Valentin Ivanov Kozmich

Valentin Kozmich Ivanov (Russian: Валентин Козьмич Иванов) (November 19, 1934 - November 8, 2011) was a football winger/striker, co-leading scorer at the 1962 World Cup and co-1960 European Nations' Cup top scorer. Mother - Ivanova Agafia Fyodorovna (1909-1995). Wife - Ivanova (Kalinina) Lydia Gavrilovna (1937 born), Honored Master of Sports of the USSR, two-time Olympic champion (1956, 1960) in gymnastics. Children - Ivanov Valentin (1961 born), Candidate of pedagogical sciences, master of sports of football, judge of international category , Ivanova (Starikova) Olga (1964 born), Soloist of the Bolshoi Ballet. Grandchildren - Anastasia, a student at the University of Peoples' Friendship, Anton and Catherine - twins, students of secondary school.

Valentin had a rather difficult childhood. At 15 he began to work in order to help the family. Like all boys in those years, Valentin Ivanov was a passionate soccer player. After work he always hurried into the yard to play soccer.

As part of "Torpedo" Valentin Ivanov twice became the champion of the USSR (1960, 1965), won three silver (1957, 1961, 1964) and one bronze medal (1953). In 1960, together with the team won the USSR Cup, twice was a finalist of the Cup of the USSR (1958, 1961).

For 10 years, Valentin Ivanov, has consistently incorporated into the USSR team, three years (1963-1965) wore the captain's armband. He was a member of the legendary team that won the title of Olympic champion in Melbourne in 1956, spent 3 matches and scored 1 goal.

In the history of Soviet-Russian football V.K.Ivanov was a tough and demanding coach who understood mental state of his players and set them to the game. He always relied on athletic training and high operational readiness of players. Over the years, Valentin Ivanov trained a lot of talented sportsmen. Among them - M. Hershkowitz, . V.L.Pakhomov, D. Pais, Vad.Nikonov, V.Jurin, Maksimenko, S.Petrenko, S.Pryhoda, Vasiliev, A.Polukarov, O.Shirinbekov, Degtyaryov, E.Hrabrostin, S.Grishin, brothers Savichevs, Kharin, S.Agashkov, S.Shustikov, I.Chugainov, V.Buturlakin, V.Kruglov.


Ivanov appeared 59 times for the Soviet Union, scoring 26 goals. That number is third in national history behind Oleg Blokhin and Oleg Protasov.

Ivanov's four goals in the 1962 World Cup tied five other players for the lead, and he also scored two in the 1958 edition. He spent most of his club career with Torpedo Moscow. He scored 124 goals in 286 appearances in the Soviet Championship, 9th all-time.

Death
Ivanov died on November 8, 2011, shortly before his 77th birthday, following a long struggle with Alzheimer's disease.