YURI GAVRILOV - Spartak star of the 1970s-1980s. A midfielder who gave birth to the saying with his game: “You don’t know what to do with the ball, give it to Gavrilov.” Gavrilov's pass, like Gavrilov's sharp tongue, is still remembered. Today he is still one of the main stars of Spartak, but only a veteran one. Yuri Vasilyevich, as in the best years, remains as bright not only on the field, but also outside it.

According to the established procedure, I was entitled to an apartment from the club. So that a person could choose it, special viewing orders were issued. You take it and go, look at what kind of apartment. And somehow it turned out that I did not like any of the apartments that were offered.

One day, after training, I return another order to the head of the team, Nikolai Petrovich Starostin. Didn't fit again. Nikolai Petrovich reports this to the head coach - Beskov. He could no longer stand my fastidiousness and flared up: “I'm tired of this Gavrilov! Let him say where he needs it, and we will arrange it somehow.”

Starostin comes back to me from the coaching room:

Tell me where you want an apartment. Let's solve the issue.

Well, how do I know where it should be? After all, you need to like it.

- Yes, I would, - I answer, - somewhere opposite the Kremlin.

For some reason, Nikolai Petrovich did not immediately realize that I was joking. I went to Beskov: Gavrilov wants an apartment near the Kremlin. Beskov shouts:

Starostin again comes to our locker room:

- You, Gavrila, stop joking, otherwise you will die under the fence with your jokes.

- Yes, - I answer, - under the Kremlin.

But they still gave me an apartment, but I got a car at Spartak thanks to a chance. My father, a legless war invalid, rode a manual Zaporozhets. Once he went to rest in a sanatorium in Ruza, and he asked me to look after the car. And on the same day we had to call at the base in Tarasovka. Actually, I wanted to go by the club bus, as usual, but then Seryoga Shavlo calls me. He says that he is late for the departure of the bus, and asks to warn Beskov that he will be late. I tell him that it's not a problem. Let him drive up, as soon as he has time, we will go in comfort. Serega comes to me, and we go to Tarasovka in my father's "limousine". And we even have time faster than everyone else, as the bus winds along the road, picking up players.

In general, everyone was forbidden to drive into the base in their own cars, and then not many people had them. But the guards knew me well, let me through, and I put my Zaporozhets in front of the building next to Konstantin Ivanovich's Mercedes. And he went to his room.

But summer, all the windows are open. And soon I hear Beskov coming out onto the balcony. He sees such a picture in front of the building and begins to resent what kind of impudent dared to put here this miracle on wheels, and even with a disabled badge!

Someone tells him: "Gavrilov has arrived." Konstantin Ivanovich calls Starostin and says to him:

- Nikolai Petrovich, give this Gavrilov a car already. And then he rides in a wheelchair, dishonors Spartak.

So they gave me the sixth model of the Zhiguli, a rarity in those days. Then the guys told me: “Give us your Zaporozhets for rent, maybe we’ll get something.”

Nikolai Petrovich himself was sharp-tongued. We once flew from Spain, and at the airport in duty free, with the remaining pesetas, I bought five bottles of martinis and cinzano as a gift to my friends. He folded them neatly into his sports bag and decided to be the first to go through customs control so as not to attract the attention of his superiors. And as soon as I approached the customs officers, Beskov and Starostin immediately appeared behind me. And then we were very strict with alcohol. If Konstantin Ivanovich found out about the bottles - trouble! I carefully put the bag on the belt, but there are five liters in there! No matter how hard you try, they still ring. Beskov became interested in this ringing, even looked at the monitor at the customs officer, but there was nothing to make out without preparation. Dark stripes go along the bag, but you won’t understand what it is.

My luggage left on the other side, I try to carefully lift the bag. And again it doesn’t work: all the same, something clinked inside there.

- Well, that's all, - I think, - now they will definitely ask what I have put there.

And as soon as I take a step, Starostin is behind me:

- Gavrila, come on, be careful, don't beat the pennants.

My partner in the USSR national team Tengiz Sulakvelidze is an inexhaustible storehouse of different stories. At the base of the national team in Novogorsk, head coach Eduard Vasilievich Malofeev once congratulated Tengiz on his birthday at breakfast. The administrator had the dates of birth of all the collections recorded, and at his suggestion, the coach said some kind words to everyone. And now he wishes Sulakvelidze health, success and everything else. And he answers:

- I already had one.

Malofeev thinks that maybe he made a mistake somewhere, but he ends his congratulations anyway and leaves. And we are sitting at the same table: Sulakvelidze, Kipiani, Daraselia and me. And Tengiz asks Kipiani:

“Dato, what did he want from me?”

- Congratulations on your birthday.

- I already had a birthday.

How was "was"? Kipiani can't stand it. - A year ago, we congratulated you at the base in Tbilisi on the same day. Go to your room, look at your passport: when is your birthday!

Sulakvelidze gets up without a word and leaves. He comes back in a few minutes: for sure - today is his birthday.

“Then why did he congratulate me yesterday?”

- Who, Sula?

- Wife! I left the house, he said: congratulations, I wish you good health!

Yuri Vasilyevich Gavrilov (May 3, 1953, Setun village, Odintsovo district, Moscow region, RSFSR, USSR) - Soviet and Russian football player, midfielder, best known for his performances for Spartak Moscow and the USSR national team in 1977-1985. Master of Sports of the USSR of international class (1979). Honored Master of Sports of Russia (2007), founder of his own football school - SC "Svyatogor" in Moscow, and since 2009 a licensed football agent.
Biography
He got into the Iskra football team at the age of seven, when he, playing with other children at the stadium, was noticed by the head of the club. Started as a winger. During performances in the amateur league, he was noticed by Konstantin Beskov and invited to Dynamo Moscow. Many good players, Maslov, Anichkin, Yakubik, Gershkovich, Baydachny, Dolmatov and others, played in the blue and white then. It was very difficult to break into the main team, and Gavrilov rarely entered the field.
In 1977, Beskov, who became the coach of the Moscow Spartak, invited Yuri to the revived team. Gavrilov became a key midfielder in Spartak, and here his combinational talent as a dispatcher was fully revealed. Bundles of Gavrilov - Yartsev, and then Gavrilov - Rodionov made up the corporate identity of the team. Acting from the depth of the field, Gavrilov gave timely and witty passes (as a rule, forward, against), so convenient for the addressee that he could only punch past the goalkeeper. Gavrilov not only distinguished himself with an accurate pass, but also with an effective game in attack. In 1981, he scored 21 goals, and in 1983, with 18 goals, he became the top scorer in the championship. In total, during his career at Spartak, Gavrilov scored 90 goals, 10 goals for the national team, and entered the symbolic Club of Grigory Fedotov (140 goals). He was repeatedly included in the list of 33 best football players of the USSR.
In 1985, Gavrilov received an invitation from the Vienna Rapid. However, Gavrilov ended up first in Dnepr, and then in the Moscow Lokomotiv.
Gavrilov nevertheless played abroad - in 1988 he left for Finland, for the PPT Pori club, where he spent two seasons as a playing coach and returned to Lokomotiv.
Thanks to the efforts of Gavrilov, the team reached the final of the 1990 USSR Cup, but Gavrilov did not play in the final (in the semi-final with Dynamo, his collarbone was broken). The team eventually lost to Dynamo (Kyiv) with a devastating score - 1:6.
In 1992, after the collapse of the USSR, the top division of Russia was created, where instead of teams from the union republics, many new clubs entered. In one of them - "Asmaral" Gavrilov was invited by the same Beskov - to help the young team.
In 1993, he played for Interros, where he helped Alexei Snigirev become the team's top scorer.
Gavrilov constantly extended his career as a football player - already being a coach, he sometimes let himself out on the field as a substitute and played until the age of 43. He often played for the veterans of Spartak and the USSR national team.
Achievements
Bronze medalist at the Olympic Games: 1980
Champion of the USSR: 1976 (spring), 1979
Silver medalist of the USSR championships: 1980, 1981, 1983, 1984, 1985
Bronze medalist of the USSR championships: 1975, 1982
Finalist of the USSR Cup: 1981
Champion of the Spartakiad of the Peoples of the USSR in 1979 as part of the Moscow team
Member of the 1982 FIFA World Cup
Top scorer of the USSR Championship 1983
Member of the Club of 100 Russian scorers (145 goals, 10th on the list)
Member of the Grigory Fedotov Club (141 goals)
In the lists of 33 best football players of the USSR 7 times, of which No. 1 (1979-1981, 1983-1984) - 5 times, No. 2 (1985), No. 3 (1978)
Quotes
Nikolai Starostin, "Football through the years":
By the way, one of the best football players of the 80s, Spartak Y. Gavrilov, also a born passer, was endowed with the same intuition, he always tried to find in the transfer of that partner who was playing well, to whom he did not trust the ball.
Konstantin Beskov owns the phrase: “If you don’t know what to do with the ball, give it to Gavrilov.”

Have you ever seen how Yuri Gavrilov appears on the field of Luzhniki or any other, yes, any stadium? Modest, slightly limping - just like that, a man in a discreet sports jacket comes out onto the lawn.

It is not masters who train, but true athletes, but absolutely everyone knows Yuri Vasilyevich. And he approaches every acquaintance, presses his cheek against your cheek, shakes your hand. Suitable for me - and so nice. Yes, the ritual takes some time. But this is a kind of circle of honor. Here's who they love. He is one of the few who, like Yashin, can be safely called folk.

Because in a few minutes, Gavrilov, who is pulling his right leg a little, will throw off his jacket and go to play for one of the teams. He doesn't move too fast across the field, but his passes to the exit, to an empty seat, are still a feast for the eyes. And in the locker room, where everyone is equal, he will apologize to the amateurs: he overlooked, didn’t see, he gave it wrong ...

This, too, is the whole of Gavrilov. Can you imagine that one of the current, great, but who have won little, is so easily with us, with home-grown ones? And neither do I, I can't imagine. And therefore, too - Gavrilov folk.

It happens that a great footballer becomes a coach. And Yuri Vasilievich with quiet horror recalls his highest coaching achievement. Then, in 2002, he spent almost a year in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and led the national team to the finals of the African Cup. And suffering in a hotel room from the terrible heat, from the lack of interlocutors, from someone else's environment, to which our Russian Gavrilov was not going to get used to.

Because none of this is his. But football at any time of the day - yes, this is - according to Gavrilov. He officially received a disability, because with an inserted prosthesis it is even difficult for a normal person to walk. But Yuri Gavrilov does not walk, he plays football.

Does not miss veteran matches. And in his place - a midfielder. And he makes great passes. Sitting with Yuri Vasilyevich over a couple of beers, I realized that the game is also a means of subsistence. In a deaf frosty autumn, he tells how veterans roam the country, along its narrow paths - Spartak, Soviet, but any.

Do you think this is pure entertainment - rolled a ball, a banquet, a small fee for the game? Yes and no. Yes, because even in today's 60s, Yuri Gavrilov cannot live without football. Happiness is to go on the field, play with former partners, feel like an active football player, a normal family breadwinner. The eldest son did not succeed in football, he reached the double, and then ... But Gavrilov knows that this happens, but it seems that business is going on, which never happened with Gavrilov Sr. Now hopes for little Yuri Gavrilov. Youngest, this is a new family, and new hopes.

But it's hard to be a football player at 60. All rivals want to win against the famous, to prove, to demonstrate on the field of their native region, village, city that they are not afraid of the Gavrilovs, Khidiyatullins. Even Oleg Ivanovich Romantsev can be so dropped on a frozen, almost icy lawn that you have to shout: "Hey, where do you have orderlies with a stretcher?"

How do you play when your right leg is haunted? Are you limping, I ask.

I endure, and then you go out, and somehow everything is forgotten, ”Gavrilov smiles, slowly sipping his beer. - It's football.

We are the last to leave the restaurant with him and with the sports patron Alexander Ivanovich Petrov. But no usual complaints and dissatisfaction. Of course, they found out and approached Gavrilov, inviting him: "Look in, don't forget." He promises, sincerely believing that he will come again - someday.

Yes, Yuri Vasilyevich gets one football. To be honest, he may not know how to do anything else, but he knows how to be needed by this very football, which remained with him as true friends. I don't know if this is good or bad. I only know that from the huge mass of football players he is singled out and marked by universal love. It's not about Spartak or Dynamo, and not even about the national team. It's a matter of personality. He attracts. He is forever remembered. He is ours, not burdened with money and real estate in London or the Emirates. Maybe it's fate? Someone had to stay theirs? Like Yura, like Yuri Vasilyevich Gavrilov.

Dossier "RG"

Yuri Gavrilov was born on May 3, 1953. Moskvich. Forward, attacking midfielder "Dynamo" from 1970 to 1976, "Spartak" - from 1977 to 1985. He played for Dnepr, Lokomotiv, Asmaral... having ended his active football career in 1996 - 43 years old. In the USSR national team he scored 10 goals in 46 matches, won bronze at the Olympic Games-80. Champion of the USSR-1979, member of the Georgy Fedotov club, Honored Master of Sports.

Yuri Gavrilov was born in sunny May, on the 2nd of 1953, in the village of Setun, Moscow Region. He graduated from high school in his hometown and went to university there. But the love for football has always been stronger, which is why he became one of the brightest representatives of domestic football. Yuri Vasilyevich devoted his life to the game and training of athletes.

Gavrilov Yuri Vasilyevich became the most famous legend of the Spartak football club, is a master of sports of international class and an honored master of sports of Russia, and also participated in the 1980 Olympic Games. It was not easy to become one of the best football players in the Soviet Union, but thanks to his determination and will to win, Gavrilov managed to play in such a way that the whole world started talking about him. The athlete became the best of the best, and now the history of football speaks of him not only as an outstanding football player, but also as a good and well-deserved coach.

First steps in the world of football

When the parents of Yuri Gavrilov gave the boy to the football section, they did not even suspect what a great career their son would make in sports. But from the first minutes with the ball, not only the parents, but also the coaches realized that the guy was waiting for a good career as a football player.

The boy entered the field when he was 7 years old. Yuri began to play in the Iskra team, where he was first noticed by the head of the football club, and then by Konstantin Beskovy. At that time, Beskovy was the coach of Dynamo Moscow, and when he saw the guy at an amateur league match, he immediately invited him to play for his team. But getting into Dynamo is only half the way, you had to prove yourself. On the bench, Gavrilov was waiting in the wings when he would be able to play in the first team. It was not easy for the young footballer to spend his potential on the bench, but the time came and he waited until he was taken to the first team. Yuri was finally able to show what he was capable of.

sidereal time

In 1977, Dynamo Moscow coach Beskov was invited to coach Spartak, and he agreed, taking Gavrilov with him. And it was with this team that the stellar career of an athlete began. When the coach took him to Moscow with him, he already assumed that the game of the whole team would be based on him. From a winger, Yuri Gavrilov (Spartak) became a midfielder, and it was then that the whole world started talking about him. But the star time of the football player was very long, because in every team where he played, Yuri gave his all and brought good results.

Playing style

It was from the game of Yuri Gavrilov that all the players of the Spartak team began to make a start. Everyone adjusted to his game, and it was he who was the best and the one who brought one victory after another. The whole football world began to talk about him as the most accurate striker. Yuri Gavrilov is a football player who became famous for giving the most accurate passes, his shots were no less accurate.

The life of an athlete has changed dramatically, and he realized what responsibility fell on him, on his shoulders the fate of an entire football club. Yuri fully justified all expectations and hopes, thanks to intensive training and an excellent game. That is why his first coach worked with him almost all his life, only in different clubs.

"Locomotive"

In 1985, Yuri Gavrilov was offered a place as a player in the Rapid foreign club, which promised even greater prospects, but the football player was not released from the country. When Gavrilov decided to return to Spartak, it turned out that another player had already taken his place, and it was then that Yuriy played for the Dnepr football club, and then he was invited to the Lokomotiv team. There, Gavrilov also managed to distinguish himself by playing and victories, almost the same as in Spartak.

Playing abroad

Despite the fact that the first attempt of the Soviet football player Yuri Gavrilov to get into a foreign club was unsuccessful, he still managed to play in Finland after a while. In 1988, the athlete was invited by PPT from Pori. There, Gavrilov not only played for two seasons in a row, but also became a coach, after which he returned to his homeland, where he was accepted back to Lokomotiv.

Start of coaching

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, a new division of Russia was created, where new football teams began to appear. And again, the athlete's life turned out to be connected with his first coach Beskov, because he invited Gavrilov to the new Asmaral team. He asked Yuri to help young players not only in the game, but also in coaching. This is how Gavrilov's career began not only as a football player, but also as a coach.

Gavrilov entered the football field as a player until the age of 43, he did not lose the skills of a good football player. Yuri Vasilyevich liked to pass on his knowledge to young players. Not only him, but everyone knew that he was good at it. Indeed, thanks to his help, football player Fedor Cherenkov learned a lot in football. Now, coach Gavrilov has more than one football player on his account, who took the best advice and lessons from the mentor.

Yuri Vasilyevich Gavrilov: achievements and awards

Throughout his long career, the awards that a football player has received cannot be counted. The most honorable of all the football player considered that he was nicknamed the legend of "Spartacus". Gavrilov Yuri Vasilyevich became the bronze medalist of the Olympics, which took place in 1980, was the champion of the USSR in 1979, the finalist of the USSR Cup in 1981, was a participant in the World Cup. He was given the title of top scorer in the USSR championship. He received this title twice: the first time in 1981, the second - in 1983. Also, one of the most striking awards was the membership in the club of one hundred Russian scorers - he received it for his 142 goals.

• The athlete is still considered one of the best football players in history who passed the pass with an accurate blow.
• Yuri Gavrilov is a footballer who loves beer very much.
• Nowadays, football player and coach Gavrilov plays for the USSR national team, which includes teams of veterans.
• Gavrilov's first coach Beskov became the creator of the now classic football phrase about a football player: "If you don't know what to do with the ball, give it to Gavrilov."
• During the game for the national team of the Soviet Union, Yuri Gavrilov entered the field in 46 meetings and scored 10 goals.
• Repeatedly, the athlete was included in the list of 33 best football players of the USSR championship.

Now Yuri Gavrilov has a loving family: a wife and two adult children. Family comes first for a coach. The kids just love him. They always come to watch his veteran matches and worry about him.

The football player and coach Yuri Vasilyevich Gavrilov, whose biography is reviewed in this article, quickly broke into the life of football. He has come a long career path, which was full of many victories.

Fans say that there are few football players like Yury Vasilyevich. This man must be given credit. He devoted his whole life to football and until now, being no longer a player, but a coach, he continues to make a huge contribution to the development of this sport. Gavrilov became not only the legend of the Moscow Spartak, but also the legend of Soviet football in general.

Gavrilov, Yuri Vasilievich Midfielder Master of Sports of the USSR of international class (1979). Honored Master of Sports of Russia (2007).

Pupil (from the age of 7) of the Moscow SC Iskra (first coach - Mark Semenovich Levin).

He played for the teams Iskra Moscow (1970-1971), Dynamo Moscow (1972-1976), Spartak Moscow (1977-1985), Dnepr Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine (1986), Lokomotiv Moscow (1987, 1989-1990), PPT Pori, Finland (1988-1989), Asmaral Moscow (1991-1992), Presnya Moscow (1992), Interros Moscow (1993), Saturn Ramenskoye (1994), " Agro" Chisinau, Moldova (1995-1996), "Spumante" Cricova, Moldova (1996), "Orbit" Dzerzhinsky (2002).

Champion of the USSR 1976 (spring), 1979

He played 46 matches for the USSR national team and scored 10 goals.

(He played 5 matches for the USSR Olympic team, scored 3 goals. * )

Bronze medalist at the 1980 Olympics. Member of the 1982 World Championship.

Head coach of the club "Saturn" Ramenskoye (1994). Head coach of the club "Agro" Chisinau, Moldova (1996). Head coach of the club "Constructorul" Chisinau, Moldova (1996-1997). Head coach of the club "Chkalovets-Olympic" Novosibirsk (2000). Head coach of the DR Congo national team (2001). The head coach of the club "Mostransgaz" pos. Gas pipeline (2002). Head coach of the double club "Torpedo-Metallurg" Moscow (2003).

THE WAY TO THE MAJOR LEAGUE

When I collected material about Yuri Gavrilov, I was most interested in those facts from his sports biography that are unknown to most football fans. Now everyone knows him as the leading player of the Moscow Spartak, included in the lists of the 33 best players in the country by the USSR Football Federation. Football fans know that Gavrilov came to Spartak from Dynamo Moscow. But I'm sure few people know the whole way to football of this interesting player. This path from the team of the physical education team to the teams of the major leagues, about all kinds of happy accidents that helped Gavrilov, is discussed in the material brought to the attention of the reader.

I lived in the suburbs near the stadium in Setun, - recalls Gavrilov, - and from the window of my apartment I could watch the matches of local teams. And I played football here from the age of seven, from morning to evening, when I was free from studies. I rarely saw teams of masters, and even then mostly on TV. After all, until you get from Setun to Luzhniki and then back, it will take half a day.

Gavrilov's first coach was Mark Semenovich Levin. The same Levin, with whom Eduard Streltsov began to play in the club team of the Fraser plant in the mid-30s. It was Levin who then called the Torpedo coach, a well-known striker in the past. Vasily Sevastyanovich Provorny, and said: "Come, I have a player for you." Many years later, history repeated itself. Again, Levin calls Agile, who coached the youth team of trade unions, and offers to take Gavrilov. Provornov took.

Coach M. Levin says:

In the wasteland next to the Iskra stadium, it seemed that boys of seven or nine years old were playing day and night. Anyway, whenever I went to practice, they were always there with the ball. I noticed a thin, long-legged boy, left-handed, for whom it was not difficult to circle three or four of his peers, or even older guys, invited me to Iskra. He played very well for his age.

Gavrilov played as a winger in our club. He scored a lot, in almost every meeting. I also remember the fact that I trained, perhaps, the most. After training, he will ask the goalkeeper to stay and beats-beats on goal. Yura was greedy before the game. He also played hockey, and also not bad. I remember that we even thought with coach Mikhail Ivanovich Bychkov, a well-known striker of the Moscow Wings: “But shouldn’t Yura switch completely to the puck?” He was called to the hockey team, but he refused.

Why? I ask Gavrilov.

I still loved football more, - he answers - although I didn’t dream of playing in the major leagues, After school I went to work, and continued to play for Iskra. Thinking, since I am not invited to any club of the second league, it means that I will never be in a good team. I had no idea that none of the coaches of the teams of masters had ever seen the game of our Iskra. Now I understand it. That's why I'm talking about it - more for the boys playing in the same teams as Iskra. I tell them not to despair.

Gavrilov raised a sore point. By the way, he is not the only one who believes that there are many serious gaps in the selection work. It is extremely rare for the mentors of the teams of masters to attend the matches of the lower leagues, and you will not see them at all at the games of physical education teams. Perhaps it is difficult for a head coach to do this, there are enough worries and their own. But after all, there are second coaches in the teams, in some places even selective coaches. The latter, I believe, should be in every major league team. And it is necessary to select experienced, knowledgeable people for this position, not those for whom such work is a temporary shelter.

Soon after Provornov took me to the trade union team,” Gavrilov recalls, “we went to the tournament in Yalta. It was there that I received the first invitation in my life to play in a second league team. It was then that I had the first confidence in their abilities. True, I never got to Cheboksary (the coach, although he promised me, did not call me again), I continued to play for Iskra. But he was waiting for something, some change. And waited. Once a friend invited me to play for the district championship. Asked to help his team. I agreed.

Again a lucky break?

That's it. After the match, a fan came up to me, unfortunately, then I was so confused that I didn’t even recognize his last name. "Have you ever played on a team of masters?" he asks. "No". - “Would you like to play? I’ll talk to Beskov and call, I’ll tell you when to come to training.”

Soon he really called and sent me to Dynamo (Beskov worked with Dynamo at that time). I arrived at the stadium. Adamas Solomonovich Golodets was with the backup team. He only asked: “Do you have the uniform? Well, then let’s go to Novogorsk, we’ll see there.” I don't remember how I played as a midfielder. I was very worried. I only remember coming after training. Golodets, said: "If you can, come again."

Coach A. Golodets says:

When Gavrilov first came to us for training, he had more than enough shortcomings. He did everything slowly, he was physically weak. Some even treated him with irony. But I liked it. There was something football about him. And he understood the game, and skillfully disposed of the ball, and the guy's pass was timely. At the next training session, Yura was seen by Konstantin Ivanovich Beskov. He also liked Gavrilov. So Yura began to train at Dynamo Moscow. Played double.

Over the years that Gavrilov spent in the Dynamo club, he, admittedly, did not become a full-fledged player in the main squad. Yura often came on as a substitute, and this is understandable. At that time, he did not really stand out from the rest of the players. What can I say, he did not always keep up with the pace of the game in the major leagues. And the coaches are hardly to blame for the fact that Gavrilov was “not considered” at that time.

The gap in the class between the Iskra club team and one of the leading teams of masters was too big. And it was incredibly difficult for Gavrilov to rebuild his football thinking, albeit with inclinations, in a short time. It was also difficult for him to gain self-confidence, because when he came on as a substitute, he, like anyone else in his place, thought not so much about the game, but about not making a mistake.

For me, to this day, the most difficult thing is to join the game somewhere in the middle of the match, - says Gavrilov. - You come out constrained, there is no lightness, you only think about how not to let the team down. Although I played fifteen matches in 1973 and won a bronze medal, I did not get satisfaction from the game. I felt like a reserve player and understood that I still lacked my initial football education. And then there's the injury and for many years a solid place in the reserve.

It was then that you received an offer to try your hand at Spartak?

Yes, and since Konstantin Ivanovich Beskov took over the team shortly before, I agreed without hesitation. Spartak was going through a difficult time then. Behind - an unsuccessful season in the major leagues, ahead - difficult tests in the league of the first. It's a thing of the past, but I must say that it was the performance in the first league that allowed me to find my game.

How do you explain this?

Under the guidance of Konstantin Ivanovich, I managed to replenish my football education in a short time. And there is another circumstance. In the first league, the speed is not the same as in the major leagues, but for gaining experience, skills, this is very important.

Behind you a good season in the big leagues. What did you experience when you met your name in the list of 33 best players of the year and the USSR national team?

Of course, it was nice to find your name on this list. But I am not deceived, because I know my weaknesses. I still do not have the strength to play the whole match at the same level, poor ball tackling ... I felt these shortcomings especially keenly when I watched the World Cup matches. How much the leading midfielders move without the ball, the Italian Tardelli, for example, how they play equally smoothly both in attack and in defense.

What do you think is lacking in young footballers playing in physical education teams?

Perhaps the accuracy in the transfers. Many of the guys I played with were physically stronger than me and handled the ball just as well. But the transfer, the accuracy of the pass - below any criticism. I think that coaches working with children should pay close attention to this circumstance. Indeed, in football, in my opinion, there is nothing more important than an accurate and timely pass.

How do you imagine life without football?

I am 25 years old and I hope to play more. And the time will come to leave the field, I will try to use my experience in working with children. And then, as you might guess, it is the guys' passing that I will pay the most attention to.

A. LEVINSON. Newspaper "Soviet Sport", 02/17/1979

INDIVIDUALITY INCLUDED IN THE TEAM

Yuri Gavrilov is recognized on the field as a popular actor on the screen. Because he has his own, only his inherent style of play, behavior. Yes, he is recognizable, because who, if not him, in the utter confusion in the opponent’s penalty area can see a partner jumping out of nowhere into an empty place and with jewelry, and according to current concepts, with electronic accuracy, lay out the ball for him for the final blow. Both in Spartak (remember G. Yartsev's goals), and in the national team (A. Demyanenko's goal against the Turkish team in Luzhniki).

“I am impressed by the game of this sensible and subtle football player,” said Honored Master of Sports Sergei Salnikov, once a classic of just such football, about Yuri Gavrilov.

Enthusiastic praises are not scattered in his address, as in the address of some really bright, sparkling stars - the tone of assessments is always somewhat restrained, moderate. I think this is good, because they are not caused by an emotional outburst, but by long-term observations and analysis. It is really difficult to classify Yuri as one of the top stars, like Oleg Blokhin or Ramaz Shengelia currently look like in our football. But this does not reduce his value as a player, but, paradoxically, it acquires even greater weight. During the game, it is he who often turns out to be the very necessary player for the team, around whom everything revolves and revolves.

He started playing football in Setun at the Iskra stadium with coach Mark Semenovich Levin, then he was invited to Dynamo Moscow, where he went to a good school, but he really played already in the capital Spartak, which It is difficult to imagine today without Yuri Gavrilov.

Last season, until the last round, he headed the list of the best scorers of the national championship, and only at the finish line he was surpassed by the restless Tbilisi resident Ramaz Shengelia. Knowing the decency of Yuri, I have no doubt that he endured it with dignity, because in his rules there is a respectful attitude towards an opponent, especially a strong one.

He is sly and cunning in the game, but surprisingly modest off the field. Remember the third goal against Wales in the World Cup qualifier in Tbilisi? On the demonstration scoreboard until the end of the game, the name "Shengelia" was listed. But the goal was scored by Yuri Gavrilov, and it was his name that was later entered into the protocol. A well-known sports journalist later said that two minutes before the end of the match, he ran into the locker room of the Soviet team and saw Gavrilov there (he was replaced by V. Gutsaev at the very end of the match). Knowing that in the press box they did not come to a consensus on who scored the goal (there was such a commotion in the penalty area that it was difficult to make out), he asked:

Yura, who scored the ball?

Me, he replied calmly.

But what about the scoreboard?

Who cares. We scored.

So it's the World Cup!

We'll survive, - he smiled tiredly ...

Last year, Yuri graduated from the Institute of Physical Education, received a diploma as a coach, and now he lives with a dream of the time when he first enters the field in a tracksuit, gathers guys in a circle and tells them:

So, let's begin. In the first lesson, we will learn...

In the meantime, he himself is learning from excellent mentors - Honored Masters of Sports Konstantin Ivanovich Beskov and Nikolai Petrovich Starostin. And he teaches ... four-year-old daughter Marina to draw, read a little and, of course, obey her parents.

L. NIKITIN. Newspaper "Soviet Sport", 01/15/1982

CLASSIC GENRE

PAS DOWN

Teach them to give a pass from the bottom, - Gavrilov shouts to a familiar children's coach who is busy with the boys at the Netto Spartak Stadium. - It will be easier for us later.

The one and a half hour training session of the Torpedo-Metallurg double has just ended, which Yuri Vasilyevich held in tandem with his longtime partner in Spartak Sergey Shavlo.

It's so important - bottom? - I ask.

Of course: as he gave - so the partner worked. Beskov also taught the culture of passing. And if the attacker is also in a good position, he needs to deliver the ball in such a way that he doesn’t need time to process it and he can hit it in touch.

How did you end up at Torpedo-Metallurg?

He worked at Mostransgaz as, let's say, a consultant. Last fall, the head coach Alexander Piskarev left the team, and I had to lead it. We finished the season, prepared for the new one, but then suddenly Mostransgaz broke up. A group of players born in 1985 and 1986 moved to the reserve team of Torpedo-Metallurg, and so did I.

What is included in your responsibilities?

So far, there is no clear circle. As you know, Sergey Aleinikov and Alexander Polukarov are engaged in the main team, Sergey Shavlo and Nikolai Vasiliev are in the reserve team. I combine both. In training of the main team, my task is individual work with the attack group.

Does Torpedo-Metallurg have prospects?

Of course, but it takes time, which may not be enough. After all, the championship has started, you need to get points. Myto, coaches, we know how to do it, but will we have time to bring our knowledge to the players ... The potential of the team was clearly visible already in the match with Spartak. Finally scored in Volgograd. I think we will gradually play out. Let's start scoring at least one goal in every match - it's already good.

IN THE COUNTRY OF THE MALARIOUS MOSQUITO

Did your business trip to Africa in 2001, when you headed the DR Congo national team for four months, give you something professionally?

Honestly, no. The level of local football is low, the players who represent something tend to quickly leave for Europe.

How many legionnaires did you call up under the banner of the national team?

Only one came with me, from Belgium. Two or three more perform quite successfully in European clubs, but for them to play for the national team is not a great honor. If practice is needed after an injury, he will still come, and when his health is in order, it is better to stay at the club.

How did the Africans come to you?

Funny story. Came to DR Congo as a breeder to view football players. And their team just lost four matches in a row - in the qualifying tournaments for the 2002 World Cup and the African Cup. The local coach was fired. I was noticed during the games at the stadiums, made inquiries and offered to complete both cycles. Agreed orally, without a contract.

Has anything interesting happened to you during your stay in an exotic country?

Heat, low standard of living, military conflicts, poverty, dirt - nothing interesting. I practically didn’t leave the room - God forbid, you’ll pick up an infection. One malarial mosquito is worth something.

Nevertheless, you brought the national team to the final of the African Cup.

You could say lucky. There were two games left, the chances are theoretical. But we play a draw in Lesotho, at home we unexpectedly defeat the strong Côte d'Ivoire - and leave the group. The Cup itself was played without my presence. He considered it inappropriate to spend another seven months in such difficult conditions.

SETUN FOOTBALL

At what age did you start playing football?

At the age of 7, in the Iskra club at aircraft factory No. 65, which was later renamed VILS. The stadium was next to the house, and there the guys and I constantly chased the ball. One day the leader of Iskra, Mark Semyonovich Levin, came up and asked for my name, where I live. Then I talked to my parents...

Are you the only child in the family?

Has a younger brother born in 1956. I tried to attach him to Iskra, but not in football, but in hockey. But his brother was prevented by vision problems.

Were your parents involved in sports?

No. His father is disabled, he returned from the war without legs, his mother worked at the factory. Both arrived in Setun on a limited basis: father - from the Lipetsk region, mother - from Smolensk.

Who is your first coach?

First, Mark Semenovich worked with us, then Valentin Ivanovich Medvedev, Mikhail Ivanovich Bychkov, Konstantin Ivanovich Smirnov - he still works in Setun, only in the hockey section. Then he got to Nikolai Pavlovich Sharov, who once played for Torpedo.

Who has influenced your development more than others?

Many. And not just coaches. In the men's team of Iskra, it was possible to pick up the mind from Konovalov, who played in the Minsk Dynamo, or from Viktor Glagolev, the Honored Master of Sports in hockey.

Many people switched from football to hockey in the winter. You too?

Certainly. And hockey players played football in the summer. Igor Efimovich Dmitriev forced the then little-known Lebedev, Anisin and Bodunov to play for Iskra in the Moscow championship. To avoid gaining extra weight.

Were you immediately assigned to midfield?

At first, he played in front, left winger. He was frail and couldn't do a lot of work.

When did you feel that football is your destiny?

Probably when he moved to Dynamo. After school, I worked as an electrician at the factory for six months and thought that I would play for the men's team at the same time. As long as health is enough.

THIRD RESERVE "DYNAMO"

How did you become a Dynamo player?

Through Konstantin Ivanovich Beskov. I went as part of the Zenith team to Yalta for the so-called Zenith Cup. After the tournament, Pudyshev and I were taken to Dynamo from our team, Polovikhin and goalkeeper Tolya Elizarov were taken to Torpedo. Valerka Gladilin, who, however, played for the Spartak team, was invited to Spartak.

With what eyes did you, a rookie who played in the double under Adamas Golodets, watch the game of that Dynamo, which reached the final of the Cup Winners' Cup in the spring of 1972?

That was a very good team. Maslov, Anichkin, Evryuzhikhin, Makhovikov, Yakubik, Gershkovich, Baydachny, Kozlov, Zhukov… Sabo from Dynamo Kiev came. All who played in the team. Zykov, Basalaev, Dolmatov - I still remember the composition.

Was it really possible to break into the base?

Very difficult. Many honored footballers played for the double, let alone us, the third reserve.

Did you have a certain position on the field?

In the middle line, they tried me both on the right flank, and in the center, and on the left. Then, already in Spartak, Beskov gave me a place between the attackers and midfielders.

The role "under the attackers" was finally formed in the first half of the 70s. Remember how it happened?

At the 74 World Cup, everyone was struck by the Dutch with Cruyff, who moved along the entire front of the attack, playing along with his partners either on the right or on the left. He really was the link between the middle line and the attack. That's probably where it all came from. And Beskov, knowing football and watching its transformation, drew conclusions and in 1977 offered me a similar role.

Beskov was removed from Dynamo before the 73 season. For 10th place in the championship?

Rather, for the defeat in the Cup Winners' Cup final against Rangers.

And you made your debut in the main Dynamo team under Gavriil Kachalin.

He went out mainly as a substitute instead of one of the three midfielders. Dynamo used the 4-3-3 formation.

Did they try to put you in the center of attack?

No. Kozhemyakin played there, and then Pavlenko.

In 1975, when Dynamo under the leadership of Alexander Sevidov took 3rd place, you were awarded a bronze medal. But the team won the gold of the spring championship-76 already without you. Why?

At the beginning of the year, he was injured, tormented by the sciatic nerve for a long time. While recovering, Dynamo took strong midfielders Minaev and Maksimenkov. The first played on the right, the second - in the center, Petrushin was responsible for the left flank, Dolmatov was on the substitution. There was no place for me.

In the future, serious injuries have passed you. But now, I heard that you have problems with the hip joint?

Arthrosis. When, after so many years in football, you stop moving regularly, you yourself understand that the weight grows, everything deforms, and the sores come out.

Is that why you almost never speak for veterans?

Certainly. I'm going to have surgery in October. I'll recover - maybe I'll play again. On the other hand, if I don’t get the money, what kind of operation can there be?

Is there really no one to help the legend of domestic football?

There are such people - I will be grateful.

CONVERSATIONS WITH BESKOV

Were you easily let go from Dynamo to Spartak?

Not really. Upon learning that Beskov was seeking my transfer, Sevidov opposed, said that Gavrilov would still play. But then they agreed with each other. Moreover, Spartak was relegated to the first league.

You made your debut with the red-and-whites on June 25, 1977 in Minsk. Muscovites lost - 0:1 to the local Dynamo and rolled back to 7th place. There were no doubts about the correctness of the step taken? After all, the failure of the famous team to return to the elite would not be forgiven either by coaches or players.

I played the first match earlier - for the Cup against Torpedo. We also lost, but I understood: a new team was being created, many players were invited from the second league. In the spring there was not enough teamwork, and in the second round this gap was eliminated. But it took another year to really play: having returned to the big leagues, in 1978 Spartak took 5th place, and only the next season became golden for us.

Which of the players who played in the Union Championship in the position “under attackers” would you single out?

Kipiani and Veremeeva. The Kievite acted more on the left, but still, first of all, he was a point guard. A wonderful master of this role would have turned out from Muntean if they had guessed to push him a little forward. I will also name Buryak, Oganesyan, Maksimenkov, Prokopenko from Dynamo Minsk. Everyone could learn something.

And in the world?

I have already spoken about Cruyff. Pele is good everywhere: in front - a great striker, a little deeper - a great point guard. Maradona is a phenomenon. Great Platini player.

If you were the manager of a super club and faced with the choice of signing Ronaldo or Zidane, who would you prefer?

Still French. The Brazilian is able to decide the fate of the match due to individual qualities, but he is a dependent player. And the creator Zidane can complete the attack no worse than Ronaldo.

What should a coach do who wants to train a player in your role?

First of all, teach him to think correctly. The guy has an innate instinct for passing, so you can work. After all, what is a pass? Timely transfer of the ball. I determined this moment - the rest is a matter of technology.

Did Beskov talk to you a lot about the intricacies of the dispatcher's work?

Enough. He explained: in such and such zones, the attackers should receive balls, and your task is to wait until they break away from the guardians. And on the field everything depended on me. I determined at what point in the zone my player would be the first on the ball. That's all.

A bunch of Gavrilov - Yartsev thundered in the first league, and then made a fuss in the highest. How did it develop?

Usually - in the process of games and training. As soon as Yartsev offered himself, I had to give the ball to a point where he could win the fight against the defender.

Is Yartsev an ideal partner for you?

What does ideal mean? Over time, Serega Rodionov replaced Zhora in Spartak quite skillfully. In Asmaral, Andrei Gubernsky acted in a similar manner.

AT the World Cup-82 it was necessary to take a risk

Formed at the turn of the 70s - 80s, the quartet of Spartak midfielders was distinguished by rare teamwork. Have you ever had such close relationships in your life?

Certainly. How else?

Do you remember how Fyodor Cherenkov appeared in the team?

We played with someone at Lokomotiv, and Cherenkov came on as a substitute for 10-15 minutes. The stands greeted him with irony - dead, small. At first, he, like me once, lacked functional readiness. But in the game, Fedor could do anything: get the ball freely, and dispose of it wisely - make a sharp pass or complete an attack. In the ability to think on the field, he had no equal.

A friend of mine defined the difference between Gavrilov's and Cherenkov's playing as follows: in the first case it is classical music, in the second it is jazz. Do you agree?

Cherenkov really improvised a lot, sometimes you can't determine what he will do. It seems that the situation suggests one thing, while Fedor acts in a completely different way - and it was at these moments that the defenders were “caught”.

Could the USSR team have performed better at the 1982 World Cup if Beskov had taken Cherenkov there?

I think both he and Shavlo would strengthen the team. In Spain, I found myself surrounded by players mainly from Dynamo Kyiv. The game acquired a pattern different from the one I was used to in Spartak.

That is, not only the coaching staff lacked mutual understanding, in which three "pillars" could not get along - Beskov, Lobanovsky, Akhalkatsi?

It is not for me to judge the problems in the leadership of the national team. As for us, the players, then, of course, the difference between schools did not contribute to mutual understanding. Kiev Dynamo knows: he must run there. If he doesn't get the ball, he returns, he gets it, he sends it into the penalty area and returns again. In "Spartak" football is more intellectual: to play, to bring a partner to a position where it is impossible not to score.

With whom in the national team-82 was it more convenient for you to interact?

With Chivadze, Daraselia, Oganesyan, who himself could take my position. From Kiev - with Blokhin.

After the World Cup, a wave of criticism hit you. There were even jokes. How did you endure?

Quietly: I did not feel much guilt for myself. New Zealand scored his own goal, assisted Blokhin in the same game. With the Belgians, Oganesyan scored after my pass. Yes, and we lost only once - to the Brazilians. The negative result was due to the fact that they could not defeat the Poles. I have already said: in my opinion, we conducted that meeting tactically incorrectly. The opponent was fine with a draw, but we needed to win. But how? Bet on the attack, expose the rear - what if we miss? As a result, six defenders were put up in the expectation that Sulakvelidze and Demyanenko would alternately help the attack. But this means running segments of 70 - 80 meters! And sometimes we just didn’t have enough players ahead: four of us were against six Polish defenders. How to crack such a defense? Yes, they didn't concede, but they didn't score either. No sense. I think it was worth taking the risk, playing three strikers and including more of those who could hit the net.

Two years earlier, at the Moscow Olympics, the USSR team was considered the favorite, but only won bronze. Why did they lose to the GDR in the semi-finals?

We played better than anyone, in the match with the Germans we had a big advantage, but we were fatally unlucky. The opponent scored after a corner and didn't create anything else. It happens. The final of the USSR Cup-81 was lost to SKA Rostov in the same way: they missed a lot of chances, but they themselves missed it.

In the GDR, they were specially preparing for the game with the Soviet national team for two years, ”objects Sergey Shavlo, patiently waiting for the end of the interview.

We studied in detail the strengths and weaknesses of each of our players, analyzed tactics. Therefore, that defeat, probably, cannot be called completely accidental.

ANY GOAL IS BEAUTIFUL

- You became the champion of the USSR only once, but you have five silver medals. In which of the vice-championship seasons was Spartak closest to gold?

We always lacked two or three points. Moreover, they often lost them in matches with outsiders. Unlike Dynamo Kyiv, which played at full speed with other Ukrainian teams, we could not afford a respite. But there were also Moscow derbies, in which they did not look at the fact that you were claiming the championship title. This is where fatigue sets in. Although it was at the end of the year that strong clubs won in European competition. It was worse in early spring. In Europe, the championships are in full swing, and we will mix dirt in Sochi - and we are going to compete with the giants.

Which of the matches in the UEFA Cup do you remember the most?

All bright victories - over Brugge, Arsenal, Aston Villa. And not so much the score on the scoreboard, but the fact that the game turned out. The hardest thing was with the Germans - even with the Spaniards it was easier.

You have scored 18 goals in European competitions - the result is excellent. When you were at the peak, no Western club was interested in you?

I don't know about it. When there was a real opportunity to leave, he was already aged. True, in the mid-90s he received an invitation from the club of the second Bundesliga. The Moldavian team, for which he played, met with him at the training camp. But when the Germans found out how old I was, they grabbed my head.

How did you end up in Moldova?

I was sitting without work, an offer came - I went. The family has to be fed.

What is the secret of your amazing performance for a midfielder?

No secret. You must be able to determine the distance to the goal and master the techniques with which you can safely send the ball along a trajectory unattainable for the goalkeeper.

How important is goal aesthetics to you?

Once, my ball to Chernomorets, scored from a free kick in the top nine, was recognized as the best goal of the month. But this is an exception. For me, everything that flew into the gate is beautiful. Sometimes, he pushed the ball through the ribbon. Nothing counted.

REMOVED VETERANS - REMOVED THOUGHT

Was it painful to leave Spartak before the 1986 season?

There were no experiences. An invitation came to the Austrian Rapid, and Beskov and I decided: since I am preparing to leave, he does not count on me. Spartak took Pasulko in my place, played him all the off-season, but, I don’t know why, they didn’t let me go abroad. I ended up in Dnipro at the last moment, and only because the club participating in European competitions had the right to declare one player in excess of the required one.

What did you experience when, at the end of August 1986, the score was opened in the Luzhniki Stadium in the Spartak-Dnepr match?

- Satisfaction from the fact that a good hit succeeded.

When Beskov, before the start of the first Russian championship, called you, a 39-year-old, to Asmaral, did you agree without hesitation?

What does it mean without thinking? There was a serious conversation. I was about to finish, but in the process of training I saw that I didn’t seem to fall out of the game much. If I felt that I could not help the team, I would have left immediately. Here's another thing: my position allowed me not to waste my strength in vain - others took on the rough work. In recent years, I have played exclusively on clean balls.

If Al-Khalidi had not gone bankrupt, what could the team have achieved?

She has already achieved a lot: 7th place is a good result.

Why did they take so long to finish their careers?

When the Union collapsed, many teams got rid of veterans. Fashion has gone like this. But the youth did not have such skill, nor such a school, as our generation has. The spectacle was falling - there were no players left who could bring thought to the game. Because of this, he did not leave. I thought I would only train in Ramenskoye. But I see that the team lacks an experienced person. So he released himself for replacements. The same is in Moldova. When he received the ball, he could control the game, and the confusion stopped. After all, we also studied at one time with such honored people as Maslov, Anichkin, who did not hesitate to go on the field with us boys. To be honest, even now, at 50, I am sometimes drawn to interact with the young - so that they feel what the right game is.

What happened in 2000 in Novosibirsk?

Simple story. I went to the annual football festival in the Canary Islands, played in a tournament for a team from Novosibirsk. And I was asked to work for a year at the Olympic, which was created as a counterbalance to Chkalovets. As always happens when a new business is started, enthusiasm was overwhelming at first. And then it turned out: a lot of noise - no support. We took, in my opinion, 6th place. On that they parted.

GAVRILOV NUMBER TWO

How is Yuri Gavrilov's school in Sviblov doing?

We planned to put the field in order, build a small arena so that the children would have a place to train in the winter. But we can't find the money. The land is municipal, we are not given it for a long-term lease, and therefore people are afraid to invest in construction.

Are you happy with how your life in football has turned out?

I played at a good level, I enjoyed it when I scored, and even more when my partners scored from my passes. It’s a pity, of course, that we didn’t win the European Cup, although I think there were chances. Apparently not destiny.

What does Spartak mean to you?

Firstly, this is a team loved by the people. Secondly, it was Spartak that gave me the best years in football.

How do you assess the current situation in the camp of the red-whites?

No way - this is the business of the current leaders of the club.

Have you talked to Oleg Romantsev for a long time?

Last year.

When you played together, what was your relationship like with him?

As with everyone - normal.

Of the current players, do you personally sympathize with anyone?

Individuals are in short supply. Before the injury, Yegor Titov stood out. Let's see - maybe it will return to the previous level. Even now, when he enters the field, a thought appears in the game of Spartak.

How many children do you have?

Six. There are two in the first family, four in the second. The eldest daughter is married, of the two “welterweight” ones - one studies at the institute, the other works, the fourth is 10 years old, another girl is two years old, the last son will turn one in May.

Anyone related to football?

Not yet. I hope the younger one will continue the dynasty.

What's his name?

Yura. God willing, there will be Yuri Gavrilov number two.

What else are you dreaming about?

There would be work - nothing more.

HOW ARE YOU?

I'm going through a difficult period right now - I'm recovering from the operation. They replaced the hip joint, now I have a prosthesis. The injury is professional - its roots go back to the time when I was still playing. Now I have to spend more time with my family, which, in principle, is not so bad.

I heard you have a big family.

Four children. My youngest son will be two years old in May. So judge how many worries: take a walk with one, help another in his studies, the third needs advice.

I am sure that many football fans can’t wait for Gavrilov Jr. to appear on the football field ...

To be honest, I would love to do this myself. I hope the youngest son will take a real interest in sports, like his father. I would like football to become the subject of his passion, but, in essence, this is not so important. The main thing is to grow up healthy, and any sport helps to avoid diseases.

Before the operation, you played quite actively for the Spartak veterans. When do you plan to return to the field?

I think I'll be able to train sometime in the summer. In the meantime, it is necessary to get stronger physically, to restore muscles.

Your teammates of veterans will lead the Russian national team at the European Championships in Portugal just in the summer.

I wish Yartsev and Dasaev to look worthy against the background of the best teams of the continent. And don't be afraid of anyone.

The last place of your work was "Torpedo-Metallurg"; not so long ago announced the change of name to FC Moskva.

It's not the name - it can be anything. A professional approach is essential. Ambitions must be supported by a serious club infrastructure focused on the development of the team, and not on a momentary result. Now the club has a new coaching staff, in which it is difficult for me to find a place. But, of course, I'm not going to quit my job. Again, by the summer I will look for options. Ready to consider any: from the Premier League to the KFC.

You have already worked in the upper echelon. How does it feel?

It's insanely interesting. Teams solve high tasks, players understand football. Not a single ambitious specialist (and there are simply no others) will tell you that he wants to save some team from relegation from the first league to the second. Everyone wants to fight only for medals.

Do you think you were able to teach the players what you know yourself?

I think yes. After all, I also worked in the youth team of Russia, born in 1986, and several good football players came out of it - Rebko from Spartak, Akinfeev and Pravosud from the army. I'm sure the others won't get lost either. It is important that they have an incentive to play in the Premier League. In the meantime, it is very difficult to break through there because of the huge number of legionnaires. In a word, I am in favor of limiting the number of foreigners with both hands.

How do you evaluate the results of your native Spartak in the first matches under the leadership of the Rock?

It is difficult to draw conclusions now - I would prefer to talk about it after several rounds of the championship. It’s a pity that we didn’t manage to watch the return match with Mallorca. I am glad that Spartak won, but, on the other hand, I understand that the Spaniards were relaxed after a major victory in Moscow.

Have you received any red-and-white job offers from the current leadership?

No. Although it would be great, together with old friends, to return the team to its former height. Would it suddenly work?

« MY FOOTBALL STARTED WITH BESKOV»

In 1983, Yuri Gavrilov received the Labor prize as the best scorer of the USSR football championship, although he did not play at the forefront of the attack - he was rather a dispatcher ... He was elected among the 33 best players in the country in 1978-1981 and 1984-1985 . Last year, Yuri Vasilyevich's coaching career was interrupted due to a serious illness. But now the health of the fan favorite is getting better. And he found time to meet with a Trud correspondent.

You made your debut in the big leagues at the age of 19. How did you get there?

- Beskov took me to Dynamo. Soon Beskov was removed: they blamed him for the loss to the Rangers in the Cup Winners' Cup final. Later I worked under the direction of Kachalin, Sevidov. Great coaches! But I am more grateful to Beskov than to others, because he more accurately recognized my natural inclinations and combined them with the interests of the team. He freed me from defensive functions, gave me the opportunity to play on "clean balls", and I began to bring more benefits. He outlined such a role for me, I think, even when I first appeared at Dynamo in 1972.

You are one of the best scorers in our football, a member of the Fedotov club. I saw many games with your participation, but I don’t remember that you scored with long-range shots, and even with your head ...

Such was the Spartacist style. In addition, I did not have speed, jumping ability. Therefore, either closed the transmission, or tried to successfully execute them. At the end of attacks, I was always in the penalty area. I was required to hit not on strength, but on accuracy.

Fans know that Gavrilov, let's say, did not follow the regime too strictly. And at the same time, you played at a high level until the age of forty. Discover the secret...

To be clear, I have never smoked. Now about the booze. I am grateful to the experienced Dynamo masters who helped me gain a foothold in big-time football. Anichkin, Maslov, Zykov were not ascetics, they allowed themselves to relax, but knowing the measure. They managed to inspire me with a simple idea: the athlete himself must take care of the state of his body. And I used to observe the measure, clearly control myself.

You avoided injury. What are the recipes? How did you manage to resist the "bone-breakers"?

With experience, I began to feel a certain gift of foresight in myself: I predicted the actions of the defender opposing me and had time to pass before the opponent entered into a tough fight with me. And then, do not blame all the troubles on the defenders. In my time, fans called Nikulin and Novikov rude. Now - Kovtuna. Meanwhile, these are cool football players, real fighters and deliberately did no harm to anyone. They did not always have time to intercept, sometimes they hit the legs, they “worked in the body” too hard. But most forward injuries are not caused by defenders, but by their own fault. Someone underperforms in the classroom for general physical training. Someone has an excellent reaction, explosive strength, but not enough elastic ligaments. I didn’t warm up before training, ran, turned around sharply - and the ligaments “flew”. Let's say that both me and Sergei Rodionov played against the same defenders, but I almost never got injured, and Sergei used to not get out of the infirmary.

Do any of your six children continue the sports tradition?

My eldest son Vasily trained at the Spartak sports school, but upon graduation he did not get into the Spartak double. Now he is a 3rd year student at the Institute of Physical Education, a future football coach. I try to pass on some knowledge and experience to him. I would be glad if little Yura gets interested in football, but for now he needs to grow up. My daughters love to watch matches...

And the wife?

When I played in the big leagues, important matches were watched from the stands or on TV by all members of my large family, with the exception of the smallest ones, of course. Moreover, Konstantin Ivanovich Beskov, being the coach of Spartak, at certain periods allowed the players to live at the training camp in Tarasovka with their wives, even with their families.

There is a story that Beskov did not take a strong Donetsk football player to the team because he, having arrived at Spartak for a tryout, beat everyone at cards.

You are probably talking about the story with Reznik, the leading player of Shakhtar, and later of Dynamo Moscow and Spartak. Beskov indeed repeatedly expressed dissatisfaction with his addiction to cards, because rumors that Reznik was an avid gambler reached him. Nevertheless, there were no "repressions" against Reznik, he performed well for Spartak.

Among the people of the creative circle, Spartak has more adherents than other clubs. Which famous person was your most loyal fan?

Actors Mikhail Yanshin and Nikolai Kryuchkov, as well as the magician Igor Kio, himself an excellent football player in his youth. Personally, I was closely acquainted with famous theater and film actors Alexander Fatyushin and Anatoly Romashin. Both, unfortunately, have passed away. Sasha himself played football very well. Anatoly supported us with temperament.

Why, having become a legionnaire, did you leave for a non-football country - Finland?

At that time, our players did not have the opportunity to choose their own club. The very fact of going abroad was seen as a great honor. Blokhin was assigned to Greece, me to Finland. Well, to the southern part, and not beyond the Arctic Circle, like Buryak. The salary was $1,000 a month plus free housing and a car. Then it was the "ceiling" for the Soviet football player. Although Finland was known as a “football backwater” against the backdrop of success in skiing and hockey, they also set a course for the development of “sport number one” - they invited players and coaches even from Italy and Brazil. And football in Suomi began to rise.

Were there any difficulties?

The language barrier. The next Finnish language course would have to travel 140 kilometers. I tried to learn something myself, but to no avail. It turned out to be difficult even to pronounce Finnish words a kilometer long! I was assigned an interpreter - a Karelian from Petrozavodsk. When I hot on the trail discussed the actions of my partners, pointed out mistakes or gave instructions, he simply could not keep up with me. From my own experience I was convinced that the coach must speak the same language with the players.

I can imagine how you then had to in the Congo ...

In Africa, the situation is quite different. Initially, I went there to find "cheap labor" for Russian clubs. Purposefully learning French, and even more so local dialects, did not make sense: I was not going to stay there for a long time. But I was persuaded to join the national team. During training, the translator, a young graduate of one of the Soviet universities, was constantly near me. If necessary, he went on the field, I stopped the training, and he quickly translated my comments to the players. But, to be honest, I did not see great prospects for myself in the Congo. Unusual climate, non-football country. Here, in Moscow, I work better.

Well, how about a Spartakist about a Spartakist: what can you say about the “Titov case”?

If I began to accuse someone in this case, then Yegor would be the last one. The athlete is not able to control all the drugs that the team doctor or attending physicians prescribe. In teams, everything is built on trust in doctors. On the other hand, there is logic in the actions of football officials. If athletes caught doping are suspended from competition for only a couple of months, doping will overwhelm the sport. I heard excuses for anabolics: “Where can you go: football has become so fast, athletic!” So what? I myself did not physically “pull” in the major leagues until Beskov determined the appropriate role for me. Let those who "pull" play football...

Georgy NASTENKO. Newspaper "Trud", 15.04.2004

« SPARTACUS» ALWAYS DIFFERENT IN HIS GAME THINKING»
"Fratria", 01/26/2015
On January 20, the famous Spartak veteran Yuri Gavrilov met with fans at the Winner's club sports bar. Such meetings are important for both our respected veterans and fans. Today we are pleased to listen to the fascinating stories of a man who has been creating history of a great club...