 Streltsov, photographed in USSR colours, c. 1955–58 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Eduard Anatolyevich Streltsov | ||
| Date of birth | 21 July 1937 | ||
| Place of birth | Perovo, Moscow, Russian SFSR, USSR | ||
| Date of death | 22 July 1990 (aged 53) | ||
| Place of death | Moscow, Russian SFSR, USSR | ||
| Position(s) |
Forward Attacking midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1950–53 | Fraser | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1953–1958 | Torpedo Moscow | 89 | (48) |
| 1965–1970 | Torpedo Moscow | 133 | (51) |
| Total | 222 | (99) | |
| International career | |||
| 1955–1968 | Soviet Union | 38 | (25) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Eduard Anatolyevich Streltsov (Russian: Эдуа́рд Анато́льевич Стрельцо́в, IPA: [ɨdʊˈart ɐnɐˈtolʲjɪvʲitɕ strʲɪlʲˈtsof] ; 21 July 1937 – 22 July 1990) was a Soviet footballer who played as a forward for Torpedo Moscow and the Soviet national team during the 1950s and 1960s. A powerful and skilful attacking player, he scored the fourth-highest number of goals for the Soviet Union and has been called "the greatest outfield player Russia has ever produced".[1] He is sometimes dubbed "the Russian Pelé".[2]
Born and raised in east Moscow, Streltsov joined Torpedo at the age of 16 in 1953 and made his international debut two years later. He was part of the squad that won the gold medal at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics, and came seventh in the 1957 Ballon d'Or. The following year, his promising career was interrupted by allegations of sexual assault shortly before the 1958 World Cup. Soviet authorities pledged he could still play if he admitted his guilt, after which he confessed, but was instead prosecuted and sentenced to twelve years of forced labour under the Gulag system (abolished in 1960 and replaced by prisons). The conviction was highly controversial, with many pointing to conflicts between Streltsov and government officials.
Streltsov was released after serving approximately half of his sentence, and in 1965 he resumed his career with Torpedo Moscow. In the first season of his comeback, the club won the Soviet championship; in 1968 Torpedo won the Soviet Cup. Streltsov was restored to the Soviet national team in 1966, and in 1967 and 1968 named Soviet Footballer of the Year. By the time of his retirement in 1970 he had pioneered innovations such as the back-heeled pass, which became known in Russia as "Streltsov's pass". He died in Moscow in 1990 from throat cancer, which his first wife alleges was a result of irradiated food served to him during incarceration. Six years later, Torpedo renamed their home ground "Eduard Streltsov Stadium" in his honour. Statues of Streltsov now stand outside the stadium bearing his name and the Luzhniki Olympic Complex in Moscow.