On the 19th of September France Football launched the prestigious award for the best goalkeeper of the year, which will be named after legendary Lev Yashin. It will be handed to the winner during the gala evening scheduled for December 2nd at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris. The list of nominees for the first known Yashin Trophy will be announced on the 21st of October in France. 180 journalists from all over the world will choose the winner by voting.
1963 remains a turning point in the world football history. The Ballon d'Or wasn’t awarded to an outfield player, but to the Dynamo Moscow goalkeeper Lev Yashin. The Soviet athlete had outperformed the Italian attacking midfielder Gianni Rivera and the English forward Jimmy Greaves.
Concerning football skills, Lev Ivanovich was far ahead of his epoch. Up to now, Yashin remains the only goalkeeper in the football history, who was awarded the Ballon d'Or. His famous successors – Gordon Banks, Peter Shilton, Peter Schmeichel, Oliver Kahn, Iker Casillas, Gianluigi Buffon and Manuel Neuer – didn’t manage to obtain this prize.