Lev Yashin

Lev Yashin, or the "Black Spider", is a Russian-Soviet soccer player who is considered as the best goalkeeper the history has ever seen. Yashin got his nickname because of his all-black outfit and it seemed like he had eight arms to block all the shots.

Yashin represented for only Dinamo Moscow for 22 seasons winning five league championships and three cup championships. He made a significant contribution to the team, setting a modern standard for goalkeeping. Along with his great athleticism and spectacular reflexes, he was an exceptionally confident player who could completely control the penalty area.

The Black Spider was Soviet Union's goalkeeper from 1954 - 1967. He played in 78 games and played in three World Cups in 1958, 1962, and finally 1966, where Yashin made a great contribution to the team to reach the semi-finals. Also in 1956, Soviet Union won the Olympics at Melbourne and the European Championships in 1960.

The most impressive work done by Yashin is winning the Ballon d'Or award as goalkeeper for the first time, and he still remains as it is. There is also a rumor that he saved more than 150 penalty kicks in his career. Unfortunately, due to complications caused by an amputation of one of his legs after injuring it, Yashin died in 1990 at the age of 60.

R.I.P Black Spider
The Greatest Goalkeeper to Grace the Game...