Eduard Streltsov
Encyclopedia
Eduard Anatolyevich Streltsov (21 July 1937 – 22 July 1990) was a Soviet
footballer who represented Torpedo Moscow
as a forward. Joining Torpedo at the age of 16 from the Fraser factory team in 1953, Streltsov made his international debut two years later and played a key role in winning the gold medal for the Soviet national team
at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics
. Judged by Western Europe
an sports journalists to be among the top seven footballers in Europe during 1957, Streltsov's promising career was then interrupted at the age of 20 by a conviction of rape
that led to five years in prison.
Streltsov was accused of raping a 20-year-old woman, Marina Lebedeva, in 1958. After being told an admission of guilt would allow his participation in the 1958 World Cup
, Streltsov confessed to the crime, despite inconclusive evidence against him. Instead sentenced to twelve years in a labour camp
, Streltsov was released after five and resumed his football career with Torpedo Moscow two years later. In the first season of his comeback, Torpedo won the Soviet Championship
for only the second time in their history. He returned to the Soviet national team in 1966, won the Soviet Cup
with his club two years later, and was named Soviet Footballer of the Year
in 1967 and 1968.
Streltsov retired in 1970, and died in Moscow
in July 1990. In 1996, Torpedo renamed their home ground "Eduard Streltsov Stadium
" in his honour; the following year, the Russian Football Union named the highest individual honour in Russian football after him. A statue of Streltsov was erected at the Luzhniki Olympic Complex
in 1998, and in 1999 Torpedo built a second outside their stadium.
Streltsov was widely regarded as one of the Soviet Union's finest players, earning the nickname "the Russian Pelé
". British author Jonathan Wilson
called him "the greatest outfield player Russia has ever produced", while in the words of Soviet football writer Aleksandr Nilin, "the boy came to us from the land of wonder". The powerful and skilful attacking player pioneered innovations such as the back-heeled pass, which became known in Russia as "Streltsov's pass", and scored the fourth highest number of goals for the Soviet national team despite his eight-year absence from international football.
, on 21 July 1937, the son of Anatoly Streltsov, a front-line soldier and intelligence officer, and Sofia Frolovna. Anatoly did not return to the family following the Second World War
, instead choosing to settle alone in Kiev
; Sofia therefore raised her son on her own, working at the Fraser Cutting Instruments Factory to support Eduard and herself. As a result, Streltsov had a modest upbringing, the highlights of which were playing football and following his favoured team, Spartak Moscow
.
The factory recognised his talent from a young age: Streltsov became the Fraser Factory football team's youngest ever player when he was 13 years old. Three years later in 1953, a friendly match
was organised between Fraser and a youth team from Torpedo Moscow
. Streltsov impressed the Torpedo coach, Vasily Provornov, and after befriending him, left Fraser to play for Torpedo.
, appeared in every league game and scored four goals. The team finished ninth in the league, a drop from third the previous year. In his second season
Streltsov was the league's most prolific goalscorer, scoring 15 goals in 22 games as his side rose to fourth place. Streltsov was selected for the Soviet national team
for the first time in 1955, halfway through the season; his debut came in a friendly match against Sweden
in Stockholm
on 26 June, when he scored a hat-trick within the first 45 minutes as the Swedish team was defeated 6–0. On his second appearance, a friendly home game against India
, he scored three goals again. A further game in Hungary and a goal against France
meant that by the start of 1956, Streltsov had scored seven goals for the Soviet Union in four matches. After scoring in a match against Denmark
in April 1956, he missed three international matches before returning in September with a goal after three minutes in a 2–1 away victory over West Germany
. Streltsov continued to score regularly for Torpedo, managing 12 league goals during the 1956 season
, but appeared in two successive defeats for the Soviets before they travelled in November 1956 to the Olympic Games
in Melbourne
. Streltsov scored three goals in a 16–2 victory over Australia in an unofficial match on 15 November before scoring a late winning goal in the first tournament match against the Unified Team of Germany nine days later. The Soviets required a replay
to overcome Indonesia
in the quarter-finals and met Bulgaria
in the semi-final.
The match finished 0–0 after 90 minutes, and with defender Nikolai Tishchenko
and Streltsov's fellow Torpedo forward Valentin Ivanov
both injured, the Soviet team had only nine fit players when Bulgaria scored early in extra time. Streltsov's performance was later described by journalist Jonathan Wilson
as "magnificent"; he scored an equaliser after 112 minutes and then set up
Boris Tatushin
of Spartak Moscow four minutes later to score the winning goal. Streltsov missed the final against Yugoslavia
as the team manager, Gavriil Kachalin
, believed the two forward players should be club team-mates; as Ivanov was unfit, Streltsov was dropped as well. Nikita Simonyan, who took his place, offered Streltsov his gold medal following a 1–0 victory over the Yugoslavs, an offer which the Torpedo player refused, saying "Nikita, I will win many other trophies". Streltsov received two votes in that year's
Ballon d'Or, meaning that at the end of 1956, he was considered by sports journalists to be one of the 24 best players in Europe.
Streltsov scored the first goal in a 2–0 win in a World Cup qualifying
play-off match in Poland which meant the Soviet Union qualified for the 1958 World Cup
. At club level, he scored 12 goals in 15 league matches during the 1957 season
. Torpedo, never league champions and traditionally overshadowed by local rivals such as CSKA, Dynamo
and Spartak, finished as runners-up of the Soviet Top League
. At the end of that season, Streltsov came seventh in the 1957 Ballon d'Or
, gaining 12 votes; by the start of the World Cup year, 1958, his international record stood at 18 goals in 20 games. Streltsov scored five goals in the first eight league matches of the 1958 Top League season
. He ended the season by appearing in a 1–1 friendly draw with England
in Moscow on 18 May 1958.
" style. As a key player for his club and for the Soviet national side, these traits combined to create an impression in government circles that, in Wilson's words, "Streltsov was becoming rather too much of a celebrity". The problem was brought to a head by an alleged relationship between the footballer and Svetlana Furtseva, the 16-year-old daughter of the first female Politburo
member Ekaterina Furtseva
. With the young Svetlana besotted by the 19-year-old Torpedo forward, her mother first met him at a Kremlin
ball held early in 1957 to celebrate the Olympic victory of 1956. Furtseva suggested he might marry her daughter, to which Streltsov replied "I already have a fiancée and I will not marry her [Svetlana]." While drunk, he was later heard to remark either "I would never marry that monkey" or "I would rather be hanged than marry such a girl" (both quotes were reported), humiliating Furtseva, a minister close to Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev
.
Streltsov became secretly engaged to Alla Demenko before leaving for the Olympics, and the couple married on 25 February 1957, halfway through preparations for the Soviet season. The Department of Soviet Football criticised both the player and his club over the timing of the ceremony. The Communist Party
also seemed to distrust him, considering him a possible defector
after he attracted the interest of French and Swedish clubs during tours overseas with Torpedo. His file in the party archives included the comment: "[a]ccording to a verified source, Streltsov said to his friends in 1957 that he was always sorry to return to the USSR after trips abroad." After he was sent off during a game in Odessa
in April 1957, the official government sports newspaper Sovetsky Sport published an article about him titled "This is not a hero" as well as letters purportedly written by members of the proletariat, which described Streltsov as an "example of the evils of western imperialism".
A week after appearing against England in a warm-up match in Moscow for the 1958 World Cup, Streltsov was invited to a party by a Soviet military officer, Eduard Karakhanov, to be held on 25 May. Streltsov and the rest of the Soviet squad were on a pre-World Cup training camp at Tarasovka, just outside Moscow, but the team had been given the day as holiday. At the end of such days, the players had to report to the authorities at Dynamo Stadium at 4:30 pm, but Streltsov and two team-mates, Spartak players Mikhail Ogonkov
and Boris Tatushin
, ignored this rule and went to the party anyway. Held at Karakhanov's dacha
, it was also attended by a 20-year-old woman named Marina Lebedeva, whom Streltsov had never met. The following morning, Streltsov, Ogonkov and Tatushin were all arrested and charged with raping her.
According to journalist Kevin O'Flynn, since heavy drinking had taken place at the party, the evidence against Streltsov was "confused and contradictory", even from Lebedeva herself. But the Soviet team coach, Gavriil Kachalin
, claimed shortly before Streltsov's death that influence from high up in the Communist Party dictated that the player could not be helped; Kachalin claimed that police told him that Khrushchev had become personally involved and that Furtseva held a grudge against the Torpedo player. According to Soviet Union team-mate Nikita Simonyan, speaking in 2006, Streltsov wrote to his mother claiming innocence. Simonyan said that while Streltosv had indeed slept with Lebedeva, he was not certain that he had raped her. Simonyan did not believe the rendezvous had been a set-up, but did imply that the incident could have been twisted into a rape accusation by "the system", which he said bore ill will towards the Torpedo forward. By 2006, Simonyan possessed incriminating photographs of both Lebedeva and Streltsov from the time of the trial, including one in which the Torpedo player's face "was streaked from nose to cheekbone with three parallel scratches". Streltsov's wife of just over a year, Alla, filed for divorce soon after the accusations were made. Apart from Streltsov himself, the only members of the team present at his trial were Ogonkov and Tatushin, who appeared as witnesses.
Streltsov confessed to the crime after being told this would allow him to keep his place in the Soviet team for the 1958 World Cup. Instead, he was sentenced to twelve years in a labour camp
and barred from ever returning to professional football. Plans for a march by 100,000 workers at Moscow's ZiL
car factory, the base of the Torpedo club, to show support during the trial, were abandoned when Streltsov was sentenced before the march could be arranged. Ogonkov and Tatushin, meanwhile, were banned from playing any kind of organised football for three years, and barred from representing the USSR for life. At the camp, Streltsov was initially victimised by a young criminal who inflicted so much physical harm on him that he spent four months in the prison hospital, suffering from injuries caused by blows from either an "iron bar or a shoe heel". Prison authorities later started to include Streltsov in football matches to calm down the inmates in times of trouble; one prisoner, Ivan Lukyanov, later said: "[w]e loved Streltsov, we believed he would return to football. And not only us."
Meanwhile, the Soviet team travelled to Sweden for the World Cup without Streltsov, Ogonkov or Tatushin. The world's press claimed that two of the competing teams were severely weakened: England by the Munich air disaster
, and the Soviets by the loss of Streltsov. The Soviets reached the quarter-finals, losing 2–0 to hosts Sweden, a team defeated 6–0 by the Soviet Union during Streltsov's 1955 debut. Without Streltsov, Torpedo dropped from their second-place finish in 1957 to seventh in 1958
, though the team also reached the Soviet Cup final before losing to Spartak. Streltsov's place as the club's leading scorer was taken by the 21-year-old forward Gennadi Gusarov
, who had turned professional with Torpedo during 1957. The team rose to fifth in 1959 before winning the Double
of Top League and Cup during the following year
, with Gusarov leading the league in goals with 20. Torpedo then finished as runners-up in both competitions in 1961
, with Gusarov scoring 22. Two mid-table finishes followed as Gusarov was sold to city rivals Dynamo between the 1962 and 1963 seasons, but Torpedo once again came second in 1964
, losing a championship play-off against Dinamo Tbilisi
after the two clubs finished equal on points.
for an away match late in the 1964 season, the team's coach received orders from above not to play Streltsov, something which spectators noticed immediately when the match started; during the first half, they began to riot and threatened to burn down the stadium, chanting Streltsov's name. Worried that the angry crowd would go through with this, the Gorky factory chief ordered the ZiL coach to send Streltsov out for the second half. On stepping onto the field, he received a standing ovation.
With Streltsov in the team, ZiL topped the factory league after winning all 11 matches. Although he was not allowed to play for Torpedo, Streltsov attended matches at his old club throughout the season. In October 1964, Khrushchev was replaced as the Communist Party's First Secretary
by Leonid Brezhnev
, who shortly after taking office received a letter signed by tens of thousands of people, including heroes of Socialist Labour and members of the Supreme Soviets of both the USSR and the Russian SFSR
, requesting a reversal of Streltsov's ban from professional football. Some party members were wary of a potential comeback, fearing that Streltsov's inclusion in a Torpedo squad that regularly travelled to Western Europe could lead to an international incident. Despite this opposition from within, Brezhnev repealed the ban, arguing that as a free man Streltsov should be able to use his trained profession; he cleared the player to return to Torpedo before the 1965 season.
behind Torpedo team-mate Valery Voronin
. It was the second time that Torpedo had won the league; the club had won its first title five years earlier
, during Streltsov's imprisonment. Streltsov made his debut in continental club competition on 28 September 1966, playing in a 1–0 defeat away to Inter Milan
in the European Cup. He was recalled to the Soviet national team on 16 October 1966 in a 2–0 home defeat against Turkey
, and scored the first international goal of his comeback a week later in a 2–2 draw with East Germany
. An appearance in a 1–0 away defeat against Italy
followed two weeks later. Torpedo reached the final of the Soviet Cup
in 1966, but lost 2–0 to Dynamo. Streltsov matched his previous seasonal tally of 12 league goals during the 1966 Top League season.
Streltsov successfully re-established himself in the Soviet team over the following year, as he appeared in eight consecutive USSR matches, starting with a 2–0 friendly victory over Scotland
in Glasgow
in May 1967. He scored two goals during this run in the national side: one each in a 4–2 win against France
in Paris
on 3 June 1967 and a 4–3 European Championship qualifying home victory over Austria
eight days later. After losing his place for the 1968 European Championship qualifying match against Finland on 30 August 1967, Streltsov missed three Soviet Union matches. He regained his place for an away friendly match against Bulgaria
on 8 October, scoring a goal as the Soviets fought back from 1–0 to record a 2–1 win. He retained his place for the rest of the calendar year, and scored a hat-trick away against Chile
on 17 December. He was voted Soviet Footballer of the Year at the end of the season, although he scored a relatively low six league goals during 1967, his lowest for a full season since his debut year of 1954.
Streltsov was dropped from the Soviet team for the first three national team matches of 1968. After featuring in a home friendly win over Belgium in April, he made his final appearance for the USSR in the 2–0 1968 European Championship quarter-final first leg loss to Hungary
on 4 May 1968. The Soviets beat Hungary 3–0 in Moscow a week later, without Streltsov, to qualify for the final tournament on aggregate. Streltsov was left out of the tournament squad, and never played for the USSR again; after his final appearance, his international tally stood at 25 goals in 38 matches. Torpedo won the Soviet Cup during the 1968 season, overcoming Uzbek side Pakhtakor Tashkent
1–0 in the final. Streltsov retained his title of Soviet Footballer of the Year after scoring the highest seasonal total of his career, 21 (in the league), but was moved back to midfield
before the 1969 season and did not score in 23 league matches during his final two years. He retired from football in 1970, at the age of 33, leaving his final league record for Torpedo over both spells standing at 99 goals from 222 games.
, repeatedly complained about his failure to play for his favourite team. After his retirement, Torpedo continued to pay his salary to fund his study of football coaching at the Institute of Physical Culture. Streltsov returned to Torpedo in the capacity of youth team manager following his qualification; he also spent a brief spell as manager of the first team before returning to the youth team in 1982. He also took part in matches contested by former players before dying in 1990 from throat cancer
, which his first wife Alla later claimed had been brought about by irradiated
food served to him in prison. Seven years later, Marina Lebedeva, the woman Streltsov had confessed to raping, was seen laying flowers at his grave in Moscow on the day after the anniversary of his death.
Olympic policy in 1956 was to award gold medals only to members of the winning football squad who had played in the final match. Since Streltsov did not play in the final, he did not receive a medal. He was posthumously given a gold medal in 2006, after this policy was changed retroactively to allow all members of winning Olympic squads to receive medals.
", was still the fourth highest international goalscorer in the country's history.
Torpedo Moscow's ground, Torpedo Stadium
, was redubbed the "Eduard Streltsov Stadium" in 1996. A year later, the Russian Football Union introduced the Strelyets prizes as the most prestigious individual honours in Russian football, awarded annually to the best manager in the Russian league and the best players in each position until discontinued in 2003. A statue of Streltsov was constructed within Moscow's Luzhniki Olympic Complex
in 1998, and another was erected by Torpedo outside the stadium bearing his name during the following year.
The Streltsov Committee, formed in 2001, was founded to attempt to have Streltsov's conviction of rape posthumously overturned. The campaign's leader, chess
champion Anatoly Karpov
, claimed in 2001 that the conviction had prevented Streltsov from becoming the world's best player. The Central Bank of the Russian Federation paid tribute to Streltsov in 2010, when it minted a commemorative two-ruble
coin bearing his likeness. The coin was one of three minted as part of the "Outstanding Sportsmen of Russia" series; the other two pieces bore the faces of footballers Lev Yashin
and Konstantin Beskov
, respectively.
Runner-up
|-
|1954
||rowspan="17"|Torpedo Moscow
||rowspan="17"|Soviet Top League
||22||4||–||–||–||–||–||–||22||4
|-
|1955
||22||15||–||–||–||–||–||–||22||15
|-
|1956
||22||12||–||–||–||–||–||–||22||12
|-
|1957
||15||12||–||–||–||–||–||–||15||12
|-
|1958
||8||5||–||–||–||–||–||–||8||5
|-
|1959
||–||–||–||–||–||–||–||–||–||–
|-
|1960
||–||–||–||–||–||–||–||–||–||–
|-
|1961
||–||–||–||–||–||–||–||–||–||–
|-
|1962
||–||–||–||–||–||–||–||–||–||–
|-
|1963
||–||–||–||–||–||–||–||–||–||–
|-
|1964
||–||–||–||–||–||–||–||–||–||–
|-
|1965||26||12||–||–||–||–||–||–||26||12
|-
|1966
||31||12||–||–||–||–||2||0||33||12
|-
|1967
||20||6||–||–||–||–||4||3||24||9
|-
|1968
||33||21||6||3||–||–||3||0||42||24
|-
|1969
||11||0||–||–||–||–||–||–||11||0
|-
|1970
||12||0||–||–||–||–||–||–||12||0
222||99||6||3||–||–||9||3||237||105
222||99||6||3||–||–||9||3||237||105
|-
|1955||4||7
|-
|1956||8||4
|-
|1957||8||7
|-
|1958||1||0
|-
|1959||0||0
|-
|1960||0||0
|-
|1961||0||0
|-
|1962||0||0
|-
|1963||0||0
|-
|1964||0||0
|-
|1965||0||0
|-
|1966||3||1
|-
|1967||12||6
|-
|1968||2||0
|-
!Total||38||25
|}
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
footballer who represented Torpedo Moscow
FC Torpedo Moscow
FC Torpedo Moscow is an association football club, based in Moscow, Russia. The club was founded in 1930. On March 19, 2009 it was denied membership of the Professional Football League and did not play in the professional competitions in 2009...
as a forward. Joining Torpedo at the age of 16 from the Fraser factory team in 1953, Streltsov made his international debut two years later and played a key role in winning the gold medal for the Soviet national team
USSR national football team
The Soviet Union National Football Team was the national football team of the Soviet Union. It ceased to exist after the break up of the Union...
at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics
1956 Summer Olympics
The 1956 Melbourne Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVI Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was held in Melbourne, Australia, in 1956, with the exception of the equestrian events, which could not be held in Australia due to quarantine regulations...
. Judged by Western Europe
Western Europe
Western Europe is a loose term for the collection of countries in the western most region of the European continents, though this definition is context-dependent and carries cultural and political connotations. One definition describes Western Europe as a geographic entity—the region lying in the...
an sports journalists to be among the top seven footballers in Europe during 1957, Streltsov's promising career was then interrupted at the age of 20 by a conviction of rape
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
that led to five years in prison.
Streltsov was accused of raping a 20-year-old woman, Marina Lebedeva, in 1958. After being told an admission of guilt would allow his participation in the 1958 World Cup
1958 FIFA World Cup
The 1958 FIFA World Cup, the sixth staging of the World Cup, was hosted by Sweden from 8 June to 29 June. The tournament was won by Brazil, who beat Sweden 5–2 in the final for their first title. To date, this marks the only occasion that a World Cup staged in Europe was not won by a European...
, Streltsov confessed to the crime, despite inconclusive evidence against him. Instead sentenced to twelve years in a labour camp
Gulag
The Gulag was the government agency that administered the main Soviet forced labor camp systems. While the camps housed a wide range of convicts, from petty criminals to political prisoners, large numbers were convicted by simplified procedures, such as NKVD troikas and other instruments of...
, Streltsov was released after five and resumed his football career with Torpedo Moscow two years later. In the first season of his comeback, Torpedo won the Soviet Championship
Soviet Top League
The Soviet Top League since 1970 was officially known as the Supreme League serving as the top division of Soviet Union football since 1936.It was one of the best football leagues in Europe ranking second among the UEFA members in 1988-1989 seasons...
for only the second time in their history. He returned to the Soviet national team in 1966, won the Soviet Cup
Soviet Cup
The Soviet Cup, or USSR Cup , was the premier football cup competition in the Soviet Union.-Finals:-Performance by club:-Performance by republic:-References:*, rsssf.com. Accessed on 16 May 2006....
with his club two years later, and was named Soviet Footballer of the Year
Soviet Footballer of the Year
The award Soviet Footballer of the Year had been awarded to the best footballer of the former Soviet Union from 1964 until 1991. The poll was conducted by the weekly sport newspaper Football .-List of winners:-Most Wins by Club:...
in 1967 and 1968.
Streltsov retired in 1970, and died in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
in July 1990. In 1996, Torpedo renamed their home ground "Eduard Streltsov Stadium
Eduard Streltsov Stadium
Eduard Streltsov Stadium, formerly Torpedo Stadium, is a multi-purpose stadium in Moscow, Russia. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home ground of Torpedo Moscow....
" in his honour; the following year, the Russian Football Union named the highest individual honour in Russian football after him. A statue of Streltsov was erected at the Luzhniki Olympic Complex
Luzhniki Olympic Complex
The Luzhniki Olympic Complex is a sport facilities complex located in Moscow, Russia.- Venues :*Grand Sports Arena*Luzhniki Palace of Sports*Luzhniki Small Sports Arena*Olympic Pool...
in 1998, and in 1999 Torpedo built a second outside their stadium.
Streltsov was widely regarded as one of the Soviet Union's finest players, earning the nickname "the Russian Pelé
Pelé
However, Pelé has always maintained that those are mistakes, that he was actually named Edson and that he was born on 23 October 1940.), best known by his nickname Pelé , is a retired Brazilian footballer. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time...
". British author Jonathan Wilson
Jonathan Wilson (journalist/author)
Jonathan Wilson is a British sports journalist and author who writes for a number of publications including the Guardian, the Independent and Sports Illustrated. He is a columnist for World Soccer and is the founder and editor of The Blizzard...
called him "the greatest outfield player Russia has ever produced", while in the words of Soviet football writer Aleksandr Nilin, "the boy came to us from the land of wonder". The powerful and skilful attacking player pioneered innovations such as the back-heeled pass, which became known in Russia as "Streltsov's pass", and scored the fourth highest number of goals for the Soviet national team despite his eight-year absence from international football.
Early life
Eduard Anatolyevich Streltsov was born in Perovo, a suburb of MoscowMoscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
, on 21 July 1937, the son of Anatoly Streltsov, a front-line soldier and intelligence officer, and Sofia Frolovna. Anatoly did not return to the family following the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, instead choosing to settle alone in Kiev
Kiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
; Sofia therefore raised her son on her own, working at the Fraser Cutting Instruments Factory to support Eduard and herself. As a result, Streltsov had a modest upbringing, the highlights of which were playing football and following his favoured team, Spartak Moscow
FC Spartak Moscow
FC Spartak Moscow is a Russian football club from Moscow. Having won 12 Soviet championships and 9 of 19 Russian championships they are one of the country's most successful clubs. They have also won the Soviet Cup 10 times and the Russian Cup 3 times...
.
The factory recognised his talent from a young age: Streltsov became the Fraser Factory football team's youngest ever player when he was 13 years old. Three years later in 1953, a friendly match
Exhibition game
An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition...
was organised between Fraser and a youth team from Torpedo Moscow
FC Torpedo Moscow
FC Torpedo Moscow is an association football club, based in Moscow, Russia. The club was founded in 1930. On March 19, 2009 it was denied membership of the Professional Football League and did not play in the professional competitions in 2009...
. Streltsov impressed the Torpedo coach, Vasily Provornov, and after befriending him, left Fraser to play for Torpedo.
Early career
Aged 16, Streltsov made his debut for Torpedo during the 1954 season1954 Soviet Top League
Thirteen teams took part in the world champion national soda-pop soccer league with FC Dynamo Moscow winning the championship.-League standings:P = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GD = Goal difference; Pts = Points-Top...
, appeared in every league game and scored four goals. The team finished ninth in the league, a drop from third the previous year. In his second season
1955 Soviet Top League
-League standings:P = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GD = Goal difference; Pts = Points-Top scorers:15 goals* Eduard Streltsov 13 goals* Nikolai Parshin...
Streltsov was the league's most prolific goalscorer, scoring 15 goals in 22 games as his side rose to fourth place. Streltsov was selected for the Soviet national team
USSR national football team
The Soviet Union National Football Team was the national football team of the Soviet Union. It ceased to exist after the break up of the Union...
for the first time in 1955, halfway through the season; his debut came in a friendly match against Sweden
Sweden national football team
The Swedish national football team represents Sweden in association football and is controlled by the Swedish Football Association, the governing body for Football in Sweden. Sweden's home ground is Råsunda Stadium in Stockholms län and their head coach is Erik Hamrén. Sweden made their first...
in Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
on 26 June, when he scored a hat-trick within the first 45 minutes as the Swedish team was defeated 6–0. On his second appearance, a friendly home game against India
India national football team
The Indian national football team is the national football team of India and is governed by the All India Football Federation. It is a member of the Asian Football Confederation. Since 1948, the AIFF has been affiliated with FIFA, the international governing body for football. In 1954, AIFF became...
, he scored three goals again. A further game in Hungary and a goal against France
France national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
meant that by the start of 1956, Streltsov had scored seven goals for the Soviet Union in four matches. After scoring in a match against Denmark
Denmark national football team
The Denmark national football team represents Denmark in association football and is controlled by the Danish Football Association , the governing body for the football clubs which are organized under DBU...
in April 1956, he missed three international matches before returning in September with a goal after three minutes in a 2–1 away victory over West Germany
Germany national football team
The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
. Streltsov continued to score regularly for Torpedo, managing 12 league goals during the 1956 season
1956 Soviet Top League
12 teams took part in the league with FC Spartak Moscow winning the championship.-League standings:P = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GD = Goal difference; Pts = Points-Top scorers:...
, but appeared in two successive defeats for the Soviets before they travelled in November 1956 to the Olympic Games
1956 Summer Olympics
The 1956 Melbourne Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVI Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was held in Melbourne, Australia, in 1956, with the exception of the equestrian events, which could not be held in Australia due to quarantine regulations...
in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
. Streltsov scored three goals in a 16–2 victory over Australia in an unofficial match on 15 November before scoring a late winning goal in the first tournament match against the Unified Team of Germany nine days later. The Soviets required a replay
Replay (sports)
In sports, a replay refers to a second game between two teams after the first game's results were either nullified or ended in a draw. A game may be nullified if the game's result is protested and the organizers ruled to replay the game...
to overcome Indonesia
Indonesia national football team
The Indonesia national football team represents Indonesia in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Indonesia . Prior to independence in 1945, the team competed as the Dutch East Indies national football team. Under this name, Indonesia was the first Asian team to...
in the quarter-finals and met Bulgaria
Bulgaria national football team
The FIFA Bulgaria national football team is an association football team fielded by the Bulgarian Football Union, a member association of UEFA. The team's home ground is Vasil Levski in Sofia and Luboslav Penev is in charge manager after replacement of Lothar Matthäus...
in the semi-final.
The match finished 0–0 after 90 minutes, and with defender Nikolai Tishchenko
Nikolai Tishchenko
Nikolai Ivanovich Tishchenko was a Soviet football player.-Honours:* Olympic champion: 1956.* Soviet Top League winner: 1952, 1953, 1956, 1958....
and Streltsov's fellow Torpedo forward Valentin Ivanov
Valentin Kozmich Ivanov
Valentin Kozmich Ivanov was a football winger/striker, co-leading scorer at the 1962 World Cup and co-1960 European Nations' Cup top scorer.Ivanov appeared 59 times for the Soviet Union, scoring 26 goals...
both injured, the Soviet team had only nine fit players when Bulgaria scored early in extra time. Streltsov's performance was later described by journalist Jonathan Wilson
Jonathan Wilson (journalist/author)
Jonathan Wilson is a British sports journalist and author who writes for a number of publications including the Guardian, the Independent and Sports Illustrated. He is a columnist for World Soccer and is the founder and editor of The Blizzard...
as "magnificent"; he scored an equaliser after 112 minutes and then set up
Assist (football)
In association football, an assist is a contribution by a player which helps to score a goal. Statistics for assists made by players may be kept officially by the organisers of a competition, or unofficially by, for example, journalists or organisers of fantasy football competitions...
Boris Tatushin
Boris Tatushin
Boris Georgiyevich Tatushin was a Soviet football player and manager.-Honours:* Olympic champion: 1956.* Soviet Top League winner: 1953, 1956, 1958.-International career:...
of Spartak Moscow four minutes later to score the winning goal. Streltsov missed the final against Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia national football team
The Yugoslavia national football team represented the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in association football. It enjoyed a modicum of success in international competition. In 1992, during the Yugoslav wars, the team was suspended from international...
as the team manager, Gavriil Kachalin
Gavriil Kachalin
Gavriil Dmitriyevich Kachalin was a Soviet/Russian football player and coach....
, believed the two forward players should be club team-mates; as Ivanov was unfit, Streltsov was dropped as well. Nikita Simonyan, who took his place, offered Streltsov his gold medal following a 1–0 victory over the Yugoslavs, an offer which the Torpedo player refused, saying "Nikita, I will win many other trophies". Streltsov received two votes in that year's
Ballon d'Or 1956
The 1956 Ballon d'Or, given to the best football player in Europe as judged by a panel of sports journalists from UEFA member countries, was awarded to Stanley Matthews on 18 December 1956.Matthews was the inaugural winner of the Ballon d'Or.-Rankings:...
Ballon d'Or, meaning that at the end of 1956, he was considered by sports journalists to be one of the 24 best players in Europe.
Streltsov scored the first goal in a 2–0 win in a World Cup qualifying
1958 FIFA World Cup qualification
-UEFA Group 2:--------------------France qualified.-UEFA Group 3:--------------------Hungary qualified.-UEFA Group 4:--------------------Czechoslovakia qualified...
play-off match in Poland which meant the Soviet Union qualified for the 1958 World Cup
1958 FIFA World Cup
The 1958 FIFA World Cup, the sixth staging of the World Cup, was hosted by Sweden from 8 June to 29 June. The tournament was won by Brazil, who beat Sweden 5–2 in the final for their first title. To date, this marks the only occasion that a World Cup staged in Europe was not won by a European...
. At club level, he scored 12 goals in 15 league matches during the 1957 season
1957 Soviet Top League
-League standings:P = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GD = Goal difference; Pts = Points-Top scorers:16 goals* Vasili Buzunov 14 goals* Valentin Ivanov...
. Torpedo, never league champions and traditionally overshadowed by local rivals such as CSKA, Dynamo
FC Dynamo Moscow
Dynamo Moscow is a Russian football club based in Moscow, currently playing in the Russian Premier League. Dynamo's traditional kit colours are blue and white...
and Spartak, finished as runners-up of the Soviet Top League
Soviet Top League
The Soviet Top League since 1970 was officially known as the Supreme League serving as the top division of Soviet Union football since 1936.It was one of the best football leagues in Europe ranking second among the UEFA members in 1988-1989 seasons...
. At the end of that season, Streltsov came seventh in the 1957 Ballon d'Or
Ballon d'Or 1957
The 1957 Ballon d'Or, given to the best football player in Europe as judged by a panel of sports journalists from UEFA member countries, was awarded to Alfredo Di Stéfano on 17 December 1957.-Rankings:-External links:*...
, gaining 12 votes; by the start of the World Cup year, 1958, his international record stood at 18 goals in 20 games. Streltsov scored five goals in the first eight league matches of the 1958 Top League season
1958 Soviet Top League
-League standings:P = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GD = Goal difference; Pts = Points-Top scorer:19 goals* Anatoli Ilyin 14 goals* Valentin Ivanov...
. He ended the season by appearing in a 1–1 friendly draw with England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
in Moscow on 18 May 1958.
Conviction of rape
Streltsov was known for womanising, drinking heavily and leading an extravagant life outside of football, as well as for wearing his hair in the British "Teddy BoyTeddy Boy
The British Teddy Boy subculture is typified by young men wearing clothes that were partly inspired by the styles worn by dandies in the Edwardian period, styles which Savile Row tailors had attempted to re-introduce in Britain after World War II...
" style. As a key player for his club and for the Soviet national side, these traits combined to create an impression in government circles that, in Wilson's words, "Streltsov was becoming rather too much of a celebrity". The problem was brought to a head by an alleged relationship between the footballer and Svetlana Furtseva, the 16-year-old daughter of the first female Politburo
Politburo
Politburo , literally "Political Bureau [of the Central Committee]," is the executive committee for a number of communist political parties.-Marxist-Leninist states:...
member Ekaterina Furtseva
Ekaterina Furtseva
Yekaterina Alexeyevna Furtseva was probably the most influential woman in Soviet politics and the first woman to be admitted into Politburo of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union...
. With the young Svetlana besotted by the 19-year-old Torpedo forward, her mother first met him at a Kremlin
Moscow Kremlin
The Moscow Kremlin , sometimes referred to as simply The Kremlin, is a historic fortified complex at the heart of Moscow, overlooking the Moskva River , Saint Basil's Cathedral and Red Square and the Alexander Garden...
ball held early in 1957 to celebrate the Olympic victory of 1956. Furtseva suggested he might marry her daughter, to which Streltsov replied "I already have a fiancée and I will not marry her [Svetlana]." While drunk, he was later heard to remark either "I would never marry that monkey" or "I would rather be hanged than marry such a girl" (both quotes were reported), humiliating Furtseva, a minister close to Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev
Nikita Khrushchev
Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev led the Soviet Union during part of the Cold War. He served as First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1953 to 1964, and as Chairman of the Council of Ministers, or Premier, from 1958 to 1964...
.
Streltsov became secretly engaged to Alla Demenko before leaving for the Olympics, and the couple married on 25 February 1957, halfway through preparations for the Soviet season. The Department of Soviet Football criticised both the player and his club over the timing of the ceremony. The Communist Party
Communist Party of the Soviet Union
The Communist Party of the Soviet Union was the only legal, ruling political party in the Soviet Union and one of the largest communist organizations in the world...
also seemed to distrust him, considering him a possible defector
Eastern Bloc emigration and defection
Eastern Bloc emigration and defection was a point of controversy during the Cold War. After World War II, emigration restrictions were imposed by countries in the Eastern Bloc, which consisted of the Soviet Union and its satellite states in Eastern and Central Europe...
after he attracted the interest of French and Swedish clubs during tours overseas with Torpedo. His file in the party archives included the comment: "[a]ccording to a verified source, Streltsov said to his friends in 1957 that he was always sorry to return to the USSR after trips abroad." After he was sent off during a game in Odessa
Odessa
Odessa or Odesa is the administrative center of the Odessa Oblast located in southern Ukraine. The city is a major seaport located on the northwest shore of the Black Sea and the fourth largest city in Ukraine with a population of 1,029,000 .The predecessor of Odessa, a small Tatar settlement,...
in April 1957, the official government sports newspaper Sovetsky Sport published an article about him titled "This is not a hero" as well as letters purportedly written by members of the proletariat, which described Streltsov as an "example of the evils of western imperialism".
A week after appearing against England in a warm-up match in Moscow for the 1958 World Cup, Streltsov was invited to a party by a Soviet military officer, Eduard Karakhanov, to be held on 25 May. Streltsov and the rest of the Soviet squad were on a pre-World Cup training camp at Tarasovka, just outside Moscow, but the team had been given the day as holiday. At the end of such days, the players had to report to the authorities at Dynamo Stadium at 4:30 pm, but Streltsov and two team-mates, Spartak players Mikhail Ogonkov
Mikhail Ogonkov
Mikhail Pavlovich Ogonkov was a Russian footballer of the 1950s and 1960s. He played as a left-back for Spartak Moscow. According to the famous footballer Nikita Simonyan Mikhail Ogonkov was the best Soviet Full Back of all times...
and Boris Tatushin
Boris Tatushin
Boris Georgiyevich Tatushin was a Soviet football player and manager.-Honours:* Olympic champion: 1956.* Soviet Top League winner: 1953, 1956, 1958.-International career:...
, ignored this rule and went to the party anyway. Held at Karakhanov's dacha
Dacha
Dacha is a Russian word for seasonal or year-round second homes often located in the exurbs of Soviet and post-Soviet cities. Cottages or shacks serving as family's main or only home are not considered dachas, although many purpose-built dachas are recently being converted for year-round residence...
, it was also attended by a 20-year-old woman named Marina Lebedeva, whom Streltsov had never met. The following morning, Streltsov, Ogonkov and Tatushin were all arrested and charged with raping her.
According to journalist Kevin O'Flynn, since heavy drinking had taken place at the party, the evidence against Streltsov was "confused and contradictory", even from Lebedeva herself. But the Soviet team coach, Gavriil Kachalin
Gavriil Kachalin
Gavriil Dmitriyevich Kachalin was a Soviet/Russian football player and coach....
, claimed shortly before Streltsov's death that influence from high up in the Communist Party dictated that the player could not be helped; Kachalin claimed that police told him that Khrushchev had become personally involved and that Furtseva held a grudge against the Torpedo player. According to Soviet Union team-mate Nikita Simonyan, speaking in 2006, Streltsov wrote to his mother claiming innocence. Simonyan said that while Streltosv had indeed slept with Lebedeva, he was not certain that he had raped her. Simonyan did not believe the rendezvous had been a set-up, but did imply that the incident could have been twisted into a rape accusation by "the system", which he said bore ill will towards the Torpedo forward. By 2006, Simonyan possessed incriminating photographs of both Lebedeva and Streltsov from the time of the trial, including one in which the Torpedo player's face "was streaked from nose to cheekbone with three parallel scratches". Streltsov's wife of just over a year, Alla, filed for divorce soon after the accusations were made. Apart from Streltsov himself, the only members of the team present at his trial were Ogonkov and Tatushin, who appeared as witnesses.
Streltsov confessed to the crime after being told this would allow him to keep his place in the Soviet team for the 1958 World Cup. Instead, he was sentenced to twelve years in a labour camp
Gulag
The Gulag was the government agency that administered the main Soviet forced labor camp systems. While the camps housed a wide range of convicts, from petty criminals to political prisoners, large numbers were convicted by simplified procedures, such as NKVD troikas and other instruments of...
and barred from ever returning to professional football. Plans for a march by 100,000 workers at Moscow's ZiL
ZIL
ZIL and similar may refer to:*Zil, a village in the Tabasaran rayon of Dagestan, Russia*Zil stands for Zulfikar Industries Pvt. Ltd. Pakistan, a Chemical factory in Pakistan producting soaps and related chemical products since 1976...
car factory, the base of the Torpedo club, to show support during the trial, were abandoned when Streltsov was sentenced before the march could be arranged. Ogonkov and Tatushin, meanwhile, were banned from playing any kind of organised football for three years, and barred from representing the USSR for life. At the camp, Streltsov was initially victimised by a young criminal who inflicted so much physical harm on him that he spent four months in the prison hospital, suffering from injuries caused by blows from either an "iron bar or a shoe heel". Prison authorities later started to include Streltsov in football matches to calm down the inmates in times of trouble; one prisoner, Ivan Lukyanov, later said: "[w]e loved Streltsov, we believed he would return to football. And not only us."
Meanwhile, the Soviet team travelled to Sweden for the World Cup without Streltsov, Ogonkov or Tatushin. The world's press claimed that two of the competing teams were severely weakened: England by the Munich air disaster
Munich air disaster
The Munich air disaster occurred on 6 February 1958, when British European Airways Flight 609 crashed on its third attempt to take off from a slush-covered runway at Munich-Riem Airport in Munich, West Germany. On board the plane was the Manchester United football team, nicknamed the "Busby Babes",...
, and the Soviets by the loss of Streltsov. The Soviets reached the quarter-finals, losing 2–0 to hosts Sweden, a team defeated 6–0 by the Soviet Union during Streltsov's 1955 debut. Without Streltsov, Torpedo dropped from their second-place finish in 1957 to seventh in 1958
1958 Soviet Top League
-League standings:P = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GD = Goal difference; Pts = Points-Top scorer:19 goals* Anatoli Ilyin 14 goals* Valentin Ivanov...
, though the team also reached the Soviet Cup final before losing to Spartak. Streltsov's place as the club's leading scorer was taken by the 21-year-old forward Gennadi Gusarov
Gennadi Gusarov
Gennadi Aleksandrovich Gusarov is a former Soviet Russian football player.-Honours:* Soviet Top League winner: 1960, 1963.* Soviet Top League runner-up: 1961, 1967.* Soviet Cup winner: 1960, 1967.* Soviet Cup finalist: 1961....
, who had turned professional with Torpedo during 1957. The team rose to fifth in 1959 before winning the Double
The Double
The Double is a term in association football which refers to winning a country's top tier division and its primary cup competition in the same season...
of Top League and Cup during the following year
1960 Soviet Top League
-Group A:P = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; Pts = Points-Group B:P = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; Pts = Points...
, with Gusarov leading the league in goals with 20. Torpedo then finished as runners-up in both competitions in 1961
1961 Soviet Top League
-Group A:P = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; Pts = Points-Group B:P = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; Pts = Points...
, with Gusarov scoring 22. Two mid-table finishes followed as Gusarov was sold to city rivals Dynamo between the 1962 and 1963 seasons, but Torpedo once again came second in 1964
1964 Soviet Top League
*17 teams took part in the league with FC Dinamo Tbilisi winning the championship.*FC Dynamo Kyiv qualified for CWC 1965-66 by winning the national cup this year....
, losing a championship play-off against Dinamo Tbilisi
FC Dinamo Tbilisi
FC Dinamo Tbilisi is a Georgian football team, based in Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia.Dinamo Tbilisi was one of the most prominent clubs in Soviet football and a major contender in the Soviet Top League almost immediately after it was established in 1936...
after the two clubs finished equal on points.
Release and return to football
Amateur play
Streltsov was released on 4 February 1963, five years into his twelve-year sentence, and owing to the ban from professional play began to split his time between work at the ZiL factory and the study of automotive engineering at the attached technical college. After failing to patch up his differences with Alla, he married Raisa Mikhailovna in September 1963. He started to play for the amateur factory team, which caused it to attract large crowds, both at home and away. When the ZiL side travelled to GorkyNizhny Novgorod
Nizhny Novgorod , colloquially shortened to Nizhny, is, with the population of 1,250,615, the fifth largest city in Russia, ranking after Moscow, St. Petersburg, Novosibirsk, and Yekaterinburg...
for an away match late in the 1964 season, the team's coach received orders from above not to play Streltsov, something which spectators noticed immediately when the match started; during the first half, they began to riot and threatened to burn down the stadium, chanting Streltsov's name. Worried that the angry crowd would go through with this, the Gorky factory chief ordered the ZiL coach to send Streltsov out for the second half. On stepping onto the field, he received a standing ovation.
With Streltsov in the team, ZiL topped the factory league after winning all 11 matches. Although he was not allowed to play for Torpedo, Streltsov attended matches at his old club throughout the season. In October 1964, Khrushchev was replaced as the Communist Party's First Secretary
General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union
General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union was the title given to the leader of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. With some exceptions, the office was synonymous with leader of the Soviet Union...
by Leonid Brezhnev
Leonid Brezhnev
Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev – 10 November 1982) was the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union , presiding over the country from 1964 until his death in 1982. His eighteen-year term as General Secretary was second only to that of Joseph Stalin in...
, who shortly after taking office received a letter signed by tens of thousands of people, including heroes of Socialist Labour and members of the Supreme Soviets of both the USSR and the Russian SFSR
Supreme Soviet of Russia
The Supreme Soviet of the Russian SFSR , later Supreme Soviet of the Russian Federation was the supreme government institution of the Russian SFSR in 1938–1990; in 1990–1993 it was a permanent parliament, elected by the Congress of People's Deputies of the Russian Federation.The Supreme Soviet of...
, requesting a reversal of Streltsov's ban from professional football. Some party members were wary of a potential comeback, fearing that Streltsov's inclusion in a Torpedo squad that regularly travelled to Western Europe could lead to an international incident. Despite this opposition from within, Brezhnev repealed the ban, arguing that as a free man Streltsov should be able to use his trained profession; he cleared the player to return to Torpedo before the 1965 season.
Return to professionalism
Streltsov was enthusiastically welcomed back by supporters. Although he had lost some of his strength and agility, his footballing intelligence was still intact; his presence helped Torpedo to win the 1965 Soviet championship, with Streltsov scoring 12 goals from 26 league matches. At the end of the season, he came second in the voting for the Soviet Footballer of the YearSoviet Footballer of the Year
The award Soviet Footballer of the Year had been awarded to the best footballer of the former Soviet Union from 1964 until 1991. The poll was conducted by the weekly sport newspaper Football .-List of winners:-Most Wins by Club:...
behind Torpedo team-mate Valery Voronin
Valery Voronin
Valery Ivanovich Voronin was a footballer from the Soviet Union. He was a versatile defensive midfielder whose impressive technical abilities and hard tackling made him one of the most complete midfielders of the 1960's...
. It was the second time that Torpedo had won the league; the club had won its first title five years earlier
1960 Soviet Top League
-Group A:P = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; Pts = Points-Group B:P = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; Pts = Points...
, during Streltsov's imprisonment. Streltsov made his debut in continental club competition on 28 September 1966, playing in a 1–0 defeat away to Inter Milan
F.C. Internazionale Milano
Football Club Internazionale Milano, often referred to as Internazionale or simply Inter, is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Italy. Outside Italy, the club is often called Inter Milan. They are the reigning FIFA Club World champions and Coppa Italia holders.Inter have always...
in the European Cup. He was recalled to the Soviet national team on 16 October 1966 in a 2–0 home defeat against Turkey
Turkey national football team
The Turkey national football team represents Turkey in association football and is controlled by the Turkish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Turkey. They are affiliated with UEFA...
, and scored the first international goal of his comeback a week later in a 2–2 draw with East Germany
East Germany national football team
The East Germany national football team was from 1952 to 1990 the football team of East Germany, playing as one of three post-war German teams, along with Saarland and West Germany....
. An appearance in a 1–0 away defeat against Italy
Italy national football team
The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...
followed two weeks later. Torpedo reached the final of the Soviet Cup
Soviet Cup
The Soviet Cup, or USSR Cup , was the premier football cup competition in the Soviet Union.-Finals:-Performance by club:-Performance by republic:-References:*, rsssf.com. Accessed on 16 May 2006....
in 1966, but lost 2–0 to Dynamo. Streltsov matched his previous seasonal tally of 12 league goals during the 1966 Top League season.
Streltsov successfully re-established himself in the Soviet team over the following year, as he appeared in eight consecutive USSR matches, starting with a 2–0 friendly victory over Scotland
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
in Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
in May 1967. He scored two goals during this run in the national side: one each in a 4–2 win against France
France national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
on 3 June 1967 and a 4–3 European Championship qualifying home victory over Austria
Austria national football team
The Austria national football team is the association football team that represents the country of Austria in international competition and is controlled by the Austrian Football Association ....
eight days later. After losing his place for the 1968 European Championship qualifying match against Finland on 30 August 1967, Streltsov missed three Soviet Union matches. He regained his place for an away friendly match against Bulgaria
Bulgaria national football team
The FIFA Bulgaria national football team is an association football team fielded by the Bulgarian Football Union, a member association of UEFA. The team's home ground is Vasil Levski in Sofia and Luboslav Penev is in charge manager after replacement of Lothar Matthäus...
on 8 October, scoring a goal as the Soviets fought back from 1–0 to record a 2–1 win. He retained his place for the rest of the calendar year, and scored a hat-trick away against Chile
Chile national football team
The Chilean national football team represents Chile in all major international football competitions. The team is controlled by the Federación de Fútbol de Chile which was established in 1895. They have appeared in eight World Cup tournaments and were hosts of the 1962 FIFA World Cup finishing in...
on 17 December. He was voted Soviet Footballer of the Year at the end of the season, although he scored a relatively low six league goals during 1967, his lowest for a full season since his debut year of 1954.
Streltsov was dropped from the Soviet team for the first three national team matches of 1968. After featuring in a home friendly win over Belgium in April, he made his final appearance for the USSR in the 2–0 1968 European Championship quarter-final first leg loss to Hungary
Hungary national football team
The Hungary national football team represents Hungary in international football and is controlled by the Hungarian Football Federation....
on 4 May 1968. The Soviets beat Hungary 3–0 in Moscow a week later, without Streltsov, to qualify for the final tournament on aggregate. Streltsov was left out of the tournament squad, and never played for the USSR again; after his final appearance, his international tally stood at 25 goals in 38 matches. Torpedo won the Soviet Cup during the 1968 season, overcoming Uzbek side Pakhtakor Tashkent
FC Pakhtakor Tashkent
FC Pakhtakor Tashkent is an Uzbek professional football club, based in the capital Tashkent. Pakhtakor means cotton-grower in English.Playing in the Uzbek League since 1992, the club has been the undisputed powerhouse in Uzbekistan since the fall of the Soviet Union, winning eight Uzbek League...
1–0 in the final. Streltsov retained his title of Soviet Footballer of the Year after scoring the highest seasonal total of his career, 21 (in the league), but was moved back to midfield
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
before the 1969 season and did not score in 23 league matches during his final two years. He retired from football in 1970, at the age of 33, leaving his final league record for Torpedo over both spells standing at 99 goals from 222 games.
Post-retirement career
Following a footballing career spent exclusively with Torpedo, Streltsov, a supporter of Spartak MoscowFC Spartak Moscow
FC Spartak Moscow is a Russian football club from Moscow. Having won 12 Soviet championships and 9 of 19 Russian championships they are one of the country's most successful clubs. They have also won the Soviet Cup 10 times and the Russian Cup 3 times...
, repeatedly complained about his failure to play for his favourite team. After his retirement, Torpedo continued to pay his salary to fund his study of football coaching at the Institute of Physical Culture. Streltsov returned to Torpedo in the capacity of youth team manager following his qualification; he also spent a brief spell as manager of the first team before returning to the youth team in 1982. He also took part in matches contested by former players before dying in 1990 from throat cancer
Esophageal cancer
Esophageal cancer is malignancy of the esophagus. There are various subtypes, primarily squamous cell cancer and adenocarcinoma . Squamous cell cancer arises from the cells that line the upper part of the esophagus...
, which his first wife Alla later claimed had been brought about by irradiated
Radiation
In physics, radiation is a process in which energetic particles or energetic waves travel through a medium or space. There are two distinct types of radiation; ionizing and non-ionizing...
food served to him in prison. Seven years later, Marina Lebedeva, the woman Streltsov had confessed to raping, was seen laying flowers at his grave in Moscow on the day after the anniversary of his death.
Olympic policy in 1956 was to award gold medals only to members of the winning football squad who had played in the final match. Since Streltsov did not play in the final, he did not receive a medal. He was posthumously given a gold medal in 2006, after this policy was changed retroactively to allow all members of winning Olympic squads to receive medals.
Style of play and legacy
Many critics consider Streltsov to be one of the finest footballers ever from Russia or the Soviet Union: British journalist and author Jonathan Wilson described him as "the greatest outfield player Russia has ever produced", "a tall, powerful forward, possessed of a fine first touch and extraordinary footballing intelligence", while Soviet author Aleksandr Nilin wrote that "the boy came to us from the land of wonder". Streltsov's skilful, innovative style of play helped him to stand out in Soviet football, and his pioneering of the back-heeled pass resulted in it becoming known in Russia as "Streltsov's pass". During his early career, this technical ability combined with considerable speed and physical presence to create a formidable all-round forward player. In his later years, with his physical attributes reduced, he emphasised his skill and on-field intelligence to become more of a playmaker, playing further back and setting up attacking moves for team-mates rather than leading them himself. Indeed, for his final two seasons, Streltsov played in an attacking midfield role rather than up front. Despite the eight-year gap between his two spells as a member of the Soviet national team, Streltsov, nicknamed "The Russian PeléPelé
However, Pelé has always maintained that those are mistakes, that he was actually named Edson and that he was born on 23 October 1940.), best known by his nickname Pelé , is a retired Brazilian footballer. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time...
", was still the fourth highest international goalscorer in the country's history.
Torpedo Moscow's ground, Torpedo Stadium
Eduard Streltsov Stadium
Eduard Streltsov Stadium, formerly Torpedo Stadium, is a multi-purpose stadium in Moscow, Russia. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home ground of Torpedo Moscow....
, was redubbed the "Eduard Streltsov Stadium" in 1996. A year later, the Russian Football Union introduced the Strelyets prizes as the most prestigious individual honours in Russian football, awarded annually to the best manager in the Russian league and the best players in each position until discontinued in 2003. A statue of Streltsov was constructed within Moscow's Luzhniki Olympic Complex
Luzhniki Olympic Complex
The Luzhniki Olympic Complex is a sport facilities complex located in Moscow, Russia.- Venues :*Grand Sports Arena*Luzhniki Palace of Sports*Luzhniki Small Sports Arena*Olympic Pool...
in 1998, and another was erected by Torpedo outside the stadium bearing his name during the following year.
The Streltsov Committee, formed in 2001, was founded to attempt to have Streltsov's conviction of rape posthumously overturned. The campaign's leader, chess
Chess
Chess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player...
champion Anatoly Karpov
Anatoly Karpov
Anatoly Yevgenyevich Karpov is a Russian chess grandmaster and former World Champion. He was the official world champion from 1975 to 1985 when he was defeated by Garry Kasparov. He played three matches against Kasparov for the title from 1986 to 1990, before becoming FIDE World Champion once...
, claimed in 2001 that the conviction had prevented Streltsov from becoming the world's best player. The Central Bank of the Russian Federation paid tribute to Streltsov in 2010, when it minted a commemorative two-ruble
Russian ruble
The ruble or rouble is the currency of the Russian Federation and the two partially recognized republics of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Formerly, the ruble was also the currency of the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union prior to their breakups. Belarus and Transnistria also use currencies with...
coin bearing his likeness. The coin was one of three minted as part of the "Outstanding Sportsmen of Russia" series; the other two pieces bore the faces of footballers Lev Yashin
Lev Yashin
Lev Ivanovich Yashin nicknamed as "The Black Spider", was a Soviet-Russian football goalkeeper, considered by many to be the greatest goalkeeper in the history of the game. He was known for his superior athleticism in goal, imposing stature, amazing reflex saves and inventing the idea of...
and Konstantin Beskov
Konstantin Beskov
Konstantin Ivanovich Beskov was a Soviet/Russian football player and manager.Beskov was born in Moscow. He played for Dynamo Moscow as forward, scoring 126 goals, and after finishing his playing career he became a successful manager who coached Dynamo and their rivals Spartak as well as the USSR...
, respectively.
Torpedo Moscow
- Soviet Top LeagueSoviet Top LeagueThe Soviet Top League since 1970 was officially known as the Supreme League serving as the top division of Soviet Union football since 1936.It was one of the best football leagues in Europe ranking second among the UEFA members in 1988-1989 seasons...
: 1965 - Soviet CupSoviet CupThe Soviet Cup, or USSR Cup , was the premier football cup competition in the Soviet Union.-Finals:-Performance by club:-Performance by republic:-References:*, rsssf.com. Accessed on 16 May 2006....
: 1968
Runner-up
- Soviet Top League: 19571957 Soviet Top League-League standings:P = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GD = Goal difference; Pts = Points-Top scorers:16 goals* Vasili Buzunov 14 goals* Valentin Ivanov...
- Soviet Cup: 1966
International
- 1955–68: 38 caps, 25 goals
- Summer OlympicsSummer Olympic GamesThe Summer Olympic Games or the Games of the Olympiad are an international multi-sport event, occurring every four years, organized by the International Olympic Committee. Medals are awarded in each event, with gold medals for first place, silver for second and bronze for third, a tradition that...
gold medal: 19561956 Summer OlympicsThe 1956 Melbourne Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVI Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was held in Melbourne, Australia, in 1956, with the exception of the equestrian events, which could not be held in Australia due to quarantine regulations...
Individual
- Soviet Footballer of the YearSoviet Footballer of the YearThe award Soviet Footballer of the Year had been awarded to the best footballer of the former Soviet Union from 1964 until 1991. The poll was conducted by the weekly sport newspaper Football .-List of winners:-Most Wins by Club:...
: 1967, 1968 - Soviet Top LeagueSoviet Top LeagueThe Soviet Top League since 1970 was officially known as the Supreme League serving as the top division of Soviet Union football since 1936.It was one of the best football leagues in Europe ranking second among the UEFA members in 1988-1989 seasons...
top goalscorer: 1955 (15 goals from 22 matches) - Ballon d'Or: 13th place (1956Ballon d'Or 1956The 1956 Ballon d'Or, given to the best football player in Europe as judged by a panel of sports journalists from UEFA member countries, was awarded to Stanley Matthews on 18 December 1956.Matthews was the inaugural winner of the Ballon d'Or.-Rankings:...
), 7th place (1957Ballon d'Or 1957The 1957 Ballon d'Or, given to the best football player in Europe as judged by a panel of sports journalists from UEFA member countries, was awarded to Alfredo Di Stéfano on 17 December 1957.-Rankings:-External links:*...
)
Career statistics
- Statistics for domestic cup competitions unknown at this time save 1968 Soviet Cup.
|-
|1954
1954 Soviet Top League
Thirteen teams took part in the world champion national soda-pop soccer league with FC Dynamo Moscow winning the championship.-League standings:P = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GD = Goal difference; Pts = Points-Top...
||rowspan="17"|Torpedo Moscow
FC Torpedo Moscow
FC Torpedo Moscow is an association football club, based in Moscow, Russia. The club was founded in 1930. On March 19, 2009 it was denied membership of the Professional Football League and did not play in the professional competitions in 2009...
||rowspan="17"|Soviet Top League
Soviet Top League
The Soviet Top League since 1970 was officially known as the Supreme League serving as the top division of Soviet Union football since 1936.It was one of the best football leagues in Europe ranking second among the UEFA members in 1988-1989 seasons...
||22||4||–||–||–||–||–||–||22||4
|-
|1955
1955 Soviet Top League
-League standings:P = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GD = Goal difference; Pts = Points-Top scorers:15 goals* Eduard Streltsov 13 goals* Nikolai Parshin...
||22||15||–||–||–||–||–||–||22||15
|-
|1956
1956 Soviet Top League
12 teams took part in the league with FC Spartak Moscow winning the championship.-League standings:P = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GD = Goal difference; Pts = Points-Top scorers:...
||22||12||–||–||–||–||–||–||22||12
|-
|1957
1957 Soviet Top League
-League standings:P = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GD = Goal difference; Pts = Points-Top scorers:16 goals* Vasili Buzunov 14 goals* Valentin Ivanov...
||15||12||–||–||–||–||–||–||15||12
|-
|1958
1958 Soviet Top League
-League standings:P = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GD = Goal difference; Pts = Points-Top scorer:19 goals* Anatoli Ilyin 14 goals* Valentin Ivanov...
||8||5||–||–||–||–||–||–||8||5
|-
|1959
1959 Soviet Top League
-League standings:P = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GD = Goal difference; Pts = Points-Top scorers:16 goals* Zaur Kaloyev 14 goals* Viktor Sokolov...
||–||–||–||–||–||–||–||–||–||–
|-
|1960
1960 Soviet Top League
-Group A:P = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; Pts = Points-Group B:P = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; Pts = Points...
||–||–||–||–||–||–||–||–||–||–
|-
|1961
1961 Soviet Top League
-Group A:P = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; Pts = Points-Group B:P = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; Pts = Points...
||–||–||–||–||–||–||–||–||–||–
|-
|1962
1962 Soviet Top League
-Group A:P = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; Pts = Points-Group B:P = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; Pts = Points...
||–||–||–||–||–||–||–||–||–||–
|-
|1963
1963 Soviet Top League
-League standings:P = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; Pts = Points-Top scorers:27 goals* Oleg Kopayev 21 goals* Eduard Malofeyev 17 goals...
||–||–||–||–||–||–||–||–||–||–
|-
|1964
1964 Soviet Top League
*17 teams took part in the league with FC Dinamo Tbilisi winning the championship.*FC Dynamo Kyiv qualified for CWC 1965-66 by winning the national cup this year....
||–||–||–||–||–||–||–||–||–||–
|-
|1965||26||12||–||–||–||–||–||–||26||12
|-
|1966
1966 Soviet Top League
-Overview:*19 teams took part in the league with FC Dynamo Kyiv winning the championship.*FC Dynamo Kyiv qualified for Champions Cup 1967-68 and FC Torpedo Moscow qualified for CWC 1967-68 as runners-up of the Soviet Cup 1965-66....
||31||12||–||–||–||–||2||0||33||12
|-
|1967
1967 Soviet Top League
-League standings:P = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; Pts = Points-Top scorers:19 goals* Mikhail Mustygin 17 goals* Oleg Kopayev 14 goals...
||20||6||–||–||–||–||4||3||24||9
|-
|1968
1968 Soviet Top League
-League standings:P = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; Pts = Points-Top scorers:22 goals* Berador Abduraimov * Georgi Gavasheli 21 goals...
||33||21||6||3||–||–||3||0||42||24
|-
|1969
1969 Soviet Top League
-Group A:P = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; Pts = Points-Group B:P = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; Pts = Points...
||11||0||–||–||–||–||–||–||11||0
|-
|1970
1970 Soviet Top League
-League standings:P = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; Pts = Points-Top scorers:17 goals* Givi Nodia 15 goals* Boris Kopeikin...
||12||0||–||–||–||–||–||–||12||0
222||99||6||3||–||–||9||3||237||105
222||99||6||3||–||–||9||3||237||105
|-
|1955||4||7
|-
|1956||8||4
|-
|1957||8||7
|-
|1958||1||0
|-
|1959||0||0
|-
|1960||0||0
|-
|1961||0||0
|-
|1962||0||0
|-
|1963||0||0
|-
|1964||0||0
|-
|1965||0||0
|-
|1966||3||1
|-
|1967||12||6
|-
|1968||2||0
|-
!Total||38||25
|}
International goals
- Scores and results list the Soviet Union's goal tally first.
# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition 1 26 June 1955 Råsunda Stadium Råsunda StadiumRåsunda Fotbollstadion, also Råsundastadion, Råsunda Stadium or just Råsunda, is a Swedish national football stadium. It is located in Solna Municipality in Metropolitan Stockholm and named after Råsunda, a zone of Solna.-History:...
, Stockholm1–0 6–0 Friendly Exhibition gameAn exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition...2 26 June 1955 Råsunda Stadium, Stockholm 
Sweden 2–0 6–0 Friendly 3 26 June 1955 Råsunda Stadium, Stockholm Sweden 4–0 6–0 Friendly 4 16 September 1955 Dynamo Stadium, Moscow 2–0 11–1 Friendly 5 16 September 1955 Dynamo Stadium, Moscow 
India 4–0 11–1 Friendly 6 16 September 1955 Dynamo Stadium, Moscow India 7–0 11–1 Friendly 7 23 October 1955 Dynamo Stadium, Moscow 1–1 2–2 Friendly 8 23 May 1956 Dynamo Stadium, Moscow 3–0 5–1 Friendly 9 15 September 1956 Niedersachsenstadion AWD-ArenaThe AWD-Arena is a football stadium in the district Calenberger Neustadt in Hanover, Lower Saxony, Germany, and competition venue of the German Bundesliga football club Hannover 96....
, Hannover1–0 2–1 Friendly 10 24 November 1956 Olympic Park Stadium Olympic Park StadiumOlympic Park Stadium was a multi-purpose outdoor stadium located on Olympic Boulevard in inner Melbourne. The stadium was built as an athletics training venue for the 1956 Olympics, a short distance from the MCG, which served as the Olympic Stadium...
, Melbourne
Unified Team of Germany 2–0 2–1 1956 Summer Olympics Football at the 1956 Summer OlympicsThe 1956 Olympic Games football tournament with just 11 competing nations suffered from cancellations. It was an undistinguished tournament that featured mis-matches and walkovers.-Background:...11 5 December 1956 Olympic Park Stadium, Melbourne 1–1 2–1 1956 Summer Olympics 12 1 June 1957 Central Lenin Stadium Luzhniki StadiumThe Grand Sports Arena of the Luzhniki Olympic Complex in Moscow, or briefly Luzhniki Stadium , is the biggest sports stadium in Russia. Its total seating capacity is 78,360 seats, all covered. The stadium is a part of the Luzhniki Olympic Complex, previously called the Central Lenin Stadium...
, Moscow1–1 1–1 Friendly 13 21 July 1957 Vasil Levski National Stadium Vasil Levski National StadiumVasil Levski National Stadium , named after Bulgarian national hero Vasil Levski, is one of Bulgaria's largest sports venues and the country's second largest stadium...
, Sofia
Bulgaria 1–0 4–0 Friendly 14 21 July 1957 Vasil Levski National Stadium, Sofia Bulgaria 3–0 4–0 Friendly 15 15 August 1957 Helsinki Olympic Stadium Helsinki Olympic StadiumThe Helsinki Olympic Stadium , located in the Töölö district about from the center of the Finnish capital Helsinki, is the largest stadium in the country, nowadays mainly used for hosting sports events and big concerts. The stadium is best known for being the center of activities in the 1952...
, Helsinki6–0 10–0 1958 World Cup qualification 16 15 August 1957 Helsinki Olympic Stadium, Helsinki 
Finland 8–0 10–0 1958 World Cup qualification 17 22 September 1957 Népstadion, Budapest 2–1 2–1 Friendly 18 24 November 1957 Zentralstadion Red Bull Arena (Leipzig)The Red Bull Arena, formerly Zentralstadion, located in Leipzig, Saxony, Germany, is the premier football facility in the former East Germany. It is the largest football stadium in the former East Germany and has also hosted music concerts as well as football. Various Leipzig football teams have...
, Leipzig1–0 2–1 1958 World Cup qualification 19 23 October 1966 Central Lenin Stadium, Moscow 1–0 2–2 Friendly 20 3 June 1967 Parc des Princes Parc des PrincesThe Parc des Princes is an all-seater football stadium located in the southwest of Paris, France. The venue, with a seating capacity of 48,712 spectators, has been the home of French football club Paris Saint-Germain since 1974. The current Parc des Princes was inaugurated on 4 June 1972, endowed...
, Paris
France 4–2 4–2 Friendly 21 11 June 1967 Central Lenin Stadium, Moscow 4–3 4–3 Euro 1968 qualifying 22 8 October 1967 Vasil Levski National Stadium, Sofia Bulgaria 1–1 2–1 Friendly 23 17 December 1967 Estadio Nacional de Chile Estadio Nacional de ChileThe Estadio Nacional Julio Martínez Prádanos is the national stadium of Chile, and is located in the Ñuñoa district of Santiago). It is the largest stadium in Chile with an official capacity of 47,000, and is part of a 62 ha sporting complex which also features tennis courts, an aquatics center, a...
, Santiago2–0 4–1 Friendly 24 17 December 1967 Estadio Nacional de Chile, Santiago 
Chile 3–0 4–1 Friendly 25 17 December 1967 Estadio Nacional de Chile, Santiago Chile 4–0 4–1 Friendly