“Well, he’s an idiot!” The history of the enmity of the legendary Soviet hockey players – Yakushev and Mayorov did not communicate for more than 20 years

There were enough high-profile scandals in Soviet hockey. What is the open conflict between Igor Larionov and Viktor Tikhonov, who managed to firmly enter the history of our hockey? And there were countless less vivid conflicts and misunderstandings.

Take, for example, Spartak Moscow partners Boris Mayorov and Alexander Yakushev, who have not spoken to each other for more than 20 years. The situation that occurred in the 1999/00 season served as a crack in the relations of the legendary hockey players – both participants in the events by that time had already finished their playing careers. Yakushev served as Spartak’s head coach, and Mayorov was the head of red and white. In those years, the big club was going through hard times: Spartak flew out of the Super League and played in the Major League championship. But even in the second echelon of Russian hockey, the Yakushev team exchanged victories and defeats and could not boast of stability. Of course, top management could not arrange such a situation.

“The team has no game, no result. I come to training – the same thing every day. Complete lack of ideas. The diagrams on the board with a felt-tip pen are drawn aside by Yakushev’s assistant, Sasha Barinev. I observed a similar picture in the team, in which he later worked in parallel. All tactics – At Bilyaletdinov, assistant. Yakushev is far from the model”– said Mayorov.

The president was extremely dissatisfied with the work of the coaching team, so he decided to hold a meeting whose main purpose was to discuss options for strengthening the coaching team. According to Mayorov, he understood that in the current conditions they needed a specialist who skillfully understood and felt the game, and also knew how to analyze the training process and make the necessary adjustments. The club council agreed on the candidacy of Vladimir Shadrin. But when the decision was reported to Yakushev, he took the news with hostility and flatly refused to work with Shadrin.

“No arguments. “I don’t want” period. The next day I seemed convinced. We agreed to introduce Shadrin to the team before the next training session. Volodya comes to Sokolniki, we go to the locker room, I give a speech. Finally, I clarify: “Gentlemen, any Do you have a question?” Suddenly Yakushev’s voice: “Yes. I am against! Categorically!”, Mayorov shared his memories.

The unexpected reaction of the coach put the club president into a real shock. Maiorov did not understand why Yakushev had violated the previously reached agreement and again changed his view of the situation. At the same time, the team’s veterans were next to the coach – immediately after the interrupted meeting, Tyurikov and Boldin went to Mayorov’s office and stated that they would not ask for changes on behalf of the whole team. coaching staff. In response, however, they received the anger of the president, who explained, in an accessible way to hockey players, that this issue was outside their area of ​​responsibility.

As a result, Mayorov made a largely compromise decision – he did not touch the coaching team and appointed Shadrin as vice-president of the club. Unable to complete the main task of the season and promote Spartak to the Super League, it was later decided to dismiss Yakushev. After that, the sacked coach held a grudge against the two-time Olympic champion.

“It was only after a while that I learned why Yakushev saw Shadrin this way. It turns out that she contradicts him. And I didn’t even suspect it. They got along very well when they played. And then … They say that your wife founded Yakushev. Shadrin blah blah blah blah, like a drunkard. Despite the fact that Volodya is very smart, intellectual. He studied at the Physics and Mathematics School of Moscow State University, graduated from the Oil and Gas Institute. What a hockey player! He knew everything on set. And the setter was great and drove two on defense. Unbelievably stubborn”– praised his former teammate Mayorov.

The whole depth of Yakushev’s anger is told in one case. He did not even shake Mayorov’s hand at the celebration of the 70th anniversary of national hockey, which took place in the Park of Legends.

“Foreigners are sitting, there are a lot of veterans. Tretiak and I are giving away some prizes. Yakushev is also called to the stage. He defiantly passes by, stands next to Vladik, extends his hand to him, but not to me. I think many people were surprised by this. And Tretyak then said: “Well, he’s a fool!”, – Said the ex-president of Spartak.