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Edward MarkarovFootball player
Date of Birth: 20.06.1942
Country:  Armenia |
Content:
Biography of Eduard Markarov
Eduard Markarov is a former Soviet football player and coach. Born on June 20, 1942 in Baku, he is considered the best Armenian football player of all time according to a survey conducted in 1992. He was also named one of the top ten players in Azerbaijan over the span of 70 years in 1981.
Family and Early Life
Eduard Markarov's father, Artem Agalarovich Markarov, was a renowned football player and coach, and his mother, Berta Grigorievna Markarova, was a swimmer. He has a wife named Stella Viktorovna Markarova, who is an ethics and aesthetics teacher, and two children - Ernest (Eric) Eduardovich Markarov and Erika Eduardovna Markarova. Markarov's father was one of the best footballers in the Caucasus and USSR during the 1930s and 1940s.
Football Career
Eduard Markarov began his football career by watching and learning from his father, who played for the Dynamo team in Yerevan. He received his first football lessons from his father and honed his skills by playing with neighborhood kids. In 1954, he joined the youth team Lokomotiv in Baku and in 1958, he represented the Armenian Republic in the All-Union Schoolchildren Spartakiade, finishing fourth and becoming the top scorer of the tournament.
Markarov's talent was noticed by experts and in 1961, he was invited to join the Neftyanik team in Baku. He formed a formidable attacking duo with Yuri Kuznetsov and became the top scorer in the Soviet Union in the following year. He represented the Soviet Union in various categories, including the youth, junior, Olympic, and national teams. Markarov's technical skills and combination play earned him the nickname "Baku's Pele" and he was highly regarded by football legends such as Grigory Kachalin, Oleg Salnikov, and Valentin Ivanov.
In 1971, Markarov joined the Ararat team in Yerevan and played a crucial role in their success. The team achieved its best-ever result in the Soviet Championship, finishing as the runners-up in 1971 and winning the championship in 1973. Markarov was also a key player in Ararat's victories in the Soviet Cup in 1973 and 1975. He scored a record-breaking five goals in a single European Cup match against Anorthosis Famagusta in 1975.
Coaching Career
After retiring as a player, Eduard Markarov embarked on a coaching career. He worked as a coach in various clubs and national teams, including the Armenian national team from 1992 to 1994. He achieved success as an assistant coach of the Soviet Union youth team, winning the European Championship in 1990 and finishing third in the World Championship in 1991.
Markarov later worked as a coach in Lebanon and Armenia, leading clubs such as Omonia Beirut and FC Mika. He won the Armenian Cup with FC Mika in 2000 and 2001. Currently, he is the vice-president of FC Mika.
Legacy and Honors
Eduard Markarov is widely regarded as one of the greatest football players in Armenian and Azerbaijani history. He has received numerous honors and awards throughout his career, including being named a Merited Master of Sport of the Soviet Union in 1973 and a Merited Coach of Armenia in 1983. He was also included in Gennadiy Fedotov's symbolic club with a total of 159 goals.
Markarov's contributions to Armenian football have left a lasting impact, and he is remembered as a skilled and influential player and coach in the history of the sport.
