Vladimir Ryzhkin

Vladimir Ryzhkin started to play football with Metallurg Moskva from 1946-48 and continued his football career after two years service in the Soviet Army with ODO Minsk (1950-51), CSKA Moskva (1951-52) and MVO Moskva (1953). In 1953 Ryzhkin joined Dynamo Moskva and played there until 1961. With Dynamo, Ryzhkin won Soviet titles in 1954-55 and 1957, silvers at the Soviet Championships in 1956 and 1958 and bronze in 1960. In 1953 he also played on the winning Soviet Cup team. Ryzhkin finished his sporting career in 1962, playing with Daugava Rīga. Internationally, Ryzhkin was capped 10 times with the Soviet team between 1954 and 1957, but despite playing forward, he had no international goals. Three of those 10 caps came at the 1956 Olympics Games, where Ryzhkin played in the first round, quarter-final and semi-final matches, but not in the final, which the Soviets won to win their first Olympic football gold medal. After finishing his sporting career, Ryzhkov worked as a diplomatic courier with the Soviet Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 1963 to 1985.