USSR EURO hero Krutikov mourned

One of the two surviving members of the USSR team that won the UEFA European Championship in 1960, Anatoli Krutikov, has died at the age of 86.

The defender played the entire 120 minutes of the first-ever EURO final against Yugoslavia at the Parc des Princes in Paris on 10 July 1960, helping to inspire the Soviet team to a 2-1 win after extra time. His death was announced by the Football Union of Russia (FUR).

Viktor Ponedelnik, whose 113th-minute header clinched the European title for the USSR, is now the only surviving member of that celebrated team.

Born in 1933 in the Moscow region, Anatoli Krutikov played for CSKA Moscow (1954-58) and Spartak Moscow (1959-69), with whom he won the domestic title once, in 1962, and the USSR Cup on two occasions, in 1963 and 1965.

He made nine appearances for the USSR national team, including the two key games in the opening EURO finals in France that saw the USSR win their only major title. Ahead of the final, Krutikov played in the semi-final win over Czechoslovakia in Marseille.

Following the end of his playing career, Krutikov moved into coaching, notably taking the helm at Spartak Moscow from 1975-76.