People died player Fyodor Cherenkov – Novaya Gazeta

He did not have to ask questions, all the answers were in the field. I am in the late 80′s as a tried and – no, not disappointed, just once again convinced that genius needs no explanation. And Fedor was a genius classic, absolute solid. Well, only football, but who’s to say that this is not enough?

The earthly life of Fyodor Cherenkov completed in 55 years, football Cherenkov era ended 20 years ago in August farewell match and the desperate cry that he was not given the value of any awards or ceremonies, remember: “Fyodor, do not go!” It was a cry from the heart, the common soul, Spartacus, was then.

statistics, achievements, career – all, of course, important. Over 500 appearances for the “Spartacus”, four championship gold, more than three dozen games for the national team, a hundred-something goals, two “honorary” Order of the two title of the best players of the country and the unofficial title of “national football” – but Fedor and his fate is not in the list vpisheshsya. One may say that on the football field he was a poet, an artist, a creator, and it will also be correct, but that the word? Some videos were, but to feel a moment of happiness, you should have seen Fedor then, and nothing else. Not only his goals, “Aston Villa” in London, Brazilians in the “Maracana”, “Atalanta” in Moscow, not only great moments, sometimes it was enough just to see and enjoy his unjustly dissolved in the game, some unearthly natural confidence and defenseless.

In his game lived light, it could catch the first appearance on the field in the late 70s. Called great football at the end of the school Spartakovskaya unforgettable Nikolai Starostin, greetings and love harsh Constantine Beskow, but Fyodor was impossible not to love. It can not be broken, it was only possible to take – with all its naivety absolute obsession with football and their own ideas about it. Luckily, the Cherenkov appeared in “Spartacus” of the new revival of happiness for “Spartacus” that it turned out to Fedor.

It was a world-class football yard, and his soul was Fedor. Yard in spirit, in fact, by selflessly and immersion – he did not deny, but to push the boundaries, broke the inevitable tactical schemes, he was incredibly vulnerable, but even so magically perfect.

«Spartak» 80 won fewer titles than deserved, often winning team are practical, functional and well-trained, primarily – in his own wonderful Kiev and team Lobanovskyy, but who throw a stone at the “Spartacus”? Of course, Fyodor Cherenkov not fit into the scheme of a great coach, but he did no one’s scheme did not fit – while being totally a team player.

What Cherenkov not take any of the three world championships (1982 , 1986, 1990), as well as on the “silver” Euro-1988, for me it was and will remain one of the most monstrous injustices. Not to the player – in relation to soccer. Understand the reasons, heard about the disease, but still – the soul does not accept, refuses to accept. Cuttings of a word showed no resentment, he rarely took offense, he “just lived,” as one said. In some ways – just blessed, in the highest sense of the term.

Of course, neither to leave Russia could not (although such an attempt in 1990 was, but the French “Red Star” had the four months) nor truly come to terms with the role of a coach after completing his playing career – by and large, Fyodor Cherenkov left everything out there on the football field, his main and only stage at which it was lived.