The legendary football player of the USSR was scared by a wild African habit. He was afraid for his life

Everything could end deplorable. Sergea Olshansky is known primarily as the defender of the Moscow Spartak and the USSR national team. But in his career there was also coaching experience. Having tied with a game of football, Olshansky graduated from the Higher School of trainers and went to CSKA-transferred his experience to the young. Working in the army club was worthy-understudies led by the ex-specialist became the second in their championship. But the main team flew out, and in the first league it was not allowed to have “deuces”. Olshansky could go up and save CSKA out of a quagmire, but suddenly his fate made a sharp turn. “At the end of the season, we agreed that I would go to the headquarters to Yuri Morozov.” I return from vacation, and in my place Valentin Bubukin. It turned out that Bubukin, his old friend, broke Tarasov. Then Yuri Nyrkov, the defender of the Lieutenant team, was responsible for the General Staff for sending specialists to friendly countries. There were no places here, they offered an army team in Guinea-Bisau, ”said the Olshansky“ athlete ”.cska.ru / shutterstock.comtrener immediately warned: it will be hard. Still, almost the most backward country in all of Africa. Moreover, there was a negative experience in cooperation between the Guinners and Soviet specialists – the famous Alexei Mamykin fled after three months. But Olshansky decided: if necessary, where to go? So he went to distant Africa, signing the contract for three years.

“He prayed to God, so that at least not to the ocean to crash”

In Guinea, the Soviet specialist lived not at the military base, but in the cottage near the stadium. His wife Zinaida came to her husband only five months later – during this time he managed to get comfortable in an exotic country. And he realized that he fell, to put it mildly, in difficult conditions. Olshansky had to learn the local language, otherwise he would be asked from the team. At first, he was lucky-one of the players was in the USSR and spoke tolerably in Russian. Through it, all the army team received an installation for matches. And then Olshansky himself learned to speak in the Creolian dialect. “In training, we talked with players without any problems,” the specialist said.CSKA.ru has little entertainment. Every Sunday, Olshansky went to the sea base to a friend, the Olympic Basketball Champion Ivan Pivshko, who coached the local team. There they had fun as they could – they held comic tournaments and performed in front of the sailors for a fish block. Sometimes, however, it was possible to get to the Guinean carnivals – they are as bright as in Brazil. But Olshansky was not remembered at all, but fear. His team got to the long trips by trucks, and if the game took place on any island, the Mi-8 helicopter was included in the business. Once, the Soviet coach was returning home … with drunken pilots. – it turns out when the fruit is ripening in Guinea, like our plum or peach, he is squeezed out and after a day in the sun he turns into a mash. These days, the whole country goes to the subshof. When they flew home, I prayed to God, so that at least not to the ocean crashed. Something else can stay from us on land. And in the ocean they will immediately devour. But they landed normally – the pilots, apparently, were used to flying in this state, ”Olshansky recalled.

He went captain – returned to the major

The level of Guinean army was, frankly, very weak. This is clearly indicated by the following episode. “Once, Red Presnya came to us, who was trained by Romantsev and Yartsev. Worried before the game. I say: “Don’t be afraid, you will beat us.” So it happened – Presnya won 2: 1, ”said the coach. Olshansky could not get used to the rice and fish, which were very popular in Guinea. He cooked food for himself, since fruit grew in the yard. Also, Sergei guarded ships, which brought food twice a year. – Local boys looked at my Zina with respect. In Africa, the cult of chubby women. Type of a symbol of wealth, prosperity, ”said Olshansky“ Sport-Express ”. The Soviet coach did not achieve any sports results in Africa. But he had another goal – an increase in rank. Olshansky went to Guinea, he went to the captain, and returned to the USSR. Already in Moscow, he used his experience working in the CSKA sports game department. History about Sergey Olshansky on Sport24