Biography
Nikita Simonian was lucky to be born with the making of the great football player. However, to develop this gift, the guy had to hardly train, adopt the skill of the best players. His efforts were rewarded by the titles of the Champion of the USSR and the Star of World Sports.Childhood and youth
Nikita Pavlovich Simonyan was born on October 12, 1926 in the city of Armavir. At birth, I was called Mkrtich, but the name was too complicated for the courtyard, so the boy was dubbed in Nikitka. In the same city was born sister of the future champion Nina. Soon the family moved to Sunny Abkhazia and settled in Sukhumi. Father began to make shoes, mother led a household and looked after the children, and Nikita played on the street with local boys.
In a new place, Simonian showed talent to music. He played a pipe in the school spirit of the orchestra, worked as an artist on urban holidays and events, earning money for pocket expenses and campaigns to the cinema, where at that time the sport film "Goalkeeper" was broadcast.
The young man literally fell ill football, which was left all his free time. The company always was the courtyard boys with whom the future champion honed the mastery in the wasteland, chasing the ball to exhaustion. Because of this, a teenager often had a quarrel with the Father, who scolded his son for spoiled shoes, but love for sport always won.
When someone from local guys learned that a few kilometers from the city there is a suitable playground for playing football, Simonyan went there accompanied by friends. The boys had to get on the field on commodity trains, and back to return on foot, towering hunger was torn along the fruit road. But the sweetness of the team victories was worth the strength and time.
In the war years, the athlete's family remained in Sukhumi. During the aviation plated, his father was injured, which almost 6 months spent in the hospital. In this difficult period, the biography of the boy's salvation was football, in which he played on the site near the school. There, his first coach of Shota Lominadze drew attention to Nikita.
Then the teenager first learned that sport was not only pleasure, but also discipline and regular training. He received the first form, which did not suit him in size, but gave himself to feel not just a boy who drives the ball with a courtyard, but a real football player, part of the team.
Personal life
With his wife Lyudmila Grigorievna, he met in his youth. In marriage, the spouses were born daughter Victoria Simonyan, who was also able to arrange a personal life and give parents of three grandchildren.Football
The first steps towards the professional career of Sybalist Simonyan did in the youth team "Dynamo". At that time, friendly matches between visitors were often held in Sukhumi, and the boy was observed for the skill of adult athletes, diligently remembering every Fint, to then try to repeat.
The efforts of young football player were rewarded on games against the "wings of the Soviets", during which he talked to 4 goals in the gate of rivals, who became victorious. At the promising striker, the coaches of the Moscow team, who offered the transition. For a young player, it was a shock: being shy from nature, he could not think that he could pay attention to him. But the mentors were kept their word and immediately after graduating from high school, a guy was taken to the capital.
In Moscow, Nikita lived in the family of coach Vladimir Gorokhov and spent all his free time for classes with leading players "Wing Soviets". The first match was held in native Sukhumi, but the joy of victory over Minsk "Dynamo" overshadowed the arrest of his father. So the authorities tried to force a promising player to perform for the Tbilisi team, but the guy did not succumb to the provocation and returned to the capital. Dad supported the heir and was soon released.
For the "wings of the Soviets" there was a difficult period, after the departure of leading players, the team was dissolved, and young football players began to distribute in different teams. Despite the persuasion to enter the ranks of Torpedo, Simonyan went after the coaches in Spartak.
In the new team, the striker was able to fully reveal the gaming potential and become a star of Soviet football. At that time, he was in excellent shape - weighed 70 kg with an increase of 172 cm and repeatedly led the team to victories at the USSR Championship, became the owner of the Soviet Union Cup. Nikita for many years headed the list of Spartak's best scorers, without losing to such stars like Yuri Gavrilov, Sergey Rodionov and Fyodor Cherenkov.
After the recreation of the USSR national team, Simonyan joined her ranks and defended the honor of the state on a par with Lvi-Yashin, Igor Net and Eduard Streltsov. In 1956, he became an Olympic champion in the national team, and 2 years later played on the debut for the USSR world championship, where he was captain. After this competition, the footballer announced his departure from the field.
Speaking up with the career of a football player, Nikita Pavlovich began to train young athletes. He was a mentor of the Moscow "Spartak", where at his invitation was transferred by the promising midfielder Evgeny Lovchev. Then he trained the players of the Odessa "Chernomorets" and Yerevan "Ararat". The pupils of Simonian have repeatedly become the owners of gold, silver and bronze medals, sought heights in sports.
When health began to bring, the man left the coaching post, but continued to work in the Football Federation. Later received a position in the Russian Football Union. His merits in the development of sports were marked by President Vladimir Putin.
Rumors have repeatedly appeared in the network that the former coach is in the hospital, but he continued to lead an active life, despite the old age. In 2018, a man released an autobiographical book called "Football - Is the game just?", Where he shared his career memories. A year later, he became an honorary guest of the opening ceremony of the Ferenz Pushkash Stadium, timed to the euro-2020.
Nikita Simonyan now
Now Simonyan is held by the post of vice president of the RFU and continues to delight football fans with appearances in public. It does not apply to active users of social networks and does not post photos in "Instagram", but news from the life of the idol fans can learn on the pages of sports resources.Achievements
- 1949 - The best scorer of the USSR Championship
- 1950 - Winner of the USSR Cup
- 1950 - the best scorer of the USSR championship
- 1952 - Champion of the USSR
- 1953 - Champion of the USSR
- 1953 - The best scorer of the USSR Championship
- 1956 - Champion of the USSR
- 1956 - Champion of the Olympic Games
- 1958 - Champion of the USSR
- 1958 - Winner of the USSR Cup