Anzor Kavazashvili: the career of a Soviet football player

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:55

Kavazashvili Anzor Amberkovich is a Soviet professional ex-football player who played as a goalkeeper from 1957 to 1974. In 1967 he received the title of Honored Master of Sports of the Soviet Union of Socialist Republics. Two-time bearer of the title "the best goalkeeper of the Soviet Union." During his football career, he played for such Soviet clubs as Dynamo Tbilisi, Zenit Leningrad, Torpedo Moscow, Torpedo Kutaisi and Spartak Kostroma. From 1965 to 1970 he played in the USSR national team. Anzor's performance statistics at the international level are amazing (that is, positive) - in 25 matches he conceded only nineteen goals. In the period from 1973 to 1986 he was engaged in coaching. He coached football teams such as Spartak Kostroma, the national team of Chad, the junior team of the RSFSR and the national team of Guinea. In 2000 he was awarded the Order of Honor for merits in the development of domestic sports.

Biography of a Soviet footballer

Anzor Kavazashvili was born on July 19, 1940 in the city of Batumi(Georgian SSR, USSR). As a child, the guy began to be interested in football - he went to local football matches with his father and dreamed of becoming a professional football player. After the matches, the guy could not be found anywhere except on a mini-field not far from his own yard. Soon, Anzor Kavazashvili's parents sent their son to the football school of the Dinamo Tbilisi club. The first training sessions were unforgettable and interesting, but Anzor was a field player. Over time, the head coach of the junior team saw goalkeeping talent in the guy and offered to train in the appropriate position. Anzor did not argue with the chief and dutifully took pride of place in the pen alty area. Who then knew that such a simple experiment would give birth to the legendary goalkeeper of the USSR.

Football career

In 1957, Anzor Kavazashvili became a professional football player in the Dinamo Tbilisi club. He played two seasons as part of the White-Blues, among them he took part in five matches of the domestic championship, in which he conceded 9 goals.

In 1960, Kavazashvili received an offer from the Zenit Leningrad club, which he could not refuse. In the Leningrad club, Anzor immediately took the position of a key goalkeeper and during the season played in thirty matches in which he conceded 37 goals. At the end of the season, Kavazashvili was already negotiating with Torpedo Moscow, with whom he subsequently signed a multi-year contract. As part of the "Avtozavodtsev" he played until 1968. During this time, Kavazashvili played 165 matches and was awarded the title of "best goalkeeper of the USSR" in 1965. The fame of the great and talented goalkeeper has spreadthroughout the Soviet Union. Many clubs dreamed of getting his candidacy. In 1968, together with Torpedo, he won the USSR Cup.

Career for Spartak Moscow, the second title of the best in the USSR and a triumph in the Soviet football championship

In the period from 1969 to 1971, Anzor Kavazashvili already played in the Moscow "Spartak", where he became the champion of the USSR in 1969. In the same year, he again became the best goalkeeper of the Soviet Union. In total, he played 74 matches as part of the Gladiators, in which he conceded only 45 goals. The two-year statistics in Spartak was the best among all the other goalkeepers of the Soviet championship. In 1971 he won the USSR Cup.

Further career

In 1972, Kavazashvili signed an agreement with the Torpedo Kutaisi club, where he spent one season, playing in thirty-one matches. The goalkeeper missed the 1972/73 season due to an injury, and having recovered, he continued to play as part of the Spartak Kostroma club. Age was already making itself felt, and a recent injury made it difficult to give all one hundred percent. In his last season, Anzor Kavazashvili played only three matches. In the summer of 1974 he ended his playing career. During his entire football career, Anzor held 163 "dry" fights, thereby inscribing his name in the history of Soviet football.

Coaching

In the period from 1973 to 1975, he served as head coach at Spartak from Kostroma. Kavazashvili did not achieve great coaching successes, however, his spirit and perseverance impressed many football players.connoisseurs. In 1976, Anzor Amberkovich received an interesting offer - to coach the Chad national football team. The challenge was accepted, and the Soviet specialist actually coached the African team for a year.

In 1978, Kavazashvili began to train the junior team of the RSFSR. At first, cooperation did not work out, and the Georgian coach left his post. However, not for long. In 1981, Anzor Amberkovich returned to the same place, where he worked until 1983.

The last coaching season in Kavazashvili's career was 1985/86, when the national football team of Guinea was under his leadership.

In subsequent years, Anzor Amberkovich held high positions in the Football Federation of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, as well as in the State Sports Committee of Russia. In March 2017, he received the position of chairman of the board as director of the Anzhi Makhachkala football club.