Gone from the life of the legendary football player, “Spartacus” Fyodor Cherenkov – Russian Newspaper

Do not become Fyodor Cherenkov radiation. He just turned 55 loss with nothing comparable. It’s like a snatch of our best football of his page – very clean, bright, and nothing ever mess.

All my life Fedor was Spartacus. But perhaps his single of the modern Russian players, fans adored not only red and white. He was our, universal, Russian, Russian. And remained for all Fyodor, Fedor Cherenkov. No one had ever dared, but never occurred, whistle, insult him, throw rude reproach. If you want, Fyodor Cherenkov was a white bird in the seething lava boiling in the game of passion. He was pure and above all superficial, dirty-gray, which surfaced in football. And so it was felt all without exception.

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Club Member scorers he named the best players of the season, was a member of the team. But in the main team did everything I could. His idealized, honest and naiiskrenneyshy football could essentially fit into the ingenious schemes of great coaches type Lobanovskyy. He did, and did not follow instructions. Was obedient, disciplined, but remained a genius understood a hundred only native “Spartacus”, which came in 18 and where Fyodor suddenly recognized, accepted, blessed by Konstantin Beskow, which does not recognize any authority.

Sense Fedor life was football and only one football in his honest acts. Chasing the ball with the boys, Fedor played as enthusiastically as in the beloved “Spartacus”.

We often met not in the best period of his career. Do not know what really happened in 1990, when Fyodor and two great players, “Spartacus” Rodionov and Bubnov were exiled coach Romantsev the French “Red Star”. Team, who lived on the content of red millionaire and reasoning only about how to stay in the first division.

I swear to the veracity of this episode. We slowly walked along the touchline, “Red Star” with my neighbor in Moscow and companion for walks along the Garden Ring Nikolai Starostin. “Spartacus” came in a friendly match and gave the Parisians three of his best. Starostin, who knew that I had long lived and worked in Paris as a correspondent, he suddenly turned to me with a request: “Nikolai Mikhailov, son, if anything, you (he talked with all only you) really help our.” Paused and added with a sigh: “Especially Fede”.

And, you know, Russian Fedin shower did not take Paris. He was a football Yesenin, found himself out of his environment. Alexander Bubnov, Sergei Rodionov, who I saw little accustomed, accustomed. And Fedor had difficult. Happened, Starostin, not wrong, and it took my little help. Fedino not all it was someone else’s. And a short flirtation with “Red Star” quickly and to our mutual joy ended peaceful parting.

Fedor played in “Spartacus” for several years. Was honorably sent on vacation. Received from the office and work of the club.

But it seemed to me that in the shower Cherenkov was something overstrained. It was said that he started too early, and his unfailing and selfless, just check-in, without forcing, no, but exposing play Fedina own noble will in a series of matches, sometimes not too binding. He is deeply worried about mistakes. Did not know how to adjust to the other coaches. Silent-silent, but the moment came and gave out the truth. Not a ray of light in the darkness, but something like, well, maybe a light beam …

But the beam faded early.