Vladimir Ivanovich Afanasyev (born February 4, 1950, in Birobidzhan, Jewish Autonomous Region) is a Soviet footballer, a forward and defender who played mainly for Gorky's Volga from 1970 to 1981. He is the all-time record holder among Nizhny Novgorod football scorers for goals scored in USSR championships. After finishing his playing career, he headed the Privolzhye Interregional Football Union and the Nizhny Novgorod Region Football Federation.[2]

Playing career

Afanasyev's father was a serviceman, so the future forward was born in the Far East, but he spent his childhood in Dzerzhinsk. There he was raised in the youth training group of the senior team Khimik, for which he made his adult debut at age 18 in Class B: in the 1967–1968 and 1968–1969 seasons he played 59 matches and scored 14 goals.[1]

In 1970, at age 20, Afanasyev moved to Volga (Gorky), which played in the second group of Class A. In his first season he scored 7 goals, and from 1971 he became the team's main attacking force. For Volga in USSR championships he played 324 matches and scored 98 goals — an absolute record among Nizhny Novgorod scorers in national championships.[2]

Twice, Afanasyev's career could have turned out differently. Before the 1972 season, Voroshilovgrad's Zarya wanted him in their ranks: he spent the entire preseason training with that club, building an attacking partnership with Vladimir Onishchenko. However, the Sports and Technical Committee refused to approve the transfer. That Zarya went on to become USSR champion in 1972. Before the 1973 season, Krylya Sovetov of Kuibyshev also tried to sign Afanasyev, again without success: for attempting to move up to the first league, the regional committee for physical culture and sport disqualified him for two years, although the Gorky football federation managed to get the sentence made suspended.[2]

In 1977–1978 Afanasyev played for Zvezda (Perm): in Class B he played 23 matches and scored 2 goals, then in Class V — 38 matches and 9 goals. In 1979 he returned to Volga and played for it through 1981. In 1982–1983 he was listed with Gorky's Radiy.[1]

Coaching and administrative work

After his playing career ended, Afanasyev became head coach of Radiy (Gorky), and later headed the Radiy sports club as its chairman. He served as vice president of the regional football federation Volga Region. Since 2000 he has headed the Privolzhye Interregional Football Union, and since 2003 the Nizhny Novgorod Region Football Federation.[2]

In 2020, Vladimir Ivanovich Afanasyev celebrated his 70th birthday; the website of FC Nizhny Novgorod dedicated a publication to him in its "Legends of Nizhny Novgorod Football" section.[2]

Links

  • Wikidata (Q111840883 — an entry in the free knowledge base)

Sources

  1. names52.ru — Afanasyev graduated from the Lesgaft Leningrad Institute of Physical Culture in 1980, at a time when he was still playing for "Volga".
  2. audit-it.ru — Afanasyev has headed the Interregional Public Organization "Football Union 'Volga Region'" as its president since December 21, 2002; the organization was registered
  3. checko.ru — The Nizhny Novgorod Region Football Federation (FFNO), whose president is Afanasyev, was registered as a public organization on October 1, 1999 and is locat
  1. footballfakts.ru — Afanasyev Vladimir Ivanovich, born 04.02.1950. All footballers of Russia, the USSR, and the CIS. Information, biographies, teams, matches, goals, interviews
  2. fcnn.ru — Vladimir Afanasyev: the number one goal scorer