  Football legend Nikita Simonyan dies at 99 November 24, 2025 - 11:11 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Nikita Simonyan, a legendary figure in football, has passed away at the age of 99. The news was confirmed by Alexander Mirzoyan, president of the Russian Football Veterans Union. Simonyan celebrated his 99th birthday on October 12. He was hospitalized on November 20. A four-time Soviet Union champion, Simonyan played for Spartak Moscow, winning the USSR Cup twice and becoming the club’s all-time top scorer with 160 goals. In 1956, he earned an Olympic gold medal as part of the Soviet national team at the Melbourne Games. After retiring from professional play, Simonyan achieved success as a coach, leading Spartak Moscow to Soviet championships in 1962 and 1969. In 1973, he guided Ararat Yerevan to both the Soviet title and the Cup. He was awarded the title of Hero of Labor of the Russian Federation.   Top stories Armenia’s Narek Manasyan (92kg) won Armenia’s second silver medal at the European Boxing Championships 2024 on April 28. Armenian gymnast, Olympic bronze medalist Artur Davtyan has reached the finals of the World Cup. Gor Manvelyan has denied reports alleging that he has expressed a desire to one day play for the French national team. Roma midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan is not considering FC Spartak Moscow as his next haven, according to fresh reports.   Partner news |  Latest news Viva sees growing demand for cloud services  In recent years, medical institutions are starting to make use of Viva’s cloud servicesTurkey replacing term "Central Asia" with "Turkestan" in textbooks The Turkish Ministry of Education is replacing the term "Central Asia" with "Turkestan" in textbooks.Armenian, German presidents meet in Berlin Armenian and German Presidents Vahagn Khachaturyan and Frank-Walter Steinmeier met in Berlin.Armenia assumes presidency of Mediterranean Network of Regulatory Authorities The Commission on Television and Radio of Armenia said it expects productive cooperation in various formats. |
