Rinat Dassaev, when Sevilla signed to the best goalkeeper in the world

History Rinat Dassaev It is noteworthy. Soviet goalkeeper became the best goalkeeper in the world and his arrival in the Spanish League to play for Sevilla FC was a particularly considering the historical context in which event occurred.

The Soviet Union He had a different way of understanding the sport and soccer. While it looked like a great political showcase and every sporting event as a perfect opportunity to convey strong patriotic convictions, the truth is that it was not a unifying focus of economic investments. Footballers distanced markedly from colleagues across the Iron Curtain, They lived a life outside the luxuries, They were used to long commutes by train and a rudimentary sports equipment that had to be washed by hand.

In the years 70 Soviet soccer lived a sporting crisis only made up by individual achievements Dynamo Kiev. The USSR it was out of two world (one political convictions) and three European Championships. Until the team revived under Valery Lobanovsky commanders to emerge in 1988 as runners-up in Europe. At the same as the glorious years 50 it settled in Yashin, this team was in goal his main stronghold, Rinat Dassaev.

His major championship confirmed his impressive seasons at Spartak Moscow and catapulted him to be named as best goalkeeper in the world. Dassaev It became the benchmark for a new era for the Soviet Union was beginning to show leaks.

DASSAEV, SIGNING IMPOSSIBLE A

While Gorbachev Mijhail He is trying to guide the destiny of the giant plunged this in a worsening crisis, the tartar cat He became a raffle Western clubs still blinded by the legend Black spider. It would be surprisingly Sevilla F.C. -then a Spanish club half board- who would win the bid after failing in efforts to cease virtually implausible operation. It should be borne in mind that the Soviet players were not free, They were owned by the state. But nevertheless, that summer opened a crack for which he was able to sneak the hispalense together to make peretoiska take shape with one of the main banners of the Soviet sport. In November 1988, Dassaev became the first athlete to cross the Iron Curtain to play in the West.

"The Russian folk songs alternated with sevillanas in the PA system, by clustering the stands would petting a willing sevillismo, as happy event, the goalkeeper dreamed her shirt enfundará […] The excited sevillismo wanted to be with his new idol as he had been at the airport, as he made the hall in San Pablo, as did goalie and dress down to the Sanchez Pizjuan afternoon before, as dreams and seeing him in official matches to feel in himself the legitimate pride to have succeeded. "

Debut match. ABC. 22/11/88

A collapsed airport and city were welcoming delivered a janitor coming down from the plane gained ownership. All they imagined a superhero, a man of ice that keep the Sevilla goal and to make the Seville of a candidate for the title. But nevertheless, the first ball touched the Sanchez Pizjuan It would be between the goal nets. Unfortunately it would become the prelude to his career as sevillista.

BE A STAR TO END STARRY

The season progressed and gray performances were accumulating. Then came the finishing touch on a Sevilla-Logroñés, when he himself, incomprehensibly, He introduced the ball into his own goal. Seville gracejo then had baptized Russian as "Rafaé" and received the usual yellow jersey derisively in that land torera. Nervión, unwillingly, He had sheathed suit antihero his star.

His calamitous whole image grew when his car fell into the pit of the Sevilla University. The result of the accident was a broken hand and a ruined career. Since then two legends blackened its image, a second fall to the pit and drinking problems. Two aspects goalkeeper but always denied that ended up turning sober image of the Communist best footballer, in a figure chirigotesca football late eighties.