| A different title to bestow considering that Yashin | | | | World Cup finals. Rumours had it that the mighty Real |
| played in an age where football was certainly less | | | | Madrid were interested in bringing Yashin to the |
| competitive than it is today, selection for the Russian | | | | Bernabeu, however the powers that be in Russian |
| National team was largely based on political | | | | sport were not prepared to consider that the "black |
| connections more than talent and he probably played | | | | spider" would practice his trade on the other side of |
| no more than twenty games out of his long career in | | | | the iron curtain. |
| "the west". Yet there can be no doubt that Yashin | | | | Although the USSR team always did relatively poorly |
| was a rare and prodigious talent, who even if he had | | | | in the World Cup, with Yashin in goal they did win the |
| appeared on the scene even ten years later would | | | | 1956 Olympics soccer gold as well as the inaugural |
| have been even more of a legend than he is today. | | | | 1960 European championships. The Russian victory |
| Born and brought up in the austere Moscow of the | | | | was not such a big achievement, as just 17 teams |
| nineteen thirties, Yashin signed for the famous Dinamo | | | | entered the tournament with West Germany and Italy |
| Moscow sports club in 1949 where he played in his | | | | refusing to take part, and Spain withdrawing rather |
| famous all-black soccer uniform till he hung up his | | | | than travel to Moscow to play in the second leg of the |
| boots in 1971, During that time Yashin won the USSR | | | | knockout stages. The finals, held in Paris, were a four |
| league championship of the USSR five times as well | | | | team affair and Russia won a typically "iron curtain" |
| as the Soviet Cup three times. Strangely enough, | | | | final 2-1 after extra time against Yugoslavia |
| Yashin also played in goal for Dinamo Moscow's ice | | | | Lev Yashin is particularly remembered in the Western |
| hockey team and even won the USSR ice-hockey | | | | world for his outstanding performance in the 1963 FA |
| championship as a goalkeeper. | | | | Centenary match. Yashin was picked out to play in |
| Despite his tremendous goalkeeping skills, Yashin was | | | | goal for the 'Rest of the World XI' against the England |
| only called up to the national team for the first time in | | | | team at Wembley Stadium. The crowd looked on in |
| 1954, and from then went on to play 78 times for his | | | | wonder as Yashin made a number of the breathtaking |
| country, which was a remarkable achievement in | | | | unbelievable saves. Largely on the back of this single |
| those times, when considerably fewer internationals | | | | performance Lev Yashin (and his famous all-black |
| take place. With Yashin in between the sticks, the | | | | soccer uniform ) became the only goalkeeper ever to |
| USSR team made it to three World Cup finals (1958, | | | | win the European Footballer of the Year Award in |
| 1962 and 1966), although they were then, as today, | | | | 1963. |
| terrible un-achievers in the final stages of the World's | | | | For his outstanding service to the people and for his |
| most prestigious soccer tournament. However despite | | | | country Yashin was awarded the Order of Lenin |
| the USSR turning in their usual "grey performances", | | | | (1967), the highest award of the USSR. FIFA polls |
| with their best being fourth place in 1966, Yashin | | | | placed Yashin in the "Century XI" team, and also |
| caught the eye of most of the leading European clubs | | | | named him 'World - Keeper of the Century' ahead of |
| with solid performances. He made four clean sheets | | | | England legend Gordon Banks among others. |
| out of all the 13 games that he played in the three | | | | |