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Igor Netto

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Igor Netto
Igor Netto in 1997
Personal information
Full name Igor Aleksandrovich Netto
Date of birth (1930-01-09)9 January 1930
Place of birth Moscow, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
Date of death 30 March 1999(1999-03-30) (aged 69)
Place of death Moscow, Russia
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Position(s) Midfielder
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1949–1966 FC Spartak Moscow 368 (36)
International career
1952–1965 Soviet Union 54 (4)
Managerial career
1967 AC Omonia
1968 FC Shinnik Yaroslavl
1969–1970 Iran (Assistant)
1970–1971 Iran
1973–1975 FC Spartak Moscow (Assistant)
1975 FC Spartak Moscow
1976–1977 Panionios
1979 Neftchi Baku
Medal record
Representing  Soviet Union
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 1956 Melbourne Team
European Championships
Gold medal – first place 1960 Paris Team
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Igor Aleksandrovich Netto (Russian: Игорь Александрович Нетто; 9 January 1930 – 30 March 1999)[1] was a Russian footballer, considered one of the country's greatest players ever. He started out playing on the left of defense but, due to his offensive mentality, dribbling and technical abilities turned into a dynamic central midfielder. His versatility and footballing intelligence allowed him to play a number of positions across defense and midfield.

Ice hockey and club career

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Besides football, Netto played 22 games in the 1948–49 and 1950–51 seasons as an ice hockey forward for Spartak,[2] but stopped playing to avoid the risk of an injury affecting his football career.[3][4]

During his club career he played for FC Spartak Moscow from 1949 until 1966, scoring 37 goals in 367 league games, and winning five Soviet championships and three national cups.

International career

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Igor Netto, Sergei Salnikov and Lev Yashin at the 1958 World Cup

He was the captain of the USSR national football team from 1952 to 1965. He led the country to the gold medal in the 1956 Summer Olympics,[5] and victory at the first ever European Championship in 1960. He missed all but one match in the 1958 FIFA World Cup due to injury, and also played all four matches in the 1962 FIFA World Cup when the Soviet Union reached the quarterfinals. In total, he collected 54 international caps and scored four goals.[6]

During the 1962 FIFA World Cup match against Uruguay, with the score at 1–1, Igor Chislenko managed to strike through the net, and the resulting goal was mistakenly counted by the referee who had not seen the ball trajectory. Hearing protests from the Uruguayan keeper, Netto confirmed with Chislenko that the ball went through the net, and convinced the referee to discount the goal. Russia still won the game 2–1.[3][4]

Managerial career

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After retiring in 1966, Netto began a career as a coach, training AC Omonia, FC Shinnik Yaroslavl, Iran, Panionios and Neftchi Baku. He was awarded the Order of Lenin in 1957 for his achievements at the Olympics. The stadium of Spartak Moscow reserves team is named after him.[4]

Personal life

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Netto was of Estonian and Italian descent, with his Italian lineage traced to an Italian gardener who emigrated to the Governorate of Estonia in the 18th century.[7][8] His father Aleksander Netto (1885–1956) was originally a carpenter from Valga, Governorate of Livonia, and his mother Juuli (née Tamm; 1894–1977) was from Vaimastvere, Tartu County. Aleksander left Livonia for Soviet Russia with Red Latvian Riflemen in 1918. Aleksander was a fervent Communist, who acted as a Bolshevik Councilman in Moscow.[9] During the 1930s and Joseph Stalin's Great Purge, the family did not dare to speak Estonian, and Igor learned only Russian.[9] Igor's brother Lev Netto (1925–2017), who spoke Estonian and was named after Lev Trotsky, was a Soviet prisoner for eight years in the Norilsk Gulag.[10] as was also Aleksander's brother Sergei.[11]

Netto was known as goose for his hissing voice, as well as goose-like walk and head shape. On 9 January 1960, he married Olga Yakovleva, an actress. They divorced around 1987 when Netto was suffering from Alzheimer's disease.[3][4]

Career statistics

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International goals

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# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1. 16 September 1955 Dynamo Stadium, Moscow, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union  India 11–1 Win Friendly
2. 2 December 1956 Olympic Park Stadium, Melbourne, Australia  Indonesia 4–0 Win 1956 Summer Olympics
3. 27 July 1957 Dynamo Stadium, Moscow, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union  Finland 2–1 Win 1958 World Cup qual.
4. 15 August 1957 Olympic Stadium, Helsinki, Finland  Finland 0–10 Win 1958 World Cup qual.
Correct as of 7 March 2016[12]

Honours

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Spartak Moscow
Soviet Union
Individual

References

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  1. ^ a b Igor Netto Archived 6 March 2014 at the Wayback Machine. sports-reference.com
  2. ^ Нетто Игорь Александрович. spartak-history.ru
  3. ^ a b c Elena Grigorievskaya (9 January 2014) Рыжие волосы, Гусь и приключения на ипподроме. Самые интересные истории, связанные с Игорем Нетто. gazeta.ru
  4. ^ a b c d Игорь НЕТТО. rusteam.permian.ru
  5. ^ "Igor Netto". Olympedia. Retrieved 7 November 2021.
  6. ^ Igor Netto. national-football-teams.com
  7. ^ "Igor Netto – a Legend of Spartak Moscow | lucrumbet.com". lucrumbet.com. Archived from the original on 16 May 2021.
  8. ^ Игорю Нетто - 90 лет!
  9. ^ a b "Õhtud Moskva lähistel".
  10. ^ "Lev Netto".
  11. ^ "Списки жертв".
  12. ^ "Igor Netto - national football team player". eu-football.info.
  13. ^ "1960 team of the tournament". Union of European Football Associations. 1 February 2011. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
  14. ^ "UEFA Awards". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. 21 December 2006. Retrieved 12 March 2024.