Nikita Simonyan is a Soviet football player (striker) and coach. Champion of the 1956 Summer Olympic Games. Honored Master of Sports of the USSR. Honored Coach of the Russian SFSR. Honored Coach of the Soviet Union.
He became fascinated with football from an early age. He and his friends organized matches between streets and neighborhoods. He met Shota Lominadze, a player for the local Dynamo team, who became his first coach. Sometimes he'd travel 12 kilometers by commuter train to training and matches, played for several hours until exhaustion, and then walk home.
In 1944, Simonyan began playing for the youth team of Dynamo Sukhumi. A year later, the team played against Moscow's Krylya Sovetov and won twice, with Nikita Simonyan scoring all the goals. These matches paved the way for him to enter professional football: Krylya Sovetov's coaches invited him to join the team. In 1946, he graduated from high school and moved to Moscow, where he became a player for the Krylya Sovetov team. In 1948, the team finished last in the championship, and it was decided to disband it. Simonyan was invited toF.C. Spartak Moscow. He soon became one of the team's leaders and its leading scorer. In his very first season, he became the USSR Championship's top scorer, scoring 26 goals. The following season, Simonyan managed to score 34 goals, which remained a record for many years. In 1953, Nikita became the championship's top scorer for the third time in his career, scoring 14 goals.
In 1954, Simonyan debuted for theSoviet Union National Football Team, scoring twice against Sweden in his very first match-a 7-0 victory. Nikita was part of the national team that went to the 1956 Olympics, where Spartak players formed the core of the squad. Simonyan only appeared on the field in the final match against Yugoslavia, but nevertheless earned a gold medal. In 1958, the USSR national team debuted at the World Cup, captained by Nikita Simonyan, who scored the Soviet national team's first goal, a goal against England. After the tournament, the striker retired from the national team, having played a total of 20 matches and scored 10 goals.
He became fascinated with football from an early age. He and his friends organized matches between streets and neighborhoods. He met Shota Lominadze, a player for the local Dynamo team, who became his first coach. Sometimes he'd travel 12 kilometers by commuter train to training and matches, played for several hours until exhaustion, and then walk home.
In 1944, Simonyan began playing for the youth team of Dynamo Sukhumi. A year later, the team played against Moscow's Krylya Sovetov and won twice, with Nikita Simonyan scoring all the goals. These matches paved the way for him to enter professional football: Krylya Sovetov's coaches invited him to join the team. In 1946, he graduated from high school and moved to Moscow, where he became a player for the Krylya Sovetov team. In 1948, the team finished last in the championship, and it was decided to disband it. Simonyan was invited toF.C. Spartak Moscow. He soon became one of the team's leaders and its leading scorer. In his very first season, he became the USSR Championship's top scorer, scoring 26 goals. The following season, Simonyan managed to score 34 goals, which remained a record for many years. In 1953, Nikita became the championship's top scorer for the third time in his career, scoring 14 goals.
In 1954, Simonyan debuted for theSoviet Union National Football Team, scoring twice against Sweden in his very first match-a 7-0 victory. Nikita was part of the national team that went to the 1956 Olympics, where Spartak players formed the core of the squad. Simonyan only appeared on the field in the final match against Yugoslavia, but nevertheless earned a gold medal. In 1958, the USSR national team debuted at the World Cup, captained by Nikita Simonyan, who scored the Soviet national team's first goal, a goal against England. After the tournament, the striker retired from the national team, having played a total of 20 matches and scored 10 goals.
BornOctober 12, 1926
DiedNovember 23, 2025(99)
Self
- Height
- 1.72 m
- Born
- Died
- Spouse
- Lyudmila Novikova? - October 21, 2020 (her death, 1 child)
- Children
- Viktoriya Simonyan
- ParentsVarsenik Simonyan
- Relatives
- Nina Simonyan(Sibling)
- Publicity listings
- TriviaUnder his leadership, FC Ararat achieved the highest achievement in Soviet history, winning the 'golden double' in 1973, becoming the USSR champion for the first and only time, and beatingF.C. Dynamo Kyiv 2-1 in the Cup final.
- QuotesMy father was seriously wounded. He worked as a cashier on the railroad. Nearby was a park with a Stalin monument. During the air raid, everyone rushed there and hid among the trees and bushes. The bomb exploded about twenty meters from the monument, and my father received two shrapnel fragments in the back and a severe heel wound.
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