Yury Morozov (footballer, born 1934)

Yury Andreyevich Morozov (Russian: Ю́рий Андре́евич Моро́зов; 13 May 1934 – 15 February 2005[1]) was one of the best football coaches from the Soviet Union.

Yury Morozov
Personal information
Full nameYury Andreyevich Morozov
Date of birth(1934-05-13)13 May 1934
Place of birthLeningrad, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
Date of death15 February 2005(2005-02-15) (aged 70)
Place of deathSt. Petersburg, Russia
Position(s)Midfielder
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
1954Zenit Leningrad
1955–1956FShM Leningrad
1957–1958Zenit Leningrad
1958–1961Admiralteyets
1962–1964Dinamo Leningrad
Managerial career
1974–1976USSR (assistant coach)
1976–1977Spartak Moscow (assistant coach)
1977–1982Zenit Leningrad
1983USSR (assistant coach)
1983–1984Dynamo Kyiv
1984–1987CSKA Moscow
1986–1990USSR (assistant coach)
1988USSR
1990Iraq
1991Zenit Leningrad
1992–1993Sharjah FC
1994–1995Kuwait (assistant coach)
1995–1997Zenit St. Petersburg (sports director)
2000–2002Zenit St. Petersburg
2002–2003FC Petrotrest St. Peterburg
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

He made his name as a midfielder in the 1950s and 1960s with his hometown clubs FC Zenit, Admiralteyets and FC Dinamo Leningrad, earning himself a call-up to the USSR 'B' team.

Plaque in Morozov memory's in Saint Petersburg

He retired from playing at the age of 31 and worked at FC Zenit's youth academy and became a dean of football science at the Lesgaft Academy of Physical Education. He then joined Valery Lobanovsky's USSR coaching staff, assisting the famous coach at the 1976 Olympics, where they won bronze, and in their run to the 1988 UEFA European Championship final. He also worked with Lobanovsky at clubs in the Middle East at the helm of the Kuwaiti national side.

In 1977, having previously been part of the coachings staff at Spartak Moscow, he took on his first head coach's job with former club Zenit leading them to third place in the Soviet Supreme League in 1980, their highest-ever finish at the time. He had three spells as head coach at FC Zenit over a 15-year period and in 1984 the team he built became Soviet champions for the only time. He left the club for the final time in 2002 due to ill health but returned to coaching at FC Petrotrest St. Peterburg.

References