Metreveli Slava

Metreveli Slava (1936–1998), Football player, Master of Sports of the USSR, master of Sport of International Class of the USSR (1966), Honored Coach of Georgia (1976). He was born in Sochi, Russia. At the beginning of his sporting carrier he played in youth football team ‘Trud’. In 1953-67 he played in the following Russian football teams: 1953-54 - ‘Spartak’ (Sochi), 1955 – ‘Torpedo’ (Gorky), 1956-62 – ‘Torpedo’ (Moscow). For 9 times S. Metreveli was listed as one of 33 best football players of the USSR. Among them he was named Number One for 8 times in 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1964, 1965 and 1968. In 1960 he won the USSR Football Cup; the same year he became the holder of European Football Cup. Twice, in 1960 and 1964, he gained the title of the Champion of the USSR. As a member of the USSR team he participated in the World Football Championship in 1962, 1964 and 1970. In 1963-1971 he took up the position of a forward in ‘Dynamo’ (Tbilisi). In 1967-1971 he was the captain of selfsame team. In 1968 he was invited to the combined World Team in the match versus Brazilian national team. S. Metreveli played 376 matches in the major league (84 goals); in the USSR team in 1958-1971 – 48 matches (11 goals). The central stadium in Sochi is named after Slava Metereveli, who was believed to be one of the best forwards of all times.

Slava Metreveli died in Tbilisi.