An ordinary working class boy, like all his peers, he played football day and night and dreamed of being a striker. But no matter which team he played for - in the yard, at the factory, or in the army - he was inevitably put in goal. Lanky, with long arms, he could reach the most difficult ball. His desire to play out field gave birth to a new, unique goalkeeping style .
In the beginning there were annoying errors and mistakes - the goal he let in from an end to end kick in the game for Dynamo reserve team and the goal from Spartak in his first match for the first team, after which Yashin was sent to the reserves for a full three years to hone his skills . But he inexorably followed his own path and remained true to his style of play, which later will be called innovative, and eventually made him a world-class star. Everyone will say that Yashin was ahead of his time. He was the master of his own penalty area, always in a black sweater with the letter "D" on his chest. He had many nicknames: "Black Spider", "Black Panther" and even "Black Octopus" -for his flexibility, lightening movement and brilliant vision of the field.
His triumph came in the 50's and 60's, when the USSR team, thanks mainly to his brilliant performance, won the most significant trophies in football. He bacame the idol of millions of Soviet fans who worshipped him... And then there was a mishap in the World Championship in Chile, and all the love for him disappeared somewhere. He alone was blamed for this unfortunate defeat: "How could Yashin let everyone down like this?!" And then his life began to turn into a nightmare: broken windows, grafitti cursing him covering the entrance to his aprtment block, gossiping, contemptuous smiles and looks, and finally, his own fans - those who not so long ago worshiped him - booing him. He had to leave, for him there was no place in the team. And there was no one to protect him - he was left all alone...
Later he returned triumphantly and became the best once again, not only in his country, but in the whole world - the only goalkeeper in the history of football to receive the Ballon d'Or award.
