 |
Albert VolratFootball coach
Country:
 Estonia |
Content:
- Biography of Albert Volrat
- Early Life
- Early Career
- Time at Arsenal
- Arrival at Spartak Moscow
- Impact at Spartak Moscow
- Legacy
- Later Years
- Conclusion
Biography of Albert Volrat
IntroductionAlbert Volrat was an Estonian footballer and Soviet football coach. His biography is filled with unique and eventful sporting experiences. His work with "Spartak" solidified the team's reputation as a cup fighter.
Early Life
Albert Volrat was born in Tallinn in 1903. At the age of 10, his older brother Henrik, a renowned Estonian footballer, introduced him to the children's team "Olympia". However, he excelled in wrestling: at the age of 16, he became the Estonian featherweight wrestling champion, and at 18, he finished 4th in the World Championships. He then moved to Finland, where he attended a wrestling school, worked in a fruit shop, and befriended famous Finnish athletes, including Paavo Nurmi. He also obtained a diploma as a masseur, which proved to be invaluable later in life.
Early Career
At the age of 23, Volrat returned home and joined the army. As he stated, "Military service did not hinder my football career, and I defined myself as a midfielder-dispatcher." At 24, he began his nomadic life when he was noticed by Antoni Malli, a Hungarian "Ferencváros" scout, in Tallinn. However, he couldn't establish himself in the main squad and ended up being useful to the club as a masseur. Volrat became a massage therapist and his talent in this field did not go unnoticed. In 1928, he served as the head masseur for the Hungarian national team at the Olympic Games in Amsterdam. He then became the assistant coach and massage therapist for "Ferencváros" and was soon invited to work at FC Barcelona in Spain, where he also became the assistant coach. The head coach at that time was Englishman Billiemi. Volrat worked with Barcelona from 1929 to 1932, during which time the club became the Champion of Spain in 1929 and the Champion of Catalonia twice.
Time at Arsenal
Volrat was then invited to work at Arsenal in London, which had just won the English championship. In 1933, under Volrat's coaching, Arsenal became the champions of the country. He worked there for a year but decided to end his coaching career and return to Estonia. He bought a seven-story building in Estonia, turned it into a hotel, and lived a peaceful life until the Baltic states joined the USSR.
Arrival at Spartak Moscow
Volrat's arrival at Spartak Moscow was a fortunate coincidence. Eric Bistriom, the head of the Estonian Republican DSO "Spartak," came to Moscow. The Moscow leadership of the team discussed the team's difficult situation with him. It is not surprising that they wouldn't think of looking for a good football coach in Estonia. However, they stumbled upon the right person. Albert Volrat's name was well-known because he continued to consult Estonian football teams while leaving coaching work partially. After detailed acquaintance with the players, he realized the need to improve their physical fitness. His intense training sessions were remembered by Serafim Kholodkov, a defender of the team at that time, who described them as the most exhausting training. Alexander Ryskov, a forward and Champion of 1952 and 1953, mentioned that Volrat trained professionals in Hungary, Spain, England, and was also committed to working with them.
Impact at Spartak Moscow
Volrat was the first coach to introduce intensive physical training in Soviet football. This approach had positive results. In the USSR Cup final, Spartak Moscow was losing 1-2 to a stronger Tbilisi team but managed to turn the game around and win 3-2. In the championship, they finished in 6th place. Many people, including Mikhail Yakushin and Viktor Maslov, came to watch the training sessions at the Vorovsky Street gym. The combination of head coach Albert Khenrikovich Volrat and assistant coach Peter Isakov was interesting. One explained tactics while the other focused on physical preparation.
Legacy
According to Nikolai Starostin, "It seems that at that time, the team, in terms of its average age, could not win in long tournaments such as the national championship. However, the coach managed to gather the team's energy for 5-6 crucial matches in the cup, and he succeeded. Cheerful and lively, he had a poor command of the Russian language. This helped him vividly describe encounters with famous European players like Sindelar from Austria, Monti from Italy, and others. Through these conversations and his passionate approach, he gained strong sympathy from Spartak Moscow players." In 1947, the team finished 8th in the championship, but they won the Cup again, defeating Torpedo 2-0. Despite Torpedo's victory in the USSR Championship with a score of 6-2, Volrat's ability to prepare the team for a single, important game played a significant role.
Later Years
Volrat had a unique leadership style. In his first year of coaching, Spartak Moscow suffered a heavy defeat against Zenit in Leningrad. Instead of reprimanding the players, Volrat ordered a good dinner at a restaurant, during which they had a discussion about the game's shortcomings. The team then performed brilliantly against Dynamo Leningrad. However, Volrat's "experiment" almost got him kicked out of the team, but they saved him due to the victory in the USSR Cup final. Albert Henrikovich was one of the first coaches to pay serious attention to youth and reserve players. The success of Spartak Moscow in the 1950s was not accidental, as he invited many of these young players, including Netto and Paramonov, to join the team.
Conclusion
Albert Volrat passed away in Tallinn on April 10, 1978. Looking back, it is challenging to judge his coaching work abroad, but we can evaluate his two years at Spartak Moscow. He was an extraordinary individual for his time and one of the most interesting coaches in Soviet football. Let us remember his contributions and mark his legacy in the sport.
