Valentin Nikolayev (footballer)

Valentin Aleksandrovich Nikolayev (Russian: Валентин Александрович Николаев) (August 16, 1921 in Yerosovo, Vladimir Oblast - died October 9, 2009 in Moscow) was a Soviet football player and coach.

Honours
Soviet Top League winner: 1946, 1947, 1948, 1950, 1951, 1970 (as manager). Soviet Top League runner-up: 1945, 1949. Soviet Top League bronze: 1964, 1965 (both as manager). Soviet Cup winner: 1945, 1948, 1951. Soviet Top League top scorer: 1946 (16 goals), 1947 (14 goals). Grigory Fedotov Club member: 111 goals. As a manager: Europe U-23 champion: 1976, Europe U-21 champion: 1980.

International career
Nikolayev made his debut for USSR on July 20, 1952 in an Olympics game against Bulgaria. As a manager, he was in charge of USSR national football team from October 1970 until the end of 1971.