Georgijs Smirnovs
Encyclopedia
Georgijs Smirnovs is a former Latvia
n footballer
and football manager. In 2006 Latvian Football Federation
selected Smirnovs as one of the 11 greatest footballers in the first 100 years of football in Latvia.
, Latvia
for military service. He got to play with FK Dinamo Rīga with which he won the Latvian Cup and was noted by many as a very talented forward. After just 6 matches that he had played with Dinamo, Vadims Ulbergs
from Daugava Rīga offered Smirnovs to join the strongest Latvian club.
He made his debut with Daugava in the 1st Soviet league in the 1957 and played with the club until 1971. In his best season in 1960 when Daugava played in the Soviet Top League
Smirnovs scored 11 goals and was nominated to the list of the 33 best Soviet footballers of the year. Smirnovs also managed to score three goals in two matches against the legendary Lev Yashin
in that year. After the season Smirnovs got offers from several top league squads, but he remained loyal to Daugava. In 1967 Smirnovs was offered to retire from playing and start management work with Daugava, but he refused and continued playing. In 1969 when Daugava went on a tourney to England
but the players were found carrying contraband
money and many of them including Smirnovs and Gunārs Ulmanis
- the club veterans and leaders were disqualified. In 1971 his disqualification was lifted and Smirnovs played one more match for Daugava (and a couple of games with Zvejnieks Liepāja, but he himself recognized that he wasn't in a form good enough, so he retired from football for sure.
Later Smirnovs returned to football as a manager with VEF Rīga which he brought to many successful seasons in the Latvian league - winning 5 titles and the two Latvian Cups. With VEF he worked from 1971 to 1992.
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
n footballer
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
and football manager. In 2006 Latvian Football Federation
Latvian Football Federation
The Latvian Football Federation is the governing body of football in Latvia based in the capital, Riga. It organises the Latvian football championship , Latvian Football Cup and the Latvia national football team. LFF became a member of FIFA in 1922, but following Latvia's annexation by the Soviet...
selected Smirnovs as one of the 11 greatest footballers in the first 100 years of football in Latvia.
Biography
Smirnovs came from Leningrad where he played football with a local factory club. In 1957 Smirnovs was sent to RigaRiga
Riga is the capital and largest city of Latvia. With 702,891 inhabitants Riga is the largest city of the Baltic states, one of the largest cities in Northern Europe and home to more than one third of Latvia's population. The city is an important seaport and a major industrial, commercial,...
, Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
for military service. He got to play with FK Dinamo Rīga with which he won the Latvian Cup and was noted by many as a very talented forward. After just 6 matches that he had played with Dinamo, Vadims Ulbergs
Vadims Ulbergs
Vadims Ulbergs was a Latvian football player and manager, one of the most respected veterans of Latvian football.-Biography:...
from Daugava Rīga offered Smirnovs to join the strongest Latvian club.
He made his debut with Daugava in the 1st Soviet league in the 1957 and played with the club until 1971. In his best season in 1960 when Daugava played in 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...
Smirnovs scored 11 goals and was nominated to the list of the 33 best Soviet footballers of the year. Smirnovs also managed to score three goals in two matches against the legendary 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...
in that year. After the season Smirnovs got offers from several top league squads, but he remained loyal to Daugava. In 1967 Smirnovs was offered to retire from playing and start management work with Daugava, but he refused and continued playing. In 1969 when Daugava went on a tourney to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
but the players were found carrying contraband
Contraband
The word contraband, reported in English since 1529, from Medieval French contrebande "a smuggling," denotes any item which, relating to its nature, is illegal to be possessed or sold....
money and many of them including Smirnovs and Gunārs Ulmanis
Gunars Ulmanis
Gunārs Ulmanis was a Latvian football right wing midfielder, one of the most famous Latvian footballers of 1960s.-Biography:...
- the club veterans and leaders were disqualified. In 1971 his disqualification was lifted and Smirnovs played one more match for Daugava (and a couple of games with Zvejnieks Liepāja, but he himself recognized that he wasn't in a form good enough, so he retired from football for sure.
Later Smirnovs returned to football as a manager with VEF Rīga which he brought to many successful seasons in the Latvian league - winning 5 titles and the two Latvian Cups. With VEF he worked from 1971 to 1992.