Maxim SamartsevThe victim was Viktor Tyumenev. Nikolai Drozdetsky had a huge hockey talent, which did not give in to the slightest doubt. Already at the age of 17, the future Olympic champion got into the base of the Leningrad SKA, which in those years was headed by Nikolai Puchkov. Very quickly, Drozdetsky became the leader of the team of masters and earned the love of the fans. But how can a different fate await a hockey player who not only brings results to his club, but also allows everyone around him to enjoy his game? Nikolay was a technical sniper who knew how to play for the public. Of course, CSKA could not pass by such a talent. Then the army team from Leningrad were far from the status of a top club. While their teammates from Moscow were rightly considered the strongest team in the history of Soviet hockey and collected championships in packs. In the early years of Drozdetsky’s professional career, his character flaws were skillfully hidden behind skill and high performance. Therefore, few people paid attention to petty tricks and minor violations of the regime by the rising star of Soviet hockey. Despite the fact that Nikolai had big problems with discipline since childhood and could not boast of decency off the ice. “Kolya was a bright player and no less bright person. Tall, slender, in a long coat and hat – the spitting image of Alain Delon. A favorite of women, they literally hung around his neck, ”recalled former CSKA defender Irek Gimaev.RIA Novosti At the adult level, Drozdetsky was lucky enough to win a lot of trophies as part of the national team. Twice he became the world champion, and in 1984 the striker won the first and only Olympic gold. Moreover, the failure of the Soviet team at the Olympics in Lake Placid played into the hands of Nikolai. A small village in the USA is still associated with the great victory of American students over Soviet stars. After a sensitive and offensive defeat, the leadership of the national team decided to completely renew the squad, breathing new life into it. Drozdetsky became one of the main leaders of the renewed USSR national team. In Sarajevo, the CSKA striker scored 10 goals in 7 matches and became the best sniper of the tournament. Nikolai’s dominance at that Olympics reached such a level that in the USSR he was even recognized as the hockey player of the year. Such a rise of the hero of this text was natural. For the sake of the Olympics, he stubbornly prepared for the season, followed his physical form and observed iron discipline. Previously, Drozdetsky had not observed such a responsible attitude to his beloved work. Therefore, he did not last long in this mode and gradually began to give up. Nevertheless, the awards he won at the highest international level remained with him even after the end of his career. The same cannot be said about lost trophies in his youth. The talented striker showed great promise even in his youth, so the coaches of the USSR youth team could not deprive the future Olympic champion of attention. The head coach of the Soviet youth team, Vitaly Davydov, summoned Drozdetsky to the team’s location to prepare for the MFM. Together with Nikolai, Vyacheslav Fetisov, Sergey Makarov, Alexander Kozhevnikov and other stars of their generation were on that team. As you might guess, with such a line-up, the USSR youth team was one of the main contenders for gold medals. And looking ahead, it is worth saying that it was the team of Vitaly Davydov who won the tournament. But without the help of our hero.RIA Novosti Shortly before the start of the MFM, Nikolai was expelled from the team. It was all the fault of a lost card game and the subsequent theft of money from a teammate. “Young Tyumenev was a terrible gambler. Somehow I won a decent amount from Drozdetsky. He paid, and then pulled out Vitka’s wallet. It happened in the army palace before a friendly match. There was no one in the locker room. But one fan noticed how Drozdetsky was passing something to someone on the podium. They covered him. Kolya I kicked out. The wallet was returned to Tyumenev. After that, he gave up cards, ”Vitaly Davydov recalled the scandalous episode. How can one not recall the difficult nature of Drozdetsky? At school, he did not differ in diligent behavior and studied mainly for deuces, and subsequently repeatedly found himself in various unpleasant situations. Fortunately, that incident during the preparation for the MFM did not affect the further career of the forward. Can you name all the countries that played at the World Cup? Pass this test for the 2022 World Cup and get a bonus! You can tryLight!