About Oleg Romantsev
Oleg Ivanovich Romantsev (Russian: Олег Иванович Романцев; born 4 January 1954) is a Soviet/Russian former international footballer and coach who is currently an advisor for FC Pari Nizhny Novgorod. Romantsev was acclaimed for his success with Spartak Moscow, whom he led to a record eight domestic league titles, and his work with the Russian national team. He is considered by some observers to be the finest coach in the history of Russian football. == Early years == Oleg Romantsev was born on 4 January 1954 in the selo of Gavrilovskoye, Spassky District, Ryazan Oblast, situated about 150 miles southeast of Moscow. The son of a road construction manager, Romantsev's family led a peripatetic existence, living in various places including the Kola Peninsula, Altay, and Kyrgyzstan before settling in Krasnoyarsk in the early 1960s where, at age 12, the young man worked as a loader's assistant at a house-building factory on a salary of 40 roubles. Having initially harboured a passion for trains, Romantsev found himself turning to football for support after his father walked out on the family, leaving his mother to support him and his brother and sister alone. Romantsev joined a local youth team named Metallurg where he played as a striker and within two years was appointed the team's captain. His performances there earned him an invite to play for Avtomobilist, another Krasnoyarsk team, at the Siberia & Far East Youth Championship where he scored seven goals in four games. He stayed with Avtomobilist after the tournament where he helped them to third place in the USSR Youth Championship. == Career == In 1971, Romantsev was promoted to the senior team of Avtomobilist, who at the time were competing in the Soviet Second League.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.