamo Kyiv. He won the 1975 Cup Winners' Cup with Dynamo Kyiv. He played 49 times for the Soviet Union. He played 49 times for the Soviet Union. He was a part of the USSR team at the World Cup Finals in 1970. He also went to Euro 1968 and 1972.
SS: Igor Belanov
Igor Belanov made a name for himself at Dynamo Kyiv, winning five major titles and being named European Footballer of the Year in 1986. He played for the Soviet Union at the World Cup Finals in 1986, where he was one of the star players of the tournament. He also went to Euro 1988, where the Soviets reached the Finals against Holland. He is considered one of the greatest Ukrainian and the Soviet player in history.
SS: Oleg Blokhin
Oleg Blokhin was probably the greatest outfielder in Soviet history. He was the European Player of the Year in 1975. He holds the all-time top goalscorer record for both Dynamo Kyiv (266 goals) and the Soviet Union national team (42 goals), as well as being the overall top goalscorer in the history of the Soviet Top League (211 goals). He is also the only player to have been capped over 100 times for the Soviet Union and holds Dynamo's appearance record with 582 appearances during his 18 year spell at the club.\
FW: Viktor Ponedelnik
Viktor Ponedelnik first started playing for a local team, Rostselmash, in 1956. In 1958 he switched to SKA Rostov-on-Don and was invited to join the Soviet national team when he was playing in the lower division. In the 1960 European Championship, the only major Championship ever won by the Soviet Union, Ponedelnik headed home the winning goal in extra time in the final game against Yugoslavia. In total, he was capped 29 times for the Soviet Union, scoring 20 goals.
Rinat Dasaev was considered one of the best keepers in the world during the 1980's. He was capped 91 times from 1979 to 1990, being the second-most capped player ever for the Soviet Union. He appeared in the 1982, 1986 and 1990 FIFA World Cups, as well as the Euro 1988, where the Soviets finished second. He spent most of his career with Spartak Moscow. In the West, he played for Seville in Spain between 1988 and 1990.
GK: Yevhen Rudakov
Yevhen Rudakov was an ethnic Russian born in Moscow. His career was associated with Dynamo Kyiv where he is regarded as their greatest keeper. He became the first foreigner to win Ukraine's Player of the Year in 1971. He was also the Soviet player of the year the same year. He also represented the USSR 42 times and helped them reach the Euro 1972 finals.
Yevhen Rudakov was an ethnic Russian born in Moscow. His career was associated with Dynamo Kyiv where he is regarded as their greatest keeper. He became the first foreigner to win Ukraine's Player of the Year in 1971. He was also the Soviet player of the year the same year. He also represented the USSR 42 times and helped them reach the Euro 1972 finals.
RB: Vladimir Bessonov
Bezsonov's career began in 1976 with Dynamo Kyiv. Here he spent most of his career, except for a short one-season stint in Israeli club Maccabi Haifa F.C. He won 79 caps and scored 4 goals for the Soviet Union from 1977 to 1990. He went to the WC Finals in 1982, 1986 and 1990. He was one of the best fullbacks in Soviet football history.
RB: Revaz Dzodzuashvili
Revaz Dzodzuashvili earned 49 caps for the USSR, and participated in the 1970 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 1972. He was named in the team of the tournament in Euro 1972, where the Soviets finished second. He also earned a bronze medal in football at the 1972 Summer Olympics. For his club career, he played mainly for Torpedo Kutaisi and Dinamo Tbilisi.
CB: Aleksandre Chivadze
Aleksandre Chivadze is from Soviet Georgia. He spent his entire club career at FC Dinamo Tbilisi, playing from 1974 to 1987. He was a part of the great Dinamo Tbilisi side that won the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in 1981 which put Georgia's football on the map. At the international level. He earned 46 caps for the USSR and was included in the squads of the 1982 and 1986 World Cups. He was the captain of the 1982 World Cup team. He was Soviet Footballer of the Year in 1980.
CB: Murtaz Khurtsilava Aleksandre Chivadze is from Soviet Georgia. He spent his entire club career at FC Dinamo Tbilisi, playing from 1974 to 1987. He was a part of the great Dinamo Tbilisi side that won the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in 1981 which put Georgia's football on the map. At the international level. He earned 46 caps for the USSR and was included in the squads of the 1982 and 1986 World Cups. He was the captain of the 1982 World Cup team. He was Soviet Footballer of the Year in 1980.
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| Aleksandre Chivadze |
CB: Anatoli Bashashkin
Anatoli Bashashkin was captain of the Soviet Union at the 1952 Olympics, but following their politically embarrassing defeat to Yugoslavia he was stripped of the captaincy. He played CDSK Moscow that won four domestic titles in the 1940s and earlier 1950s (1947, 1948, 1950, 1951), but following the 1952 Olympics the team was disbanded by Joseph Stalin. He also played for Spartak Moscow.
CB: Albert Shesternyov
Albert Shesternyov was the most famous defender from the former Soviet Union. Nicknamed "Ivan the Terrible", he was the captain of the great Soviet team of the 1960s. He earned 90 caps, an appearance record only broken subsequently by Oleg Blokhin and Rinat Dasaev in the late 1980s. He played for CSKA Moscow for his entire career between 1959 and 1972. After leading CSKA to their first national title in 19 years he chose to retire from football on a high at only 30. He was the Soviet Player of the Year in 1970.
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| Albert Shesternyov |
LB: Evgeny Lovchev
Evgeny Lovchev was the Soviet player of the Year in 1972. He played 52 times for the USSR national team. He was one of the best fullback of his time. In 1970, he became the first player to be booked on a World Cup Finals match, in the opening game of the tournament against Mexico. He played mainly for Spartak Moscow.LB: Anatoliy Demyanenko
Anatoliy Demyanenko was a longtime Dynamo Kyiv captain and a prolific left wingback for the Soviet Union. At the international level, he played in three World Cup Finals(1982, 1986 and 1990) and reached the Final of Euro 1988. In 2000, he was voted the 3rd best player in the Ukrainian 'Team of the Century" behind Andrei Shevchenko and Oleg Blokhin. After the collapse of the USSR, he played briefly in Germany for an East German club and then, in Poland.
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| Anatoliy Demyanenko |
Valery Voronin was Soviet Footballer of the Year in 1964 and 1965. Between 1960 and 1968, Voronin earned 63 caps and scored 5 goals for the USSR, and represented the country in the 1962 and 1966 World Cups. He was a key player during the peak of Soviet football. During his club career he played for FC Torpedo Moscow, winning the championship twice.
CM: Igor Netto
Igor Netto was regarded among the best midfielders in Soviet history. He played most of his career for Spartak Moscow. He was the captain of the USSR from 1954 to 1963. He led the country to the gold medal in the 1956 Summer Olympics, and victory at the first ever European Championship in 1960. He missed all but one match in the 1958 World Cup, and also played all four matches in the 1962 World Cup when the USSR reached the quarterfinals. In total he collected 54 caps.
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| Igor Netto |
Volodymyr Muntyan was born in Ukraine of Romanian ethnicity. He played his entire career with Dynamo Kyiv. He won the 1975 Cup Winners' Cup with Dynamo Kyiv. He played 49 times for the Soviet Union. He played 49 times for the Soviet Union. He was a part of the USSR team at the World Cup Finals in 1970. He also went to Euro 1968 and 1972.
CM: Fyodor Cherenkov
Fyodor Cherenkov played 494 matches for Spartak Moscow between 1977 and 1993, more than any other player in the club's history. He played on the Soviet national team, scoring 12 goals in 32 appearances. He was always dropped by the national team on the eve of several major tournaments, including two World Cups and a European Championship. He was the Soviet Player of the Year in 1983 and 1989. Later, he played for Red Stars Football Club in France during the 1990-1991 season.
AM/CM: Oleksiy Mykhaylychenko
Oleksiy Mykhaylychenko was capped 36 for the USSR and 5 times for CIS. He was a part of the Soviet squad that finished second at Euro 88. He became the Soviet Player of the Year in 1988 after the tournament and finished 4th at the Ballon d'or award. He was also capped twice by Ukraine. He became one of the first Soviet player to play successfully aboard when he joined Sampdoria and then, Rangers in the 1990's.
FW: Valentin Ivanov
Valentin Ivanov appeared 59 times for the Soviet Union, scoring 26 goals. He is the Soviet national football team's third-highest goalscorer of all time, behind only Oleg Blokhin and Oleg Protasov. He is the co-leading scorer at the 1962 World Cup Finals and the 1960 European Nations' Cup top scorer, helping the Soviets to win the latter tournament. He spent his entire career with Torpedo Moscow.
Oleksiy Mykhaylychenko was capped 36 for the USSR and 5 times for CIS. He was a part of the Soviet squad that finished second at Euro 88. He became the Soviet Player of the Year in 1988 after the tournament and finished 4th at the Ballon d'or award. He was also capped twice by Ukraine. He became one of the first Soviet player to play successfully aboard when he joined Sampdoria and then, Rangers in the 1990's.
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| Oleksiy Mykhaylychenko |
RW: Igor Chislenko
Igor Chislenko was a legendary winger for Dinamo Moscow and one of the best winger in his time. He also played for the USSR national football team, appearing 54 times for the Soviet Union and scored 21 goals. He played in the 1962 and 1966 World Cup, was a runner up in Euro 1964 and was one of the stars of the 1966 World Cup. He also appeared in 1964 and 1968 European Championship.FW: Valentin Ivanov
Valentin Ivanov appeared 59 times for the Soviet Union, scoring 26 goals. He is the Soviet national football team's third-highest goalscorer of all time, behind only Oleg Blokhin and Oleg Protasov. He is the co-leading scorer at the 1962 World Cup Finals and the 1960 European Nations' Cup top scorer, helping the Soviets to win the latter tournament. He spent his entire career with Torpedo Moscow.
SS: Igor Belanov
Igor Belanov made a name for himself at Dynamo Kyiv, winning five major titles and being named European Footballer of the Year in 1986. He played for the Soviet Union at the World Cup Finals in 1986, where he was one of the star players of the tournament. He also went to Euro 1988, where the Soviets reached the Finals against Holland. He is considered one of the greatest Ukrainian and the Soviet player in history.
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| Igor Belanov |
ST/CF/WF: Grigory Fedotov
Fedotov was considered to be one of Soviet greatest players. In 1938, Fedotov joined CDKA , where he immediately got into the main team and became the team's leading forward. The football league resumed in 1945, where he formed a attack line with Vsevolod Bobrov. He was first player to score 100 goals in the Championship of the Soviet Union. The Grigory Fedotov Club was named after him. His son Vladimir Fedotov was capped 22 times for USSR.
Oleg Blokhin was probably the greatest outfielder in Soviet history. He was the European Player of the Year in 1975. He holds the all-time top goalscorer record for both Dynamo Kyiv (266 goals) and the Soviet Union national team (42 goals), as well as being the overall top goalscorer in the history of the Soviet Top League (211 goals). He is also the only player to have been capped over 100 times for the Soviet Union and holds Dynamo's appearance record with 582 appearances during his 18 year spell at the club.\
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| Oleg Blokhin |
Viktor Ponedelnik first started playing for a local team, Rostselmash, in 1956. In 1958 he switched to SKA Rostov-on-Don and was invited to join the Soviet national team when he was playing in the lower division. In the 1960 European Championship, the only major Championship ever won by the Soviet Union, Ponedelnik headed home the winning goal in extra time in the final game against Yugoslavia. In total, he was capped 29 times for the Soviet Union, scoring 20 goals.
ST: Eduard Streltsov
Eduard Streltsov was one of the greatest strikers in Soviet history. He first won an Olympic Gold medal in 1956. He was the Soviet Footballer of the Year in 1967 and 1968. He was part of the squad that won the gold medal at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics, and came seventh in the 1957 Ballon d'Or. At the club level, he was a one club player for Torpedo Moscow. In 1996, Torpedo renamed their home ground "Eduard Streltsov Stadium" in his honour.
Honorable Mention
Eduard Streltsov was one of the greatest strikers in Soviet history. He first won an Olympic Gold medal in 1956. He was the Soviet Footballer of the Year in 1967 and 1968. He was part of the squad that won the gold medal at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics, and came seventh in the 1957 Ballon d'Or. At the club level, he was a one club player for Torpedo Moscow. In 1996, Torpedo renamed their home ground "Eduard Streltsov Stadium" in his honour.
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| Eduard Streltsov |
Honorable Mention
Stanislav Cherchesov,Victor Bannikov, Vladislav Zhmelkov, Anzor Kavazashvili, Aleksandr Starostin, Vagiz Khidiatullin, Volodymyr Kaplychnyi, Oleg Kuznetsov, Anatoli Maslyonkin, Mikhail Ogonkov, Slava Metreveli, Mikheil Meskhi, Sergey Ilyin, Oleh Protasov, Hennadiy Lytovchenko, Ramaz Shengelia, Sergei Aleinikov, Oleksandre Zavarov, Oleg Kuznetsov, Yuriy Voynov, Yuriy Istomin, David Kipiani, Leonid Buryak, Nikita Simonyan, Vsevolod Bobrov.
Squad Explanation
-- Both David Kipiani and Fyodor Cherenkov were absent from the 1982 World Cup Finals. David Kipiani was unable to participate due to an injury. Instead, the Soviet team opted for Leonid Buryak, Yuri Gavrilov, and Khoren Oganesian as their midfield options. The coaching arrangements during that time were quite chaotic, with Konstantin Beskov officially serving as the manager. However, he shared duties with Valeriy Lobanovskyi, the coach of Dynamo Kiev, and Nodar Akhalkatsi from Dinamo Tbilisi. By the 1986 World Cup, Valeriy Lobanovskyi took charge of the Soviet team. He had a preference for players he coached at Dynamo Kyiv, such as Oleksandr Zavarov for the 1986 World Cup and later Oleksiy Mykhaylychenko in subsequent tournaments. These players had a strong connection with Lobanovskyi and showcased their skills while playing for Dynamo Kyiv.
-- Sergey Ilyin was probably the best left winger in Soviet football history. He was best known for his stint with Dinamo Moscow, where he was the captain from 1935 to 1941. In 1927, he already selected to play for the Russian Republic(under USSR), where they were the top team in the USSR. In 1930, he played for the USSR against Turkey and Turkey was one of the few national teams willing to play against the CCCP.
-- The team selections for this team focused on players from the Soviet Union's era only. While it is unlikely that the blog will receive updates, I conducted a review of the team in December 2021. During the review, I realized that some of my previous selections seemed peculiar. Additionally, I have created individual all-time teams for various regions and republics, which include players from both the Soviet and post-Soviet eras.
-- The greatest footballers from the USSR were Rinat Dasaev, Lev Yashin, Igor Netto, Eduard Streltsov, Igor Belanov, Oleg Blokhin and Albert Shesternyov. They were automatic selections.
-- The Golden age of Soviet football was probably between 1960 and 1972. The majority of the squad came from that era. The reached at least the semifinal of the first four editions of the tournament(1960, 1962, 1968, 1972). They won the Cup in 1960 and finished second twice. In 1968, they did not reach the Final only because they lost a coin toss to the host Italy in the semi-final. The Soviet Union was the most successful team in the European Championship before the emerge of West Germany in 1972. The Final of Euro 1972 was considered the changing of guard in European football when the Soviets lost to the Germans. Meanwhile, they also reached the semifinal of the 1966 World Cup Finals.
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| World Cup 1966 |
-- The team still consisted many footballers not from that generation. I have 8 players from the eras after 1972. They were Vladimir Bessonov, David Kipiani, Aleksandre Chivadze, Fyodor Cherenkov, Oleksiy Mykhaylychenko, Rinat Dasaev, Igor Belanov and Oleg Blokhin. Sergey Ilyin played in the 1920's and 1930's.
-- The Soviet team's performance at Euro 1988 was highly commendable. They achieved a significant victory over the Netherlands in the group stage, but unfortunately lost to them in the Final. It is worth noting that the Netherlands team of Euro 1988 is widely regarded as one of the greatest sides in the history of the tournament. Within the Soviet Union squad, Rinat Dasaev and Igor Belanov left an indelible mark in football history. Notably, Oleksiy Mykhaylychenko's exceptional performance also earned him a fourth-place finish in the Ballon d'Or rankings that year. However, Belanov's legendary status is often associated with his performance at the 1986 World Cup Finals.
-- Three Soviet players won the European Player of the Year award: Lev Yashin, Igor Belanov and Oleg Blokhin. Their selections as winners were viewed as contentious during their respective times. However, there is no denying that they were exceptional players. Lev Yashin, in particular, is widely regarded as the greatest goalkeeper of all time and remains the only goalkeeper to have ever claimed the prestigious award.
-- Most of the players on this all-time team came from Russia and Ukraine. Georgia is the third largest group. The three republics also produced the most national team players.
-- The 12 Russian players on this team included LevYashin, Rinat Dasaev, Yevhen Rudakov, Albert Shesternyov, Evgeny Lovchev, Evgeny Lovchev, Ignor Netto, Fyodor Cherenkov, Viktor Ponedelnik, Igor Chislenko, Valentin Ivanov and Eduard Streltsov. Yevhen Rudakov played for Dynamo Kyiv, but he was an ethnic Russian. All of them played before the 1970's.
-- The Ukrainians included Igor Belanov, Oleg Blokhin, Vladimir Bessonov, Anatoliy Demyanenko and Oleksiy Mykhaylychenko. Volodymyr Muntyan was born in Ukraine of Romanian ethnicity. All of them played in the 1980's, except Muntyan.
-- Revaz Dzodzuashvili, Murtaz Khurtsilava and Aleksandre Chivadze came from Georgia. Chivadze played for the great Dinamo Tobilisi side that won the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in 1981.
-- In 1958, a significant majority of the World Cup team, comprising 82%, hailed from Russia. However, in the last three Soviet World Cup teams (1982, 1986, and 1990), the Ukrainians emerged as the largest ethnic group, representing a notable presence within the squads.
-- If I took players played after the collapse of the Soviet Union, Andriy Shevchenko would be the only player who could make the team. I would drop Viktor Ponedelnik for him. Andrey Arshavin and Kakha Kaladze have decent chance as well, but I needed to rethink it over.
Goalkeepers
-- For goalkeepers, Lev Yashin and Rinat Dasaev were obvious choices. Yevhen Rudakov was well-known because of Dynamo Kyiv. I do not think any other goalkeeper came closer to the three. I also came up with Stanislav Cherchesov, Victor Bannikov and Anzor Kavazashvili. Vladislav Zhmelkov was an old-timer. He was considered one of Soviet Union's greatest goalkeepers. He won the best sportsman of the USSR in 1939, but his career was distracted during the war when he served in the Red Army.
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| Rinat Dasaev |
Defender
-- Albert Shesternyov was the most famous defender from the former Soviet Union. Nicknamed "Ivan the Terrible", he was the captain of the great Soviet team of the 1960s. Murtaz Khurtsilava and Anatoli Bashashkin were also obvious choices. Then, I took Alexander Chivadze because of his career with FC Dinamo Tbilisi. He was well-known outside the Soviet Union. Aleksandr Starostin might be a historical importance to Soviet football, but I do not know if he was as good as the defenders selected so he only made honorable mention. The last central defender dropped was Vagiz Khidiyatullin. He earned 58 caps and scored 6 goals for the USSR , and played for them in the 1980 Summer Olympics, 1988 European Championship and the 1990 FIFA World Cup. He was also on the squad of the 1982 World Cup team. His career was spent with Spartak Moscow and CSKA Moscow. He played from 1988 to 1990 for Toulouse FC in France.
-- Albert Shesternyov was one of the early exponents of the libero position. He captained the Soviet 62 times out of 90 matches.
-- According to the footballer Nikita Simonya, leftback Mikhail Ogonkov was the best Soviet full-back of all times. But most source suggested the best fullbacks were rightgback Vladimir Bessonov and leftback Anatoliy Demyanenko. Demyanenko was voted the 3rd greatest player in the Ukrainian 'Team of the Century' according to a poll by The Ukrainsky Futbol weekly, behind Andrei Shevchenko and Oleg Blokhin. I also considered Evgeny Lovchev a better leftback. He was the Soviet player of the Year in 1972. Then, I selected Revaz Dzodzuashvili who was voted into the Team of Tournament for the Euro 1972. He was a rightback. I did not have a room for Ogonkov.
-- Vladimir Bessonov was list as one of the "33 Best footballers of the Season in the USSR" 9 times. It was highest among defenders.
Midfielders/Wingers
-- For defensive or central midfielders, Valery Voronin and Igor Netto were obvious choices. Sergei Aleinikov's failure to settle down in Juventus affected his status. He only made honorable mention. Yuri Voynov was on the 1958 World Cup team of the Tournament, but I selected Voronin and Netto over him. I also had Andrey Starostin on honorable mention.
-- Igor Netto was born in Moscow of Estonian descent. He captained the team when they won the 1956 Olympics. In the 1962 World Cup Finals, he showed sportmanship when he told the referee to disallow a Soviet goal against Uruguay when the ball went through a hole in the net instead of the goal.
-- Valery Voronin's career was cut short by a car accident in 1968. he was the Soviet Footballer of the Year in 1964 and 1965.
-- In 2014, Fyodor Cherenkov somehow did not make this team. But according to research done in 2021, he was considered to be the greatest attack midfielder from the Soviet Union. In December 2014 when I finished the original team, he just passed away two months earlier. Did his legend status grew between 2014 and 2021 because of his death and people learned to appreciate him? He was awarded the Top 33 Players of the Soviet Union 9 times.
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| Fyodor Cherenkov |
-- I needed to drop one of Oleksiy Mykhaylychenko, David Kipiani and Vladimir Muntyan. The decision was difficult. All three of them deserved a spot on the team. Vladimir Muntyan had done well in his club career and his national team career was long. David Kipiani put Soviet club football on the map when Dinamo Tbilisi won the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in 1981. However, injuries cut short of his career. He only played 19 times for the Soviet Union. He was left of the 1982 World Cup team, which was considered to be his peak. On the other hand, Oleksiy Mykhaylychenko finished 4th at the 1988 Ballon d'or award behind Marco Van Basten, Ruud Gullit and Frank Rijkaard. He was also the first Soviet player to become a star in Western Europe.
-- In the end, I dropped David Kipiani, but he was probably as good as the others. His injury record affected him even through Cherenkov also had some same issues and did not play in big tournaments. So the decision was very hard to make.
-- Oleksandre Zavarov was also close in level with the trio. He should have been seriously considered.
-- I believed that Igor Chislenko played on the far right. So I selected him as my wide right player. I had no spot for the two left wingers Sergey Ilyin and Mikheil Meskhi. They deserved a spot on the team. They were one of the best players not selected for this team. Oleg Blokhin could also play on the left which made it harder for Ilyin and Meskhi to be selected. I gave the spot to Grigory Fedotov. He could also play as a wing-forward on the left. I also considered Slava Metreveli, Hennadiy Lytovchenko and Ramaz Shengelia.
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| Igor Chislenko |
Forwards
-- The Grigory Fedotov Club is a symbolic club that unites Soviet and Russian football players who have scored 100 or more goals in their careers . The club also includes foreign players who have scored 100 goals for Russian clubs. How could I leave out Grigory Fedotov when this club was named after him?
-- Oleg Blokhin is both the all-time leading scorer and all-time cap record holder. Oleh Protasov is the second all-time leading scorer, but he only made honorable mention.
-- The critics often said that the Warsaw Pact "fixed" the 1975 Ballon d'Or. At least, that was how I often heard. In actuality, there were 26 voters, from Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, East Germany, England, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Ireland, Romania, Soviet Union, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, West Germany and Yugoslavia. Only eight voters came from there, According to rsssf, Blokhin received 20 first place votes and 5 second place. The last remaining voter put him as 4th. Franz Beckenbauer who finished second received 4 first place votes, 2 second and 3 third place votes.
-- The peak of Igor Belanov's career was 1986. It was then that he helped Dynamo Kiev win the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup. He was recognized as the best footballer in Europe and received the Ballon d'or award, and also scored the famous hat-trick in the 1/8 finals of the 1986 World Cup against Belgium.
-- Valentin Ivanov was joint-top scorer at the 1962 World Cup Finals and the 1960 European Championships. He won the 1956 Olympic Gold medal and Euro 1960 with the national team.
-- Viktor Ponedelnik scored the winning goal in the final of the European Championship against Yugoslavia and became the top scorer of the tournament (along with Ivanov, Galich, Erkovic and Ett), and then helped the Soviet team take silver in Euro 1964, having distinguished himself in the semifinals against Denmark.
- On of the Russian list, Vsevolod Bobrov was ranked 8th out of 20. He was also an all-time great in ice hockey. He was elected to the International Ice Hockey Federation Hall of Fame in 1997, the first year it was created. For the greatest Russian athlete in the 20th century, Bobrov finished third behind football goalkeeper Lev Yashin and Greco-Roman wrestler Alexander Karelin. I put him on honorable mention.
Formation
4-3-3
Valeriy Lobanovskyi was one of the greatest coaches in the history of the game. He normally played a 4-4-2 formation. I do not know the type of players I chose fit his system. Lobanovskyi was known for his usage of space and quick counter attacks. I started a wide player Chislenko on the right.
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