"Nikita Simonjan Dies at 99 Soviet Football hero" By Carlo Coppola
«99 տարեկանում մահացել է խորհրդային ֆուտբոլի հերոս Նիկիտա Սիմոնյանը».Կառլո Կոպպոլայի հոդված.
The football world mourns the loss of Nikita Simonjan, a legend of Spartak Moscow and the Soviet national team, who passed away on November 23, 2025, at the age of 99. He had been hospitalized three days earlier following a leg fracture.
Born Mkrtich in the Russian city of Armavir (Krasnodar Krai) on October 12, 1926, he was affectionately known as Nikita, a name easier for Russians to pronounce. Simonjan embodied the essence of Soviet football in the 1950s, becoming one of the most prolific and celebrated strikers of his generation. During his decade-long tenure with Spartak Moscow from 1949 to 1959, he won four Soviet championships and two Soviet Cups, claiming the top scorer title on three occasions.
His international career proved equally distinguished. Making his Soviet national team debut on September 8, 1954, against Sweden, he marked the occasion with a brace. He went on to help secure the gold medal at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics and etched his name in history at the 1958 World Cup in Sweden by scoring the USSR's first-ever goal in the tournament—a 13th-minute strike against England.
Following his retirement as a player, Simonjan transitioned seamlessly into management, leading Spartak Moscow from 1960 to 1965 and again from 1967 to 1972. During these spells, he added two more championships and three Soviet Cups to the club's trophy cabinet. In 1973, he guided Ararat Yerevan to a historic domestic double. From 1992 until his death, he held various positions within the Russian Football Union, including vice-president—a role he maintained with remarkable dedication, arriving at his desk each morning well into his nineties.
Such was his stature in the game that he was honored as a special guest at the 2018 FIFA World Cup draw in Moscow in December 2017. Shortly before his 99th birthday, President Putin bestowed upon him the title of Hero of Labour.
News of Simonjan's passing has sent waves of emotion through the football community. Former Spartak Moscow coaches Massimo Carrera (formerly of Bari) and Fabio Capello both paid tribute, remembering him as an immortal legend of world football and a dear friend.
Carlo Coppola
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