Kolyvanov retires to coach juniors

Former Foggia Calcio and Bologna FC forward Igor Kolyvanov has retired from football and is close to taking charge of Russia's junior level national sides.

Best foreigner
The 34-year-old Moscow-born striker, who scored 15 goals in 59 international appearances, is the third member of the famous USSR UEFA European Under-21 Championship-winning side of 1990 to return to Russia in recent weeks.

Three retirements
Defender Andrei Tchernyshov, formerly with Austrian club SK Sturm Graz, retired as a FC Rubin Kazan player and will now coach Russia's Under-16 side. Igor Shalimov, the former USSR and Russian international who played for Internazionale FC, Bologna and SC Napoli, also announced his retirement during the Russian Premier-Liga winter break.

Key member
All three were members of the USSR Under-21 squad that beat Yugoslavia 7-3 on aggregate to win the European title in 1990, but were later dubbed the "lost generation" as they failed to win any trophies with Russia at senior level.

Still active
The only members of that squad still active in international football, Aleksandr Mostovoi and Valery Karpin, both play for RC Celta de Vigo in Spain. The midfield duo are likely to be key figures in Russia's squad during the FIFA World Cup in Korea/Japan this summer.