"More than an athlete": the premiere of the film about Lev Yashin will be held on Channel One

Without exaggeration, we can say that this film will become another monument to the famous goalkeeper Dynamo and, incidentally, police colonel Yashin. In the Soviet years, Dynamo and CSKA athletes were awarded military and police ranks, but the world, of course, remembered Lev Ivanovich as the goalkeeper of the USSR national team. As the “Black Spider” - for the phenomenal tenacity, and as the “Black Panther" - for the amazing dexterity and flexibility of the tall and thin goalkeeper in black uniform.

“Lev Yashin is more than an athlete. This is a great football artist, so to speak, a talented improviser who shone “on the stage” between the goal posts. The image of Yashin is one of the pillars on which the world football culture is generally based”, - says Alexander Paramonov, the director general of the FONBET Bookmaker Office, which sponsored the screening of the film on Russian TV. "Therefore, we really wanted everyone to see this film".

Bright artistry of Yashin is not a figure of speech at all. The goalkeeper often heard remarks that his playing style resembles a clownery. But no comments, even from the bosses of the Ministry of Physical Culture and Sports of the USSR, prevented him from becoming the author of an innovative school of football of that time, which was based on the active play of the goalkeeper with his feet.

Interestingly, the world could remember Yashin not in boots, but... on skates. The first steps of Soviet ice hockey are connected precisely with the young goalkeeper Yashin, in 1953 he became the champion of the Soviet Union in this sport. But he finally decided and went into football. This interesting fact clearly indicates the versatility and artistry of a unique person.

The choice between the football field and the hockey “box” turned out to be the right one. Yashin is the only goalkeeper in the world to have the Golden Ball awarded to him in 1963. During his almost 20-year career in football, he was a five-time champion of the USSR, a gold medalist at the Olympics in Melbourne in 1956 and a European champion in 1960.

Television Day is also symbolic and non-random. The story of Lev Ivanovich is worthy of memory and discussion on the Day of Russia, although it was not easy. It is significant that Vladimir Putin expressed interest in creating the film when this topic was voiced on one of the Direct Lines with the President of Russia.

The film was directed by Vasily Chiginsky and screenwriter Vladimir Valutsky (which became his last work), built on the farewell match of Lev Yashin on May 27, 1971. The football duel of the Dynamo team and the national team of world stars gathered 103 thousand fans that day!

Escorting Yashin from a big sport, Eusebio, Ivo Victor, Giacinto Facchetti, Gerd Mueller, Bobby Charlton played against him. The final score was announced by the famous referee Tofig Bahramov - 2: 2.

The film crew was advised by the relatives of Lev Yashin, and above all his widow, Valentina Timofeevna. The athlete’s family also chose the actor for the main role - “Black Spider” was played by a film debutant, a graduate of the Shchepkin Theater School Alexander Fokin.

According to the authors of the picture, before the farewell match, Yashin remembers his life. The brilliant athlete left very early - at age 60. Unfortunately, Lev Ivanovich did not find himself in the coaching work, the illness worsened, one leg had to be amputated. The famous goalkeeper “burned out” without much sport.

The contradictory fate of Lev Yashin was one of the reasons why the film “hooked” FONBET. On the one hand, a huge success - a guy from the working outskirts who conquered world stadiums, the embodiment of the dream of any boy giving his first pass. On the other hand, difficulties with leaving the sport and fairly early care. Vivid domestic athletes (not only football players) often face this, for whom FONBET has opened a whole direction in its charity program. These people really need a decent life after, they need demand and the ability to transfer experience, inspire new generations of Russian athletes.

A cinematic monument to Yashin, which will present the First Channel to viewers today, will worthily complement the pantheon of the great athlete. Recall that in Moscow, two monuments to Yashin have already been erected, on the Friendship Alley in Luzhniki and Dynamo, which has clearly become a symbol of the stadium that has been updated on a large scale basis for the World Cup. Moreover, the sculpture of the Soviet goalkeeper is in Rio de Janeiro. Lev Ivanovich deserves this.