- Lev Yashin, the only goalkeeper ever awarded the prize, is an icon of the Soviet Union, the empire that fell in 1991, a year after his death at the age of 60.
- Lev Yashin, the impregnable Spider
- Today marks the 30th anniversary of Lev Yashin’s passing
- He is widely regarded as the greatest goalkeeper ever
- Yashin started off from humble beginnings. Both of his parents worked in factories in Moscow when he was growing up.
- In the twilight of his career, Lev Yashin’s influence showed no signs of waning. He retired in 1971, leaving a void that remains unfilled to this day.
- Fortunately, the boy’s relationship with stepmother Alexandra Petrovna was warm. And in 1940 Yashin's younger brother Boris appeared.
- He only played for the then giants of Russian football and his national team, winning 78 caps. ... Yashin retired from the game in 1970 as a national hero.
- On the other end of the pitch, Yashin's teammates scored two goals, leading the Soviet Union to a 2-1 victory in extra time and becoming champions.
- Yashin made sure he looked the part. Always dressed in a dark uniform from head to toe, he was nicknamed “Black Spider” for his flexibility and acrobatic skills.
- Lev Yashin’s life was defined by three things. One was the special existence of a goalkeeper, always on the edge of triumph or disaster.