Bronze medalist of the World Championship: 1968
Bronze medalist of the USSR Championship: 1966
Silver medalist of the USSR Championship: 1971
Champion of the USSR: 1973
USSR Cup Winner: 1973, 1975
Song "Aratu"
Dedicated to Eduard Markarov
(Spanish: Aramo and Anahit Shahzadeyan)
USSR TEAM 1966-1968
NEFTCHI, BAKU 1961-1970
ARARAT, YEREVAN 1971-1975
From the RFU (Russian Football Union) and the Union of Football Veterans of the Russian Federation
Simonyan Nikita Pavlovich
First Vice President of the Russian Football Union
Champion and winner of the USSR Cup
1956 Olympic champion
Honored Master of Sports, Honored Coach of the USSR
“ I have always been fascinated by the virtuosity of Eduard Markarov, although for pedagogical reasons I was in no hurry to express his delight. He did not tell anyone that he considered him his favorite. Now there is no need to hide it. An outstanding footballer, he brought a lot to Ararat's style of play. With his complexion, due to filigree technique, football mind, he knew how to do everything he wanted on the field: to beat an opponent, to play ahead of the curve, and, despite his small stature, to score a goal with his head. In a collision, a large crowding of players sometimes laid such a feint that one had only to be surprised. What did he do on the field? What a twist he has! And involuntarily I caught myself thinking that I would not be able to do so. But, unfortunately, I didn’t catch Artem Markarov’s performances on the green field due to the difference in age. But I was told a lot about him, about his game, and I knew that he was no less technical.
Alexander Bagratovich Mirzoyan
President of the Union of Football Veterans
Advisor to the President of the Russian Football Union
Champion and winner of the USSR Cup. Master of Sport
Honored Worker of Physical Culture
“ For every boy who played football, it was a great honor to be next to his idol, stand next to him, and then tell everyone that you talked and knew the great football master. Eduard Markarov was and remains such for many fans of this wonderful game, his game brought pleasure not only to the fans and partners of his team, but also to the opposing team. Smart, elegant, agile, possessing a positional and scoring instinct, without having gigantic abilities, he skillfully directed the team's game in the direction that brought success. I was lucky to play with Eduard Artemovich in the same team, and also to work under his leadership when he was the head coach of the Ararat team. He tried to pass on all his talent to the youth and continues to do so for the benefit of national football. Every copy is worse than the original. Eduard Markarov - original!!! Success and good luck in life."
OPINIONS
"PATRIARCHS" OF FOOTBALL ABOUT MARKAROV
Simonyan Nikita Pavlovich
Honored Master of Sports of the USSR. Honored Coach of the RSFSR and the USSR
Champion of the USSR: 1952, 1953, 1956, 1958
USSR Cup Winner: 1950, 1958
The best scorer in the history of the club "Spartak" (Moscow) - 160 goals
The best scorer of the championships of the USSR: 1949, 1950, 1953
1956 Olympic champion. Member of the 1958 World Cup
“ I often compare the Moscow Spartak of the post-war period and Ararat-73. Spartak's combinational style of play originates with the appearance of Nikolai Dementiev in the team. It was he who had the highest technique and a sense of timely transfer of the ball. From this point of view, Dementiev was a unique personality. In some ways, Yuri Gavrilov is similar to him. And so, drawing parallels between Spartak-om and Ararat, it seems to me that Markarov's transfer from Neftchi to Ararat played the same role. Eduard Markarov contributed to the formation of a new culture of passing the ball and, in general, the formation of the team's combination-technical style. What surprised me in Markarovo in the first place? A man with such a seemingly non-football complexion was a football virtuoso in the truest sense of the word. The arsenal of technical tricks and techniques that Markarov possessed was huge. Sometimes watching him play, I wondered how it was possible to perform such feints at speed, stop the ball and, finally, complete the attack. No wonder Markarov is a member of the club. Fedotov. In a close environment of the opponent's players, he handled the ball effortlessly and could go around several defenders one after the other. Markarov was undoubtedly one of the leaders of Ararat. His participation in the glorious victories of the team is very significant. You can talk about Markarov - a football player for a very long time. For example, in the technique of possession of the ball, he was not inferior to even the most famous Brazilians. As for his human qualities, our relations with him were the kindest, and there was never even a hint of conflict. Not without reason, when I again accepted Ararat, I invited him to the team as a coach. I consulted with him on all major issues, whether it was the choice of tactics for the game or the definition of the main team.
Paramonov Alexey Alexandrovich
Honored Master of Sports of the USSR. Honored Coach of the RSFSR
Olympic champion: 1956
Champion of the USSR: 1952, 1953, 1956, 1958
USSR Cup Winner: 1950, 1958
European Youth Champion: 1980
“At the very end of the 50s of the last 100th anniversary, when I finished my playing career at Spartak Moscow, I was invited to work at the USSR Football Federation, where I was offered to lead the USSR youth team. I invited young guys from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Ukraine, the RSFSR and of course from Moscow and Leningrad to this team.
Eduard Markarov came to the training camp as one of the young talents. He immediately attracted me with his handling of the ball, his filigree technique, passing culture. Edik was absolutely trainable. In training, I paid a lot of attention to learning various techniques, strikes, taught the guys how to stroke, dribbling. Arranged competitions for the best performance of various techniques. Edward was far from the last in these competitions. So the foundations of his future skill were laid. Subsequently, I recommended Markarov and other guys, namely Gennady Logofet, Murtaz Khurtsilava, Georgy Sichinava and Anatoly Banishevsky, to the USSR national team. In the future, the head coach of our team, Morozov Nikolai Petrovich, these five were included in the delegation to participate in the qualifying games for the 1966 World Cup. And later on, Eduard, together with Murtaz, Georgy, and Anatoly, were included to participate in the final games, which took place in July 1966 in England, where our team received bronze medals for participating in the semi-finals.
Monday Viktor Vladimirovich
Honored Master of Sports of the USSR
European Champion 1960
The author of the "golden goal" of the USSR national team in the final of the European Cup in 1960
Silver medalist at the 1964 European Championship
“Oh, how long have I known Eduard Artyomovich. He is humble and kind. In a word, he is an amazing person. You can talk to him about any topic. He comes from a sports family, and his wife is a highly educated woman. They raised wonderful children. I first met Edik on the football field when I played for SKA Rostov, and somehow we immediately liked each other. He invited me to visit. It was an unforgettable evening within the framework of Caucasian hospitality. I think that Edik adopted a lot from his father, who played in the Azerbaijani football championships. Yes, and Edward himself was a footballer without flaws. Highly technical. During the heyday of his football game, he was called the "Baku Pele". He quickly found a common language with his brilliant partners, such as Yuri Kuznetsov, Alekper Mamedov, Adamas Golodets. Anatoly Banishevsky. I didn’t have to play with Edik in official matches of the Soviet Union national team, but when I happened to meet him at various training camps as part of the preparation of the USSR national team for various games, I got great pleasure from our football with him.
Isaev Anatoly Konstantinovich
Honored Master of Sports of the USSR, Honored Coach of the RSFSR
Champion of the USSR: 1953, 1956, 1958, 1962
USSR Cup Winner: 1958
1956 Olympic champion
“I finished playing in Spartak Moscow in 1962. This year was a landmark in the career of Eduard Markarov. Together with my teammate Yuri Sevidov, they won the Trud newspaper prize as the best scorers of the USSR championship, scoring 16 goals each. A year before, in 1961, Edik was taken to the Baku Oilman by the famous coach Boris Arkadiev. Boris Andreevich, who had a creative attitude to football, had good taste in football players, which was confirmed in the choice of Eduard Markarov. He put young Edik in the place of the center forward next to the experienced dispatcher Yuri Kuznetsov. A little later, Markarov retrained for this role, since Anatoly Banishevsky came in 1963, and Kazbek Tuaev confidently played on the flank. But Markarov did not limit himself to playing along. His maneuvers and feints often ended with accurate blows. Years passed, Edward turned 30 years old. This was the signal for the end of his career. However, he was invited by Ararat. And in this team, Markarov was lucky with attacking partners. Judge for yourself: Arkady Andriasyan, Levon Ishtoyan, Nikolai Kazaryan, Hovhannes Zanazanyan - all in their prime. Markarov was the eldest among them. He led the game, met with understanding from partners. I would also like to note that I played in Spartak Moscow against Baku's Markarov, and ten years later I coached Ararat, where Nikita Pavlovich Simonyan invited me to the position of assistant, under whose leadership Eduard Markarov then played. I remember when in 1974 Simonyan, as part of the delegation of the USSR Football Federation, left for the World Cup in Germany, I replaced him in three games as a head coach. I especially remember the game in Yerevan with the champion of the USSR in 1972 Voroshilovograd Zorya. After the first half there was a draw - 1:1. And in the second, I replaced the cornerback to increase the attack. The change paid off! Ararat won 4:2 and Markarov scored the winning goals. Eduard Artemovich Markarov was a super striker. He was one of the best players in the 60s and 70s."
Biba Andrey Andreevich
Honored Master of Sports of the USSR
Champion of the USSR: 1961, 1966, 1967
USSR Cup Winner: 1964, 1966
Football player of the year in the USSR: 1966
“Eduard Markarov is a phenomenon in our football. He had great possession of the ball, possessed extraordinary dribbling. And what a vision of the field he had, a fighting instinct! Edik determined the face of the teams he played for. With a virtuoso game, he proved that he was one of the best in the USSR. He is still remembered and loved in Ukraine.”
Logofet Gennady Olegovich
Champion of the USSR: 1962, 1969
USSR Cup winner: 1963, 1965, 1971
“For the first time I met Markarov at the national youth team of the USSR. Then we were 18 years old. Together we went to Italy for an international tournament in San Remo. Murtaz Khurtsilava, Geogy Sichinava, Beradur Abdurahimov, Valery Reingold, Eduard Malofeev, Vladimir Fedotov, Evgeny Rudakov, who later became the stars of Soviet Football, played with us in the youth team. The appearance of Markarov in the national team immediately gave the team a special grace. I am not afraid of this word. both on the field, and during training, and in general, in life it is very pleasant to communicate with him. It is interesting that in the national team both defenders and midfielders all the time tried to pass the ball to Markarov. And it was no coincidence, because everyone knew: having received the ball, he would find, if not the most beautiful, but a logical continuation. In general, he did everything beautifully on the field, and his talent for scoring goals was unique. Not without reason, Eduard Markarov is a member of the club. Fedotov. Happiness was to play with such a talented player in the team. he was the idol of football fans. People in their hearts usually root for undersized players, believing that although they are not lucky with growth, they work wonders on the field. It is for this reason that Eduard Markarov was the favorite of the fans.”
ARARAT PLAYERS ABOUT MARKAROV
Alyosha Abrahamyan
“ It is not enough to speak about the skill of Eduard Markarov, you just had to see his virtuoso game. A nugget, nature itself or the Lord God illuminated him with this talent. Markarov is a magician of the ball, he scored goals unexpectedly, in any difficult situation he emerged victorious and as a result a beautiful goal was obtained. In football, he is an unsurpassed artist. I enjoyed playing with him. The goals scored by him will remain in the memory for a long time. I wish him good health! Live as many years as 114 goals scored by him.
Arkady Andriasyan
“ Edik and I have a well-established interchangeability. It's hard for me to explain how it happened, but we both always felt who needed to step back, who needed to come forward. His technical arsenal is such that in almost any difficult situation he was able to address the ball to partners. He scored goals in positions that arose unexpectedly, because he knew with a sixth sense where the ball would fly, where it would fall. He was especially aggressive in cup matches. Markarov knew how to score decisive goals. Eduard Markarov is certainly a player of the highest class, and it's hard for me to imagine Ararat without him."
Sergey Bondarenko
“ Eduard Markarov, being a great football player, is a wonderful person. Before moving to Ararat, he was already famous, playing in the Neftchi Baku team. The Banishevsky-Markarov tandem was generally one of the best in the history of Soviet football. They complement each other perfectly in attack. Regardless of where Markarov played, including in various national teams of the USSR, he showed virtuoso technique, subtle tactical thinking, and a wonderful vision of the football field. He is one of those rare players who realizes scoring situations 100 percent. In addition, he was not only a successful finisher of attacks, but also an excellent organizer of the offensive. He was a very useful, valuable player. And in the most serious games, when we found ourselves in difficult situations, Markarov took over the game, always scoring his goal, and we basically won. The transition from Neftchi was easy for Markarov. The "Ararat" team welcomed him cordially. It seemed like he had been playing with us for years. In 1971, "Ararat" was already a formed team, ready to take off to the football Olympus, but something was missing. It was Eduard Markarov who made up for this deficiency. Markarov did not play in any team like he did in Ararat.
Hovhannes Zanazanyan
“ I can say that there are not many such “technicians” as Markarov in football, but in Armenian football I consider him the best football player of all time. Our centre-forward Eduard Markarov experienced his second youth in Ararat. With his skill, Markarov did a lot for the development of Ararat. I think that Eduard owes something to our team: we all together helped him find himself again. He was the oldest among us. Markarov is a recognized leader in attack, and in the life of the team there were situations when his word was law. I consider Eduard Markarov the best Armenian footballer of all time.”
Levon Ishtoyan
“ Eduard Markarov was a virtuoso football player, he worked miracles on the field. We understood each other perfectly, together we could beat half the team on the spot and roll the ball into the goal. With a short stature, he also scored a lot on the “second floor”, many of which were after my backache, which I am pleased to admit.
Alexander Kovalenko
“ We met Edik Markarov in the youth team of the USSR in 1959. More than forty years of our friendship. He was persuaded for a long time (including by high officials) to move to Yerevan, to play in Ararat. I managed to do this at the end of 1970, and only thanks to our personal relationship. With his transfer, our team changed, began to play smarter, more diverse and success came. In his debut year, we became vice-champions of the country (before that, we had not risen above eighth place), then - champions and owners of the USSR Cup. The best years of Ararat are connected with Markarov. We were inseparable even after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Edik was the first to lead the Armenian national team, I helped him as the head of the team.”
Nikolai Kazaryan
“ During the formative years of the Ararat team, we played as two forwards, but we lacked a central forward for a more aggressive game, who could not only score, but also create sharp scoring chances at the opponent's goal. In 1971, with the arrival of Edik, the team acquired a player who possessed all the forward's chain qualities. It was a great pleasure to play with him, as the magnificent master subtly felt the game and his partners. Knowing his excellent technique and flair, we expected non-standard and sharp solutions from him and were always ready. With the transfer of Eduard Markarov to our team, hope and confidence in great victories instilled in us. I myself believe that Edik is the most dangerous and virtuoso player in the penalty area of the enemy of all the famous clubs in world football. Honor and praise to him!
Suren Martirosyan
“ Eduard Markarov is a legend of Soviet football. It was possible to make educational films about his filigree technique and goals scored from the fly and through himself. Ararat in the late 60s was a great team, but we lacked something to win titles. With the arrival of Markarov to our team, we finally got what we were missing and in the 70s won everything we could dream of in Soviet football. We still often meet, and if someone needs help, Edik, as a senior comrade, will always lend a helping hand. I am proud to have played in the same team with Eduard Markarov.”
Norayr Mesropyan
“ Markarov, this short…giant, football academic, possessing virtuoso technique and exceptional scoring instinct, terrified the enemy camp, in their penalty area. His jewelry passes, intellectual game attributed him to a select group of football conductors.
Alexander Mirzoyan
“ I was lucky to play with Eduard Artemovich in the same team, and also to work under his leadership when he was the head coach of the Ararat team. Every copy is worse than the original. Eduard Markarov is the original!
Khoren Hovhannisyan
“ Is it worth talking about the skill of Eduard Markarov? In football, he demonstrates something that must be seen and very difficult to describe. Eduard Artemovich was of great benefit to all young players, he taught us both with his own game and with a hint. I want to emphasize that he taught football lessons not only on the field. Young people were drawn to him and he somehow imperceptibly presented them with football knowledge. The first person who believed in me was Eduard Markarov. It was he who foreshadowed my success as a team leader.
Sergey Pogosyan
“ Eduard Markarov is the rarest football player who managed to give so much joy, beauty and admiration with his filigree technique, amazing goals and wonderful passes. Markarov is a bright football star who has never suffered from "star fever". In life, he is distinguished by simplicity, modesty and intelligence.