“Lev Yashin” and “Pure Football”: a selection of the best Russian movies about sports No. 1

Films about sports were especially in demand during the Soviet era. “Goalkeeper” (1936), “Sporting Honor” (1951), “Spare Player” (1954), “Third Half” (1962), “Kick, another kick!” (1968) – all of them became legendary for Soviet cinema. Since then, there has been a slight lull, about sports filmed little. A new surge in popularity came in the 2000s.

“FC Rodina” (2023-2024).

Genre: comedy series

Director: Ivan Plechev

Main actors: Roman Evdokimov, Valeria Repina, Maxim Belborodov.

Age limit: 18+

The players of the provincial soccer club Rodina find themselves in a very difficult situation. Suddenly the owner of the team, the mayor of the town, decides to sell the club and disperse all the players. To save the team and find money, the guys decide to take a desperate step. They turn to a local criminal authority and agree to smuggle contraband from China for a decent reward. But it so happens that the players lose the goods – and now they are being chased by the brutal Chinese mafia, and the enraged authority demands to return the debt.

“Coach” (2018)

Genre: drama

Director: Danila Kozlovsky

Main actors: Danila Kozlovsky, Vladimir Ilyin, Andrei Smolyakov, Olga Zuyeva

Age limit: 12+

Yuri Stoleshnikov, captain of the Russian national team, fails to score a penalty in an important match against Romania. In a rage he gets into an altercation with his opponent and the referee, and leaving the pitch with a red card he also picks a fight with the fans. For unsportsmanlike behavior Stoleshnikov is disqualified for a year. Upset footballer decides to end his career as a player and is looking for a job as a coach. But the scandalous athlete is in no hurry to invite prominent clubs.

Once Yuri receives an offer to head the soccer team “Meteor” from Novorossiysk. Over time, Stoleshnikov realizes that he was not chosen for nothing. The sportsman has already been written off, and officials think that he will not cope with the post. After all, if Meteor leaves the league, a shopping center will be built on the site of the stadium. Then Stoleshnikov decides to pull himself together and lead his charges to victory.

Danila Kozlovsky admitted that he dreamed of playing a soccer coach. The actor turned out to be a big fan of soccer. Before starting filming the picture “Coach”, Kozlovsky studied the history of sports, read a lot of autobiographical books of great footballers, watched matches, studied the technique. In the filming took part and real star players – for example, Dmitry Sychev and Alan Gatagov.

“Streltsov” (2020)

Genre: biography, drama

Director: Ilya Uchitel

Main actors: Alexander Petrov, Stasia Miloslavskaya, Alexander Yatsenko

Age Restrictions: 6+

The movie is based on real events. The 20-year-old Eduard Streltsov was considered one of the best Soviet soccer players. His game was admired by foreign colleagues, coaches and journalists. The young athlete was projected a stunning world career, but the future of the star was cut short because of a criminal case. Eduard Streltsov, who was to be taken to the World Cup in Sweden, was arrested two days before departure. The footballer was accused of rape.

Just a month later, Streltsov was sentenced to 12 years in prison. So the Olympic champion found himself behind bars. Different versions are still being considered, why they decided to break the career of the famous Streltsov and forced him to sign a heartfelt confession. In the movie, director Ilya Uchitel presented his vision of the tragic events.

“Vykrutasy” (2011)

Genre: komedie

Director: Levan Gabriadze

Main actors: Konstantin Khabensky, Milla Jovovich, Ivan Urgant.

Age limit: 18+

Levan Gabriadze’s comedy was originally titled Kolotilov: The Wedding Hustle. The protagonist Slava Kolotilov, an ordinary teacher from a small town, is mistaken for the coach of a children’s soccer team because of the intrigues of the school principal. An amusing coincidence of circumstances turns into a disaster for Kolotilov. He can not go to Moscow to marry his beloved Nadezhda. Because the “coach”-teacher on the release of the administration of his native city. Kolotilov must hold a match of his new charges, and only then his passport will be returned to him and he will be able to go to his fiancée.

“Harpastum” (2005)

Genre: drama

Director: Alexey German Jr.

Main actors: Evgeny Pronin, Danila Kozlovsky, Chulpan Khamatova, Gosha Kutsenko.

Age restrictions: 16+

A movie about the formation of soccer in Tsarist Russia. The action takes place in 1914 on the eve of the First World War. Four young friends are passionate about soccer. They try out for the place of players for a match with the English, who are gathering soccer teams in St. Petersburg. But the friends are not accepted. Then the young people decide to organize their own team and buy an empty plot of land for the game. However, this requires considerable finances. The guys agree with a loan shark-authority to organize games with local teams for money.

“Match” (2012)

Genre: biography, drama

Director: Andrei Malyukov

Main actors: Sergei Bezrukov, Elizaveta Boyarskaya, Eduard Bezrodny, Ekaterina Klimova.

Age restrictions: 18+

The film tells about the tragically famous “Death Match”, which took place in the summer of 1942 in occupied Kiev between Kiev footballers and Luftwaffe anti-aircraft gunners. The prototype of the protagonist Nikolai Ranevich was 33-year-old Soviet goalkeeper Nikolai Trusevich. Before the match on August 9, 1942, the German commandant ordered Trusevich to do everything to yield to the Germans. Otherwise, the players were expected to be shot. But Nikolai and his team took to the field to fight for their honor and homeland… Nikolai Trusevich was shot in Syretsk concentration camp….

“Untimely death at the hands of the Gestapovs along with other players of Dynamo Kyiv did not allow his talent to unfold in full measure. But the name of Trusevich, as a citizen and outstanding goalkeeper, will remain in the memory of all who know and love our Soviet soccer” – wrote about Trusevich in his book “Stars of Great Football” Nikolai Starostin.

“Lev Yashin. Goalkeeper of my dreams” (2019)

Genre: biography, drama

Director: Vasily Chiginsky

Main actors: Alexander Fokin, Yulia Khlynina, Alexei Guskov

Age Restrictions: 6+

A biographical film about the life and career of the best goalkeeper of the 20th century. He was the first and only goalkeeper to receive the Golden Ball. Lev Ivanovich had phenomenal intuition – he clearly foresaw the intentions not only of his opponents, but also of his teammates. Experts noted that Yashin always aimed not at the moment of impact, he read the actions of the attackers. This unique feature made him a legend of world soccer. No one has ever been able to repeat the success of Lev Yashin. At the same time, Lev Ivanovich remained very easy to communicate with a person, no star disease was out of the question. Yashin was self-critical, carefully studied his mistakes, trained a lot. And was absolutely not afraid of competition.

“Wild League” (2019)

Genre: drama

Directors: Andrei Bogatyryov, Art Camacho

Main actors: Vladimir Yaglych, Adelina Gizatullina, Ivan Okhlobystin

Age limit: 12+

The action takes place at the beginning of the 20th century. Varlam, a burlak, runs away with his fiancée Malika to Moscow in search of a better life. To find money for subsistence, the man agrees to take part in a fist fight against the English. In the fight Varlam shocks his opponents with his power and strength. With a blow of his foot he sends a heavy cast-iron cauldron into the enemy camp and knocks out his opponents. Parker, the leader of the English and owner of the soccer club, is impressed by Varlam’s physical data. He offers the bogatyr to create the first national Russian soccer team and become its captain. By the way, three players of the Russian national soccer team – Artem Dzyuba, Roman Zobnin and Anton Miranchuk – took part in the filming.

“Box” (2015)

Genre: drama

Director: Eduard Bordukov

Main actors: Sergei Romanovich, Sergei Podolny, Kirill Degtyar.

Age limit: 12+

Four best friends are united by a common passion for street soccer. They spend all their time in the so-called “box”, which is in every courtyard. But one of the friends – Kostya – is stronger than the friends and could well be a professional athlete. His girlfriend, Nastya, persuades him to try his hand and visit the training of the local soccer club. But here the guys encounter a soccer player Damir, the altercation escalates into a fight, and the friends are kicked out of the stadium. To their surprise, in the evening the guys find that their “box” is occupied by the very Damir and his comrades. The guys challenge each other and organize a tournament – whoever loses, he leaves the “box” forever.

“Soccer” (2021)

Genre: komedie

Director: Maxim Sveshnikov

Main actors: Lyubov Aksyonova, Yegor Koreshkov, Yulia Topolnitskaya.

Age limit: 12+

Dana Belykh is the captain of a women’s soccer team that is going through bad times. The club is about to be shut down, and only victory can save it. Dana comes up with a brilliant idea – to bring together former girlfriends who once shone on the pitch. But now the once professional soccer players have gone headlong into family troubles and personal life. The girls will have to bring themselves into shape in a short time. True, in the victory of athletes do not believe even the new coach – arrogant ex-champion, who believes that soccer is not a woman’s business.

By the way, all actresses have undergone special training. With Love Aksyonova personally trained Ksenia Kovalenko – a player of CSKA and the women’s national team of Russia.

“Home Field” (2022)

Genre: drama series

Director: Felix Umarov

Main actors: Svetlana Ustinova, Maxim Matveev, Igor Vernik, Ivan Yankovsky.

Age restrictions: 18+

The management of the Red Hawk club loses its head coach just before the start of the season. Unexpectedly, Elena Volkova, the coach of the women’s team that led it to the Champions League, is hired for the position. Elena becomes the first female coach in men’s soccer. And this causes irritation and ridicule from the players themselves, sponsors and fans.

“Pure Football” (2016)

Genre: drama series

Director: Vitaly Babenkov

Main actors: Yuri Deinekin, Vladimir Vinogradov, Ivan Agapov

Age limit: 18+

Kolya Shiryaev is delighted to find himself among the players of a youth soccer team. The newcomer’s dreams are coming true, the young athlete dreams of championship and a brilliant career. Kolya comes from a difficult family: his father is in prison, his mother is trying to feed her children. For Shiryaev, soccer is the only way to pull his family out of poverty. To impress the scouts selecting players for a Premier League club, Kolya succumbs to persuasion and agrees to take doping. This decision leads to unpredictable and tragic consequences.