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Soviet soccer legend of 1950-60s Valentin Ivanov dies at 76

He was his team’s best scorer. For the national team Ivanov played 59 official matches to have scored 26 goals

MOSCOW, November 8 (Itar-Tass) —— One of the greatest Soviet soccer stars of the 1950s and 1960s, Valentin K. Ivanov has passed away. He was 76. According to the first vice-president of the Russian Football Union, Nikita Simonian, Ivanov died of Alzheimer’s disease.

Ivanov won world acclaim as a player of Moscow’s Torpedo soccer club (for decades sponsored by the ZIL truck manufacturer) and of the USSR’s national squad. He had to his credit the gold won at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics, and the titles of the top scorer at the 1962 World Cup and of the 1960 European Cup winner.

Ivanov spent his whole career at one club – Torpedo, for which he played in 287 matches in the USSR national championship to have scored 124 goals. He was his team’s best scorer. For the national team Ivanov played 59 official matches to have scored 26 goals. He and his fellow players were the USSR champions in 1960 and 1965.

Upon the end of his football player’s career Ivanov displayed himself as a successful coach. In 1976 Torpedo won the USSR national championship and in 1968, 1972 and 1986 he and the team he led won the USSR Cup.

Ivanov held the title of the national sports award Glory for 2007 in the Lifetime Legend nomination together with his wife, gymnast Lidiya Ivanova, a double Olympic champion.

The Russian Football Union has offered sincere condolences to Ivanov’s family and friends.