MOSCOW -- Vagiz Khidiyatullin is one of the greatest Soviet stars of the 1980s. A graceful ball-playing defender who spent the best years of his career at Spartak Moscow, he was the defensive stalwart of the team that reached the final at Euro '88.
He also received the bronze medal at the Moscow Olympics in 1980, played at the World Cup in 1990 and was unfortunate to suffer torn knee ligaments in training just before the World Cup in 1982 (though included in the squad, he couldn't play).
The 58-year-old Khidiyatullin now lives in the South-Western district of Moscow and told ESPN FC in an exclusive interview that he is concerned about the national team ahead of the 2018 World Cup.