Former Soviet Union goalkeeper Rudakov dies
Thursday, December 22, 2011
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Former FC Dynamo Kyiv goalkeeper Evgeni Rudakov, who reached the 1972 UEFA European Championship final with the Soviet Union, has died at the age of 69.
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Former FC Dynamo Kyiv and Soviet Union goalkeeper Evgeni Rudakov has died at the age of 69.
The Muscovite started his career with FC Torpedo Moskva, but spent most of his playing days with Dynamo, winning six Soviet titles and three USSR Cups as well as the 1975 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup and UEFA Super Cup. He was the Soviet Union's player of the year in 1971, and his nation's top goalkeeper in 1969, 1971 and 1972.
Capped 42 times for the senior team, not including Olympic games, Rudakov was first-choice goalkeeper at the 1972 European finals in Belgium, enhancing his reputation with a splendid penalty save in the 1-0 semi-final victory against Hungary. However, he could not sway the final itself, which West Germany won 3-0. He won Olympic bronze in Munich a few months later.
After retiring, Rudakov coached FC Spartak Ivano-Frankivsk and FC Kremin Kremenchuk before spending almost 35 years working at Dynamo's academy.
