Soviet Union national football team explained

Soviet Union
Date:1924–1991
Badge:Soviet Union football federation.png
Badge Size:180px
Nickname:Red Army
Association:Football Federation of the Soviet Union
Most Caps:Oleg Blokhin (112)
Top Scorer:Oleg Blokhin (42)
Home Stadium:Central Lenin Stadium
Fifa Trigramme:URS
Elo Max:1
Elo Max Date:1963–65, 1966, 1983–84, 1985–86, 1987, 1988
Pattern B1:_Soviet_Union
Leftarm1:FF0000
Body1:FF0000
Rightarm1:FF0000
Shorts1:FFFFFF
Socks1:FF0000
Pattern B2:_Soviet_Union_away
Leftarm2:FFFFFF
Body2:FFFFFF
Rightarm2:FFFFFF
Shorts2:FFFFFF
Socks2:FFFFFF
First Game: 3–0
(Moscow, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union; 16 November 1924)
Last Game: 0–3
(Larnaca, Cyprus; 13 November 1991)
Largest Win: 11–1
(Moscow, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union; 16 September 1955)
0–10
(Helsinki, Finland; 15 August 1957)
Largest Loss: 5–0
(London, England; 22 October 1958)
World Cup Apps:7
World Cup First:1958
World Cup Best:Fourth place, 1966
Regional Name:European Championship
Regional Cup Apps:6
Regional Cup First:1960
Regional Cup Best:Champions, 1960

The Soviet Union national football team (Russian: сбо́рная СССР по футбо́лу|r=sbórnaya SSSR po futbólu) is the national football team who represented the Soviet Union from 1922 to 1992.

After the breakup of the Union the team was transformed into the CIS national football team. FIFA and UEFA considers the CIS national football team (and ultimately, the Russia national football team) as the Soviet successor team allocating its former records to them (except for the Olympic records which are not combined due to the IOC policy); nevertheless, a large percentage of the team's former players came from outside the Russian SFSR, mainly from the Ukrainian SSR, and following the breakup of the Soviet Union, some such as Andrei Kanchelskis from the former Ukrainian SSR, continued to play in the new Russia national football team.[1]

The Soviet Union failed to qualify for the World Cup only twice, in 1974 and 1978, and attended seven finals tournaments in total. Their best finish was fourth in 1966, when they lost to West Germany in the semifinals, 2 - 1. The Soviet Union qualified for five European Championships, winning the inaugural competition in 1960 when they beat Yugoslavia in the final, 2 - 1. They finished second three times (1964, 1972, 1988), and fourth once (1968), when, having drawn with Italy in the semi-final, they were sent to the third-place playoff match by the loss of a coin toss. The Soviet Union national team also participated in a number of Olympic tournaments earning the gold medal in 1956 and 1988. The Soviet team continued to field its national team players in Olympic tournaments despite the prohibition of FIFA in 1958 to field any national team players in Olympics (players in the Olympics were required to be amateurs at the time, the Soviets effectively bent the rules by listing their best players in the military).[2] [3]

History

See main article: Russian Empire national football team.

First games

Because of the circumstances, surrounding October Revolution and later the 1917–1922 Russian Civil War, Soviet Russia was internationally diplomatically isolated, making it unable to participate in the international competitions. In 1922, Soviet Russia, along with its occupation administrations in neighbouring countries, founded the Bolshevik state of the Soviet Union. After the civil war, the Soviet Union managed to establish international communication with politically similar factions in Europe and around the globe. The Soviet Union joined the Red Sport International proclaiming any sports events outside of the RSI to be "part of the bourgeoisie".[4]

The first international match played by a Soviet team (as the Russian SFSR) came in September 1922, when the Finnish Workers' Sports Federation football team toured Russia (Russia formed the Soviet Union at the end of December 1922, Treaty on the Creation of the USSR). The Soviet Russia XI scored a 4–1 victory over the Finns in Petrograd. This was also the first international contact for Soviet sports after the 1917 October Revolution. In May 1923, the Soviet team visited Finland and beat the Finnish squad 5–0.[5] [6] The first match against national team was played in August 1923, nine months after the establishment of the Soviet Union, when a Russian SFSR team beat Sweden 2 - 1 in Stockholm.[7]

The first match as the actual Soviet Union football team took place a year later, a 3 - 0 win over Turkey. This and a return match in Ankara were the only officially recognised international matches played by the Soviet Union prior to the 1952 Summer Olympics, though several unofficial friendlies against Turkey took place in the 1930s. The 1952 Olympics was the first competitive tournament entered by the Soviet Union. In the preliminary round, Bulgaria were defeated 2 - 1, earning a first-round tie against Yugoslavia. Before the match, both Tito and Stalin sent telegrams to their national teams, which showed just how important it was for the two heads of state.[8] Yugoslavia led 5 - 1, but a Soviet comeback in the last 15 minutes resulted in a 5 - 5 draw. The match was replayed, Yugoslavia winning 3 - 1.[9] The defeat to the archrivals hit Soviet football hard, and after just three games played in the season, CSKA Moscow, who had made up most of the USSR squad, was forced to withdraw from the league and later disbanded. Furthermore, Boris Arkadiev, who coached both USSR and CSKA, was stripped of his Merited Master of Sports of the USSR title.[8]

Sweden trials and the triumph

The Soviet Union, coached by Gavriil Khachalin, entered the World Cup for the first time at the 1958 tournament, following a qualification playoff against Poland.[10] Drawn in a group with Brazil, England, and Austria, they collected three points in total, one from England and two from Austria. The Soviet Union and England went to a playoff game, in which Anatoli Ilyin scored in the 67th minute to knock England out. The Soviet Union was then eliminated by the hosts of the tournament, Sweden, in the quarter-finals.[11]

The inaugural European Championships in 1960 marked the pinnacle of Soviet footballing achievement. Easily progressing to the quarter-finals, the team were scheduled to face Spain, but due to the tensions of the Cold War, Spain refused to travel to the Soviet Union, resulting in a walkover. In the semi-final, the Soviet team defeated Czechoslovakia 3 - 0 and reached the final, where they faced Yugoslavia.[12]

In the final, Yugoslavia scored first, but the Soviet Union, led by legendary goalkeeper Lev Yashin, equalized in the 49th minute. After 90 minutes the score was 1 - 1, and Viktor Ponedelnik scored with seven minutes left in extra time to give the Soviets the inaugural European Championship.[13]

The end of Kachalin's dream-team

In the 1962 World Cup, the Soviet team was in Group 1 with Yugoslavia, Colombia, and Uruguay. The match between the Soviet Union and Colombia ended 4–4; Colombia scored a series of goals (68', 72', 86').[14] Star goalkeeper Lev Yashin was in poor form both against Colombia and Chile. His form was considered one of the main reasons why the Soviet Union team did not gain more success in the tournament.[15]

In 1964, the Soviet Union attempted to defend their European Championship title, defeating Italy in the last 16 (2 - 0, 1 - 1) and to reach the quarter-finals. After two matches against Sweden, the Soviet side won on aggregate (1 - 1, 3 - 1).[16] The Soviet Union team went to Spain where the finals were held. In the semi-finals, the Soviet Union defeated Denmark 3 - 0 in Barcelona but their dreams of winning the title again were dashed in the final when Spain, the host, scored a late goal, winning 2–1.[17] [18]

The late 1960s: Semi-finals at World Cup and European Championships

The 1966 FIFA World Cup was the tournament in which the Soviet Union team reached their best result by finishing in fourth place. The Soviet Union was in Group 4 with North Korea, Italy and Chile.[19] [20] [21] In all three matches, the Soviet Union team managed to defeat their rivals. The Soviet team then defeated Hungary in the quarter-finals thanks to the effective performance of their star, Lev Yashin but their success was ended by two defeats on 25 and 28 July, against West Germany in the semi-finals and Portugal in the third-place playoff match, respectively. The 1966 squad was the second-best scoring Soviet team in World Cup history, with 10 goals.[22] [23] [24]

For the Euro 1968, the qualification competition was played in two stages; a group stage (taking place from 1966 until 1968) and the quarter-finals (played in 1968). Again, only four teams could reach the finals which were held in Italy. The semi-final match between the Soviet Union and Italy ended 0 - 0. It was decided to toss a coin to see who reached the final, rather than play a replay.[25] Italy won, and went on to become European champions. On 8 June 1968, the Soviets were defeated by England in the third-place match.[26]

Kachalin's second attempt

The 1970 World Cup started with the match between Mexico and the Soviet Union.[27] The Soviet team became the first team to make a substitution in World Cup history in this match.[28] Other opponents in their group were Belgium and El Salvador. The Soviet team easily qualified to the quarter-final where they lost against Uruguay in extra time. This was the last time the Soviet Union reached the quarter-finals.[29]

The final tournament of the 1972 European Championships took place between 14 and 18 June 1972. Again, only four teams were in the finals. The Soviets defeated Hungary 1 - 0, with a second-half goal.[30] The final was between West Germany and the Soviet Union. The match ended with a victory of the German side thanks to the effective football of Gerd Müller. This tournament was one of the two tournaments in which the Soviet Union finished as runner-up.[31]

Failures to qualify in the 1970s

After being runners up at Euro 1972, the rest of the 1970s were bleak for the Soviets, who were disqualified from the 1974 World Cup as a result of a refusal to play Chile in the aftermath of the 1973 Chilean coup d'état and failed to qualify for the 1978 World Cup or the 1976 and 1980 European Championships.[32]

Beskov recovers the team

The 1982 World Cup was the Soviet Union's first major tournament appearance for a decade. The Soviet Union was in Group 6 with Brazil, Scotland, and New Zealand. Goals by Sócrates and Éder Aleixo marked the defeat of the Soviet side against Brazil in the first group match and they were eventually eliminated in the second round by finishing the group in second place when they defeated Belgium only 1 - 0 and drew against Poland with an 0 - 0 results.[33] [34] [35] In 1984, the Soviets again failed to qualify for the European Championships, but succeeded in qualifying for the 1986 World Cup. The Soviet Union was in Group C with Hungary, France, and Canada. The Soviets used Irapuato, Guanajuato as their training ground in the World Cup.[36]

The Soviet team enjoyed a successful group stage by scoring nine goals and finishing the group in first place. Ultimately, however, they lost to Belgium 3–4 after extra time in the round of 16. Despite their poor performance in the cup, this team was the best scoring Soviet team in World Cup history, with 12 goals.[37]

Lobanovsky era and demise of Soviet Union

After failing to qualify for three consecutive European Cups (1976, 1980, 1984), the Soviets managed to qualify for the 1988 competition, the last time the Soviet Union national football team took part in the European Football Championship. The finals were held in West Germany, with eight teams participating. Soviet Union finished Group B as leaders above the Netherlands and defeated Italy 2–0 in the semi-final.[38] In the final against the Netherlands, another team from Group B, the Netherlands avenged their group stage defeat, winning by a score of 2–0 to be crowned European champions.[39]

The final major championship contested by the Soviet team was the 1990 FIFA World Cup, where they were drawn in Group B with Argentina, Romania and Cameroon. The only success for the Soviets came when they defeated group leaders Cameroon 4–0.[40] The Soviets lost their other matches and failed to qualify from the group. The Soviet Union qualified for Euro 1992, but the breakup of the Soviet Union meant that their place was instead taken by the CIS national football team, composed of newly independent Soviet republics. After the tournament, the former Soviet republics competed as separate independent nations, with FIFA allocating the Soviet team's record to Russia.[41]

Kit evolution

The Soviet Union traditionally wore red jerseys with white shorts and red socks.[42]

Home stadium

From the Soviet Union's first fixture (16 November 1924 vs. Turkey) they played their home games at various stadiums.

VenueCityPlayedWonDrawnLostGFGAPoints per game
Central Lenin StadiumMoscow1956–19927850181015150
Central StadiumKiev1969–1990121011276
Lenin Dynamo StadiumTbilisi1967–198710613199
Dynamo StadiumMoscow1954–19719720418
Lokomotiv StadiumSimferopol1979–19894400111
Kirov StadiumLeningrad1967–1984330081
Hrazdan StadiumYerevan19782200122
Central Lokomotiv StadiumMoscow1979–1988220051
Central StadiumVolgograd1977110041
Pakhtakor Central StadiumTashkent1975110021
Vorovsky StadiumMoscow1924110030
Black Sea Shipping StadiumOdessa1974100101
Totals 1924–1992 123 86 22 15 281 80

Statistics include official FIFA-recognised matches only.

Note:

Coaching history

ManagerNationYearsPlayedWonDrawnLostGFGAWin %Qualifying cycleFinal tour
Boris Arkadiev19523111891952(o)
Vasily Sokolov1954211081
Gavriil Kachalin1955–195834226688351956(o), 1958, 19601956(o), 1958
Georgiy Glazkov1959110031
Mikhail Yakushin19592200201960
Gavriil Kachalin1960–1962221624492019621960, 1962
Nikita Simonyan1963100101
Konstantin Beskov1963–1964944114719641964
Nikita Simonyan1964101022
Nikolai Morozov1964–1966311597513319661966
Mikhail Yakushin1967–196828167551311968, 1968(o)1968
Gavriil Kachalin1969–197018972291119701970
Valentin Nikolayev1970–1971138502451972
Nikolay Gulyayev19724211641972
Aleksandr Ponomarev19721584327171972(o), 1972
German Zonin1972310212
Yevgeny Goryansky197310325661974
Konstantin Beskov19743102141976
Valeriy Lobanovsky1975–1976191144331819761976(o)
Valentin Nikolayev1976201102
Nikita Simonyan1977–197927184560221978, 1980
Konstantin Beskov1979–198228178354191980, 19821982
Oleg Bazilevich1979110031
Valeriy Lobanovsky1982–1983106311861984
Eduard Malofeyev1984–198625143837231986
Valeriy Lobanovsky1986–198717962311119881986
Nikita Simonyan1988110040
Morozov and Mosyagin1988412155
1st Coaching Staff1988–1990311669422919901988, 1990
2nd Coaching Staff1990–19922812115392419921992

Notes:

Player records

+Most appearances[43]
width=40pxRankPlayerwidth=50pxCapswidth=50pxGoalsCareer
1Oleg Blokhin112421972–1988
29101979–1990
39001961–1971
48061981–1990
5Volodymyr Bezsonov7941977–1990
67801954–1967
7Sergei Aleinikov7761984–1991
86961965–1973
9Oleg Protasov68281984–1991
10Valeriy Voronin6651960–1968
+Top goalscorers
width=40pxRankPlayerwidth=50pxGoalswidth=50pxCapswidth=50pxRatioCareer
1421121972–1988
2Oleg Protasov29681984–1991
326591956–1965
4Eduard Streltsov25381955–1968
5Viktor Kolotov22551970–1978
6Viktor Ponedelnik20291960–1966
20531959–1968
8Anatoliy Banishevskiy19501965–1972
916311952–1959
1015391966–1972

Competitive record

FIFA World Cup record

See main article: Soviet Union at the FIFA World Cup.

Champions   Runners-up   Third place   Fourth place  

FIFA World Cup recordQualification Record
YearRoundPositionSquads
1930Not a FIFA memberNot a FIFA member
1934
1938
1950did not enterdid not enter
1954
1958Quarter-final7th521256Squad5401183
1962Quarter-final6th421197Squad4400113
1966Fourth place4th6402106Squad6501196
1970Quarter-final5th421162Squad431081
1974did not qualify631254
1978420253
1982Second Group stage7th522174Squad8620202
1986Round of 1610th4211125Squad8422138
1990Group stage17th310244Squad8431114
TotalFourth place7/143115610533453359911034

UEFA European Championship record

Champions   Runners-up   Third Place   Fourth Place  

UEFA European Championship recordQualification Record
YearRoundPositionSquads
1960Champions1st220051Squad220041
1964Runners-up2nd210142Squad422073
1968Fourth place4th201102Squad8602198
1972Runners-up2nd210113Squad8530164
1976did not qualify84131210
1980613278
19846411112
1988Runners-up2nd531174Squad8530143
1992Qualified, but dissolved and replaced by CIS national football team8530132
Total1 title5/8137241712583416810341

Summer Olympics record

Olympic record
YearRoundPositionSquads
1896–1912Preceded with Russian Empire
1920–1948did not enter
1952Round 114th311189Squad
1956Gold medalists1st541092Squad
1960did not qualify
1964
1968
1972Bronze medalists3rd7520176Squad
1976Bronze medalists3rd5401104Squad
Since 1976Succeeded with Olympic team
Total Gold medalists4/202014424421

Honours

This is a list of honours for the senior Soviet Union national football team

CompetitionTotal
FIFA World Cup0000
Olympic Games2035
UEFA European Championship1304
Total3339

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Playing for the enemy: The Ukrainian footballers who sign for Russian clubs. 12 January 2020 . 30 March 2024.
  2. How the Russians break the Olympic rules. Christian Science Monitor . 30 March 2024.
  3. News: Soviet Amateur Athlete: A Real Pro. The New York Times . 21 July 1974 . 30 March 2024 . Washburn . J. N. .
  4. Web site: The Soviet Union and the Olympics. 4 January 2023.
  5. Book: Hentilä, Seppo . 1982 . Suomen työläisurheilun historia I. Työväen Urheiluliitto 1919–1944 . Hämeenlinna . Karisto . 146–148 . 951-23216-0-2.
  6. Book: Hentilä, Seppo . 2014 . Bewegung, Kultur und Alltag im Arbeitersport . Helsinki . The Finnish Society for Labour History . 48 . 978-952-59762-6-7 . de . 10 June 2017 . 3 May 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180503052343/https://helda.helsinki.fi/handle/10138/136470 . live .
  7. Web site: Soviet Union – International Results 1911-1935. RSSSF. 13 January 2007. 30 December 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171230065127/http://www.rsssf.com/tablesu/ussr-intres1135.html. live.
  8. Web site: USSR – Yugoslavia, the Story of Two Different Football Conceptions. russianfootballnews.com. 27 November 2017. 24 April 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170424080019/http://russianfootballnews.com/ussr-yugoslavia-the-story-of-two-different-football-conceptions/. live.
  9. Web site: Yugoslavia National Team List of Results 1950-1959. RSSSF. 13 January 2007. 24 November 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20111124155124/http://www.rsssf.com/tablesj/joeg-intres50.html. live.
  10. Web site: 1958 – Qualifying competition. Planet World Cup. 13 January 2007. 19 January 2007. https://web.archive.org/web/20070119045223/http://www.planetworldcup.com/CUPS/1958/wc58qualification.html. live.
  11. Web site: Sweden 2-0 Soviet Union. 28 March 2024.
  12. Web site: European Championship 1960 (Details). 28 March 2024.
  13. News: How the Soviet Union won Euro 1960: A 'WM' formation, Franco's Spain withdrawal and Lev Yashin. The Athletic . The New York Times . subscription . Oct 22, 2023 . 28 March 2024 . Cox . Michael . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240414042016/https://theathletic.com/4981388/2023/10/23/how-soviet-union-won-euro-1960/ . 2024-04-14 .
  14. News: Golden Goal: Marcos Coll scores from a corner for Colombia v USSR (1962). The Guardian . 12 June 2018 . 29 March 2024 . McVeigh . Niall .
  15. Web site: Soviet Union and the World Cup: Always promising but underachievers. CricketSoccer . Faisal . Caesar . July 15, 2021 . 11 February 2023 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20230211120003/https://www.cricketsoccer.com/2021/07/15/soviet-union-and-the-world-cup-always-promising-but-underachievers/#:~:text=Legendary%20goalkeeper%20Lev%20Yashin%20was,more%20success%20in%20the%20tournament.&text=They%20were%20placed%20in%20Group,North%20Korea%2C%20Italy%20and%20Chile. . 11 February 2023 .
  16. Web site: European Championship 1964. 31 Jan 2007 . Erik . Garin. Karel . Stokkermans. Martín . Tabeira . RSSSF . 30 March 2024.
  17. Web site: European Championship 1964 - Details Final Tournament. Barrie . Courtney . 8 May 2008 . RSSSF . 30 March 2024.
  18. Web site: Marcelino heads Spain to EURO 1964 final win against USSR. UEFA . February 12, 2016 . 2 October 2003 . 30 March 2024.
  19. Web site: Soviet Union 3-0 North Korea (12 Jul, 1966) Final Score . ESPN (IN) . 28 March 2024.
  20. Web site: Soviet Union 1-0 Italy (Jul 16, 1966) Final Score . ESPN . 30 March 2024.
  21. Web site: Soviet Union 2-1 Chile (20 Jul, 1966) Final Score . ESPN (SG) . 30 March 2024.
  22. Web site: Soviet Union 2-1 Hungary (23 Jul, 1966) Final Score . ESPN (UK) . 30 March 2024.
  23. Web site: Germany FR 2-1 Soviet Union (25 Jul, 1966) Final Score . ESPN (IN) . 30 March 2024.
  24. Web site: Portugal 2-1 Soviet Union (28 Jul, 1966) Final Score . ESPN (IN) . 30 March 2024.
  25. Web site: Coin toss takes Italy to EURO 1968 final after USSR stalemate. January 22, 2014 . UEFA . October 2, 2003 . 29 March 2024 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20231108070749/https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuro/history/news/0253-0d7b2f5adb06-fa5820ecb86b-1000--coin-toss-takes-italy-to-euro-1968-final-after-ussr-stal/ . 2023-11-08 .
  26. Web site: England beat Soviet Union to win EURO 1968 third-place play-off. June 1, 2016 . 2 October 2003 . UEFA . 30 March 2024 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240713180251/https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuro/history/news/0254-0d7b2e1adede-c896e22df928-1000--england-beat-soviet-union-to-win-euro-1968-third-place-pla/ . 2024-07-13 .
  27. Web site: Mexico 70: Sunday, 31st May 1970 and the tournament gets underway with the hosts in action. Football Bloody Hell . Chris . Beaumont . 5 August 2023 . 28 March 2024 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20231001163547/https://footballbh.net/2023/08/05/mexico-70-1970-world-cup-mexico-vs-soviet-union/ . 2023-10-01 .
  28. Web site: Football World Cup Firsts. Robert . Wood . September 2010 . Topend Sports . 29 March 2024.
  29. Web site: Uruguay 1-0 Soviet Union (Jun 14, 1970) Final Score . ESPN . 30 March 2024 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240730214755/https://www.espn.com/soccer/match/_/gameId/197790 . 2024-07-30 .
  30. Web site: USSR make it past Hungary to reach EURO 1972 final. UEFA . 3 October 2003 . March 9, 2016 . 30 March 2024 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230529060824/https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuro/history/news/0254-0d7b2eacd5ab-4d9376e1d2e9-1000--ussr-make-it-past-hungary-to-reach-euro-1972-final/ . 2023-05-29 .
  31. Web site: History: West Germany 3-0 USSR UEFA EURO 1972 Final . UEFA . 28 March 2024.
  32. Web site: Soviet Union refuses to play Chile in World Cup Soccer. HISTORY . November 13, 2009 . 28 March 2024.
  33. Web site: Brazil 2-1 Soviet Union (Jun 14, 1982) Final Score . ESPN . 30 March 2024.
  34. Web site: Soviet Union 1-0 Belgium (1 Jul, 1982) Final Score . ESPN (IN) . 30 March 2024.
  35. Web site: How Poland booted the USSR from the World Cup in 1982 and Russia in 2022. Charles . Jay . Daily Kos . November 26, 2022 . 30 March 2024.
  36. News: WORLD CUP; SOVIET UNION, ARGENTINA WIN OPENERS. The New York Times . 3 June 1986 . 28 March 2024.
  37. Web site: Belgium 4-3 Soviet Union. 28 March 2024.
  38. Web site: Stylish USSR overcome youthful Italy in EURO 1988 semi-final. 5 October 2003 . 30 March 2024.
  39. Web site: Van Basten volley crowns Netherlands' EURO 1988 final win against USSR. 5 October 2003 . 30 March 2024.
  40. Web site: Soviet Union 4-0 Cameroon. 30 March 2024.
  41. Web site: History. About FUR. General information. FUR. en.rfs.ru. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20160909203359/http://en.rfs.ru/rfs/information/general/history/. 9 September 2016.
  42. Web site: History of the USSR national football team, pure Soviet football. 28 March 2024.
  43. Web site: Mamrud . Roberto . Soviet Union/CIS – Record International Players . RSSSF . 10 September 2004 . 6 October 2009 . https://web.archive.org/web/20091006232020/http://www.rsssf.com/miscellaneous/ussr-recintlp.html . live .
  44. Web site: Abhishek. Roy. Revisiting some of the memorable moments of the Nehru Cup. TwoCircles.net. IANS. 14 August 2007. 22 March 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220303093040/https://twocircles.net/2007aug14/revisiting_some_memorable_moments_nehru_cup.html. 3 March 2022.