Legend of the Week · Soviet Union · Goalkeeper

Lev Yashin

Lev Yashin kept goal for the Soviet Union and for Dynamo Moscow, the only club he ever played for. He dressed all in black and was nicknamed the Black Spider. In 1963 he became the only goalkeeper ever to win the Ballon d'Or.

Club
Dynamo Moscow
Olympic gold
1956 (Melbourne)
European champion
1960

Their move: Safe hands

Every goalkeeper starts with catching cleanly. GK Handling is where to begin.

Coach’s tip: Make a W shape with your thumbs and fingers behind the ball, then pull it in to your chest.

Train it: GK Handling

Basic shot-stopping: set position, W-grip, collapse dive. 15 minutes, 1 to 2 players; balls, goal. Set-up, steps and coaching points.

How we know this is true

Every sentence in the story and every figure above is stated by one of these sources: official bodies, clubs, Britannica or a major outlet, never Wikipedia or a fan site. Career facts only.

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