Valery Gazzayev is a famous domestic football player and coach. He played as a striker. He is currently a deputy of the State Duma. He played in the national team. He has the title of master of sports of international class and honored coach of Russia. He has a record by winning the most medals and cups as a coach in the Russian championship. He became the first domestic coach to whom the European Cup submitted. In 2005, together with CSKA became the winner of the UEFA Cup.
Sports biography
Valery Gazzayev was born in 1954 in Ordzhonikidze. A pupil of the football school of the local “Spartak”. He considers the children's coach Musa Tsalikov to be his first mentor.
He made his debut in the professional team with Spartak from Ordzhonikidze in 1970. For three seasons, Valery Gazzaev held 53 matches, in which he scored 9 goals. Then for one year he went to Rostov SKA, but he could not prove himself there, scoring one goal in 12 meetings.
In 1975, he returned to his native Ordzhonikidze, having played a brilliant season. With 14 goals in 33 matches, he became one of the team's top scorers. Big clubs drew attention to him. So Valery Gazzayev in his youth ended up in the metropolitan Lokomotiv. The team at that time played in the Major League Championship of the USSR.
In the debut season, as part of the “railroad” Gazzaev with his team was able to take eighth place. The best result was achieved in 1977, when the team became the sixth, and the next year almost lost its place in the elite division of the Soviet championship. “Locomotive” failed the season, taking the penultimate place. The team went just one point behind Dnipro, which flew into the First League.
After this season, footballer Valery Gazzaev moved to Dynamo Moscow. In total, the “railroad” he spent 72 games, in which he scored 14 goals.
"Blue and white"
Gazzaev achieved the greatest success in his sports career in this club. The team fought for the highest places, in the first season of the hero of our article in the camp of the “blue and white” Dynamo became fifth, having won a ticket to the UEFA Cup.
In European competition, Gazzaev made his debut in the confrontation with the Belgian Lokeren, which he failed to overcome. After a 1-1 draw in Belgium, Muscovites lost 0-1 on their field.
The next season in the championship was a failure. Having lost as many as four points due to exceeding the limit of draws, Dynamo finished in 14th place just two points from the relegation zone. In 1981, the team changed, almost until the end of the season, fought for medals, but in the end took fourth place, again getting a ticket to European competition. But in the UEFA Cup, the “blue and white” again flew out in the first round, losing to the Polish “Slask” (2: 2, 0: 1).
1982 Dynamo again can not bring victory into their assets - only 11th place in the national championship. In 24 matches, the team suffered 16 defeats, only Alma-Ata “Kairat”, which went to the First League, had more.
In 1983, the "blue and white" again forced to fight for survival. If it were not for Chisinau “Nistru” and “Torpedo” from Kutaisi, who were head and shoulders the weakest in the Premier League, Dynamo could not keep a residence permit in the elite of domestic football.
But Muscovites got a ticket to the Cup Winners Cup. This time the first round was successfully overcome by knocking out the Yugoslav “Hajduk” (1: 0 and 5: 2). In the second round, the rivals got the Hamrun Spartans team from Malta. Soviet athletes were stronger than this team - 5: 0, 1: 0,
In the quarter finals, Dynamo played against the Greek team “Larisa”. The first away match ended in a goalless draw, and in Moscow, the team of Valery Gazzayev, whose biography is given in this article, managed to win 1-0.
The tale for the team ended in the semifinals. Already in the first match against the Austrian “Rapid” Dynamo lost 1: 3. In the second leg in Moscow there were chances to recoup, but in the end the match ended in a draw 1: 1.
The 1984 season in the championship of the country, “Dynamo” again could not bring itself into an asset. Literally before the last round, a fight was fought with Tashkent's “Pakhtakor” for maintaining a residence permit in the elite, as a result, Muscovites had only one point more. In 1985, the Major League expanded to 18 teams. “Dynamo” was again forced to fight for survival, only by miracle avoiding butt matches for the right to play in the elite division. In total, the hero of our article spent 197 matches for the capital club, in which he scored 70 goals.
Valery Gazzayev spent the next season in Dynamo Tbilisi, with whom he took 5th place in the Premier League, winning a ticket to the UEFA Cup. The striker never managed to gain a foothold in the main team, played 14 games and scored 5 goals.
In the national team
At the time of the transition from Lokomotiv to Dynamo to Gazzaev, mentors of the national team drew attention. In 1978, he was invited to the team by Nikita Simonyan. Gazzaev made his debut on July 27 in a friendly match against the Norwegian club Moss. Having replaced in the break instead of Chesnokov, the hero of our article already scored a goal by 59 minutes, having scored on the scoreboard 0: 5. As a result, that game ended with 2: 7 in favor of the Soviet players.
In November, in a match against Japan, Gazzaev first appeared on the field in the starting lineup. At the end of the first half, he scored twice, increasing the advantage of Soviet football players to 4: 0. At 75 minutes, he gave way to Oleg Blokhin on the field, and the game ended up with 4: 1 on the scoreboard.
Three days later, in a second match with the Japanese, Gazzaev opened the scoring in 7 minutes. USSR team won 3-0.
The next time he excelled in the national team he was lucky in February 1979 in a friendly match against the second national team of Italy. Gazzaev during the break replaced Shengelia, scored a goal in the 75th minute, setting the final score 3: 1 in favor of the USSR team.
In 1980, the team was replaced by a coach. Beskov took the place of Simonyan. He challenged Gazzayev to a friendly match against Denmark, in which the hero of our article scored a goal in the 76th minute, as a result of a 2-0 victory.
Participation in the Olympics
In 1980, Gazzaev went as part of a national team to the Olympic tournament. It was his debut in official matches for the national team.
The hero of our article entered the field in the starting lineup in the match against Venezuela. Effective actions, he was not marked, but the team won 4-0. He spent the whole match with Zambia (3: 1), and in the game against Cuba (8: 0) he was replaced during the break.
By the quarter-finals against Kuwait, Gazzaev had already lost his place at the base. Only in the 80th minute I entered the field instead of Gavrilov. The Soviet team won 2-1. But the semifinal match with the GDR team was fully played, but again could not score. The only goal in that game was recorded at his own expense by the German Netz.
The Soviet team went to play the match for third place with the Yugoslavs. Gazzaev, who appeared in the starting lineup, after the first half, was replaced by Khoren Hovhannisyan. Just Oganesyan opened the score at 67 minutes, and then Andreev doubled the lead. So Gazzaev won the bronze medals of the Olympics.
Coaching career
After completing his sports career, Valery Gazzaev, whose photo is presented above, in 1981, took up education. He graduated in absentia from the Law Institute, and in 1989, the Higher School of Trainers.
At first, he worked with youth at Dynamo Moscow. In 1989, he made his debut as a head coach in the Vladikavkaz “Spartak”. The very next year, he won the right to play with him in the Premier League.
True, already in 1991 he returned to Dynamo, with whom he won the bronze of the Russian championship. “Blue and white” get a ticket to the UEFA Cup. The debut in Europe is a failure for Valery Georgievich Gazzayev. In the first match, his team is defeated by the German “Eintracht” in his field with a score of 0: 6. He immediately writes a letter of resignation.
Led by Alanya
It took Gazzayev some time to recover psychologically. After that, he accepted the invitation to become the coach of the Vladikavkaz “Alania”.
In 1995, his club managed a terrific season in 30 games, 22 wins and gold medals of the Russian championship. The team gets the right to play in the Champions League. Then Valery Georgievich Gazzayev again awaits a serious blow.
In the qualifying round, “Alania” away loses to the Scottish “Rangers” 1: 3. Fans hope that the team will recoup at home, but in Vladikavkaz Gazzaev’s wards are simply crushed, losing 2: 7.
True, this time he does not resign. In 1996, lead “Alania” to the silver medals of the championship. On this, his fame ends in the late 90s, the club from Vladikavkaz turns into the middle peaks of the standings.
Return to Dynamo
In 1999, Gazzayev came to Moscow Dynamo, now as a head coach.
However, he does not achieve high results, having managed to take only 5th place.
In 2001, Valery Gazzaev began work at CSKA. In the debut season, the new team will finish in 7th place, then silver, and in 2003 becomes the country's champion. “CSKA spend an outstanding season, 3 points ahead of St. Petersburg“ Zenith ”.
In the Russian team
In 2002, Gazzaev, as one of the best specialists in the country, was appointed head coach of the Russian national team, replacing Oleg Romantsev after failing at the World Cup in Japan and South Korea.
Gazzaev's debut game is a friendly match against Sweden. It ends in a draw 1: 1. The team successfully begins the qualifying tournament for the European Championship, defeating the Irish at home 4: 2. It was coach Valery Gazzayev who led the team in a memorable match against Georgia, which was interrupted due to a lighting failure. The team finishes the calendar year with a confident victory over Albania 4: 1.
Problems begin in 2003. In March and April, the team suffers in a row two sensational defeats in the qualifying tournament. First loses away Albania (1: 3), and then Georgia (0: 1). In the away game against Switzerland, at first everything was not in our favor, but the Russians manage to equalize, losing 0: 2.
The last straw is the defeat at home in a friendly match from Israel 1: 2. After this, Gazzayev resigns.
CSKA
In 2004, coach Valery Gazzayev returned to the post of mentor of CSKA. 2005 turns out to be one of the most successful heroes of our article in his career. Gazzaev is the first Russian to win European competition.
Taking third place in the group stage of the Champions League, CSKA is in the 1/16 finals of the Europa League. First, the Russian club knocks out the Portuguese “Benfica” (2: 0, 1: 1), then the Serbian “Partizan” (1: 1, 2: 0), the French “Auxerre” (4: 0, 0: 2).
In the semifinals, “CSKA” beat the Italian “Parma” (0: 0, 3: 0) from the draw. In the final match against the Portuguese “Sporting”, “CSKA” lose after the first half 0: 1. But in the second half of the meeting, goals are scored by Alexei Berezutsky, Zhirkov and Wagner Love. CSKA wins the UEFA Cup. Following the results of the Russian championship, “CSKA” win gold medals, ahead of Moscow “Spartak” by 6 points.
Resignation
From mid-2007, rumors began about the imminent resignation of Gazzaev. Finally, in the summer of 2008, it becomes known that the coach is still resigning. The main reason he called psychological fatigue.
Shortly afterwards, he was promised the appointment as head coach of the South African national team, but instead he goes to Dynamo Kyiv. Relying on young pupils, he soon turns them into leaders of the national team. He leaves the team in 2010.
President and son
In 2011, the hero of our article becomes the president of Alania, and the son of Valery Gazzayev receives the position of head coach. The team wins the First Division, having achieved a return to the elite division of the Russian championship.
In November 2012, he replaced his son at the head of the club, becoming the mentors of the Vladikavkaz club himself. He accepts a team that is on the verge of relegation from the Premier League. Valery Georgievich is unable to save the situation. With a total of 19 points per season, “Alania” from last place again flies to the First Division.
In 2013, Gazzayev resigned as a mentor. At this point, his coaching career is ending.
Social activity
At the end of 2012, Gazzaev received after the general director of the "OFL Organizing Committee", while remaining president of the Vladikavkaz "Alania". The objectives of this organization include the creation of a joint championship of Russia and Ukraine, the hero of our article constantly acts as an active initiator of this idea. This is becoming one of the largest football projects with a budget of one billion dollars a year.
Initially, all the Premier League clubs support him, Gazprom becomes the main sponsor.
In 2014, Alania, led by Gazzaev, ceases to exist.
In 2016, he won the Just Russia party in the State Duma elections.
Personal life
The family of Valery Gazzayev is large. He has three children - a daughter and two sons.
After “Alania”, his son worked in Kazakhstan's “Aktobe”, Georgian “Rustavi”. Now heads the Krasnodar "Harvest", speaking in the PFL.