Irina Grigorieva (footballer)

{{About|the footballer|the physics professor|Irina Grigorieva (academic)}}

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Irina Grigorieva

| fullname = Irina Olegovna Grigorieva

| image =

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1970|2|21}}

| birth_place = Moscow, Russian SFSR,
Soviet Union

| height = 5ft 4in{{cite web |title=GRIGORIEVA Irina |url=http://wwc99.fifa.com/english/individuals/player170778.html |publisher=FIFA |access-date=19 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010221190908/http://wwc99.fifa.com/english/individuals/player170778.html |archive-date=21 February 2001}}

| position = Midfielder

| currentclub =

| clubnumber =

| youthyears1=

| youthclubs1=

| years1 = 1985–1991

| years2 = 1992

| years3 = 1993

| years4 = 1994

| years5 = 1994–2004

| years6 = 2005–2006

| years7 = 2007

| clubs1 = Stankoagregat Moscow

| clubs2 = Interros Moscow

| clubs3 = FC Lyon

| clubs4 = → 1. FFC Turbine Potsdam (loan)

| clubs5 = CSK VVS Samara

| clubs6 = Spartak Moscow

| clubs7 = Nadezhda Noginsk

| caps1=

| goals1 =

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| goals2 =

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| goals3 =

| caps4 =

| goals4 =

| caps5 = 181

| goals5 = 77

| caps6 =

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| goals7 =

| nationalyears1= 1990–1991{{cite web |date=February 9, 2011 |url=http://www.fifa.com/mm/document/fifafacts/stats-centclub/52/00/60/fifawomenscenturyclub.pdf |title=FIFA Century Club |website=FIFA |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141023160912/http://www.fifa.com/mm/document/fifafacts/stats-centclub/52/00/60/fifawomenscenturyclub.pdf |archive-date=October 23, 2014}}

| nationalteam1= Soviet Union

| nationalcaps1=

| nationalgoals1 =

| nationalyears2= 1992

| nationalteam2= CIS

| nationalcaps2=

| nationalgoals2 =

| nationalyears3= 1992–2002{{Cite web|url=https://rfs.ru/en/national-womens/players/grigorieva-irina|title=Irina Grigorieva|website=rfs.ru|access-date=19 March 2023|archive-date=5 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230405095357/https://rfs.ru/en/national-womens/players/grigorieva-irina|url-status=dead}}

| nationalteam3= Russia

| nationalcaps3= 43

| nationalgoals3 = 9

| pcupdate =

| ntupdate =

}}

Irina Olegovna Grigorieva ({{langx|ru|Ирина Олеговна Григорьева}}) is a Russian former footballer who played as a midfielder.{{Cite web|url=https://rfs.ru/en/national-womens/players/grigorieva-irina|title=Irina Grigorieva|website=rfs.ru|access-date=19 March 2023|archive-date=5 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230405095357/https://rfs.ru/en/national-womens/players/grigorieva-irina|url-status=dead}} She played for FC Lyon,{{Cite web|url=https://www.sofoot.com/articles/lyon-lintuition-feminine|title=Lyon, l'intuition féminine - Dossier - Lyon, terre de foot féminin - 05 Juil. 2019 - SO FOOT.com|date=5 March 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230305175427/https://www.sofoot.com/articles/lyon-lintuition-feminine |archive-date=2023-03-05 }} Spartak Moscow, CSK VVS Samara and Nadezhda Noginsk.{{Cite web|url=https://www.sports.ru/tribuna/blogs/womenplayfootball/3063392.html|title=Суперзвезда женской сборной из 90-х: брала чемпионат Франции, забивала на ЧМ пушкой страшной, играла за сборную мира|website=Sports.ru|language=Russian|date=27 July 2022|first=Gleb|last=Cherniavsky}}

Internationally, Grigorieva represented three different teams. She first played for the Soviet Union in 1990, before the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. During 1992, she played for the CIS, a brief association of former Soviet republics. Subsequently, she represented Russia.

She captained Russia at the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup, where she scored in the third match against Canada,{{Cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-jun-27-sp-50785-story.html|title=Russia Has Enough to Beat Heat|date=June 27, 1999|website=Los Angeles Times}} as well as at the 1997 and 2001 editions of the UEFA Women's Championship.

The Russian Football Union has described her as: "the best football player in the history of Russia".{{cite web |title="КУБАНСКАЯ ВЕСНА" |url=https://rfs.ru/page/334 |publisher=Russian Football Union |access-date=19 March 2023 |language=Russian |archive-date=19 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230319211115/https://rfs.ru/page/334 |url-status=dead }}

Early life

Grigorieva grew up in Yasenevo District with her cook mother and mechanic father. She was a childhood figure skater, who later progressed to playing field hockey and bandy.{{cite news |last1=Bobkov |first1=Konstantin |title=Футбол и мягкие игрушки |url=http://femalesport.ru/futbol-myagkie-igrushki.html |access-date=19 March 2023 |publisher=Femalesport.ru |date=17 March 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200920101831/http://femalesport.ru/futbol-myagkie-igrushki.html |archive-date=20 September 2020 |language=Russian}}

Club career

After Grigorieva's works hockey team "Stankoagregat" were defeated by their rivals in a national Cup final, the team coach suggested forming a football team instead. The club underwent name changes due to sponsorship and quickly became competitive in the Soviet women's football championship. Grigorieva was sent off and banned when her retaliation to being fouled brought about a mass brawl in a game against Nyva Baryshivka.

In the inaugural 1992 edition of the Russian Women's Football Championship, Grigorieva scored 22 goals for champions Spartak-Interros.{{cite web |last1=Dryomin |first1=Mike |last2=Fadeyev |first2=Sergey |last3=Stokkermans |first3=Karel |title=Russia 1992 Women |url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesr/rus-wom92.html |publisher=RSSSF |access-date=19 March 2023 |date=29 December 2006}} She added two decisive goals in the 1992 Russian Women's Cup final as her club secured a League and Cup "double".

Grigorieva transferred to FC Lyon in 1993, where she lodged with team mate Cécile Locatelli. She helped the team secure the 1992–93 Division 1 Féminine title and was named the Best Foreign Player of the Year. However, an anterior cruciate ligament injury brought about her return to Russia, where she accepted an offer to join CSK VVS Samara.

With CSK, Grigorieva and her team mates trained full-time while nominally employed as ensigns in the Russian Ground Forces. She spent half a season with Turbine Potsdam in 1994–95,{{cite news |title=UEFA-CUP DER FRAUEN: Charterflug nach Woronesh mit Fans geplant |url=https://www.tagesspiegel.de/potsdam/landeshauptstadt/charterflug-nach-woronesh-mit-fans-geplant-7740136.html |access-date=19 March 2023 |publisher=Der Tagesspiegel |date=29 September 2004 |language=German |quote=Irina Grigorieva eine Ex-Nationalstürmerin verpflichtete, die Anfang 1995 eine knappe halbe Saison lang für Potsdam in der Bundesliga kickte}} but otherwise remained with CSK until their dissolution in 2004.{{cite web |title=Информация об игроке |url=http://www.womenfootball.ru/wfphp/Get_player_info.php?player_id=45 |publisher=Women football ru |access-date=19 March 2023 |language=Russian}} In total, she made 181 league appearances and scored 77 goals for CSK VVS Samara.{{Cite web|url=https://yuzhnoebutovomedia.ru/news/professionalnaya-futbolistka-perekvalificirovalas-v-socrabotnika-v-tcso-yasenevo|title=Профессиональная футболистка переквалифицировалась в соцработника в ТЦСО "Ясенево"|publisher=yuzhnoebutovomedia.ru}}

In summer 2004 Grigorieva joined FC Energy Voronezh{{cite news |title=U.S. WOMEN ABROAD (Aug. 10-19): Emily Burt scores in Russia; Darci Borski tallies in Norway |url=https://www.socceramerica.com/publications/article/5968/us-women-abroad-aug-10-19-emily-burt-scores.html?print |access-date=19 March 2023 |publisher=Soccer America |date=16 August 2004 |quote=Burt is one of three newcomers in Energy's lineup, along with Russian great Irina Grigorieva and German teen Rashtetter.}} and she represented the club in the 2004–05 UEFA Women's Cup.

International career

Grigorieva was called up to the Soviet Union women's national football team within a year of taking up organized football. With the Russia women's national football team she was the captain of the team at UEFA Women's Euro 1997. Although she scored against France, the team underperformed, losing all three matches and failing to progress from the group stage.

At the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup draw in February of that year, Grigorieva represented her country when she was picked to play in a FIFA World XI against the United States in a showpiece exhibition game in San Jose, California.{{cite web|title=FIFA World Star Team |url=http://www.womensoccer.com/wwcup99/worldstar.html |access-date=19 March 2023 |publisher=WomenSoccer.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080526064246/http://www.womensoccer.com/wwcup99/worldstar.html#russia |archive-date=26 May 2008}} She appeared as a substitute for Bettina Wiegmann in the World XI's 2–1 win.{{cite web |last1=Leme de Arruda |first1=Marcelo |title=FIFA XI's Matches - Full Info |url=https://www.rsssf.org/miscellaneous/fifa-xi.html#women |access-date=19 March 2023 |publisher=RSSSF |date=26 January 2022}}

She had helped Russia qualify for their first FIFA Women's World Cup by scoring in the qualification playoff win over Finland. A tournament preview on the SoccerTimes.com website described her as a skilful center midfielder who possessed "the keys to the [Russian] attack".{{cite web |title=USA 1999: Russia |url=http://soccertimes.com/worldcup/1999/capsules/russia.htm |publisher=Soccer Times |access-date=19 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110111085013/http://soccertimes.com/worldcup/1999/capsules/russia.htm |archive-date=11 January 2011}} She was among several Russian squad members who had been converted to soccer from other sports.{{cite news |last1=Springer |first1=Shira |title=Russian team a work in progress |url=http://archive.boston.com/news/packages/wwc99/stories/0620_russia.htm |access-date=19 March 2023 |publisher=The Boston Globe |date=20 June 1999}}

In Russia's 5–0 Group C win over Japan at the final tournament, a notably unselfish display from Grigorieva saw her pass up goal-scoring opportunities for herself while serving three assists to team mates.{{cite news |last1=Elliott |first1=Helene |title=Russia finds firmer footing, 5-0 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/31509006/russia-finds-firmer-footing-5-0/ |access-date=19 March 2023 |work=The Los Angeles Times |date=24 June 1999 |page=200}} She opened the scoring herself in the 4–1 win over Canada which secured qualification for the quarter-finals, after which she said: "Sydney is looming, dominating all our thoughts".{{cite news |title=Match 22 Post Game Notes & Quotes Canada vs. Russia Match #22 (Group C) |url=http://wwc99.fifa.com/english/news/m22pstnq.htm |access-date=19 March 2023 |publisher=FIFA |date=16 June 1999 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010421162514/http://wwc99.fifa.com/english/news/m22pstnq.htm |archive-date=21 April 2001}} The team's defensive approach in their 2–0 quarter final defeat by China nullified the attacking threat of "Russia's strongest attacker" Grigorieva.{{cite news |title=WOMEN'S WORLD CUP: China, Norway advance |url=https://products.kitsapsun.com/archive/1999/07-01/0033_women_s_world_cup__china__norway_.html |access-date=19 March 2023 |publisher=Kitsap Sun |date=1 July 1999 |archive-date=19 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230319175721/https://products.kitsapsun.com/archive/1999/07-01/0033_women_s_world_cup__china__norway_.html |url-status=dead }}