Yura Movsisyan responds to the death of Nikita Simonyan: “His contribution to Spartak and the Armenian people is impossible to measure”

Former Spartak Moscow forward Yura Movsisyan shared his memories of Nikita Simonyan following the news of the legendary footballer and coach’s passing, who died at the age of 99.

According to Movsisyan, meeting Simonyan was one of the warmest and most meaningful moments of his career.

“I was fortunate to have personal conversations with Nikita Pavlovich. He was a true legend — both for me and for the entire Armenian nation. His passing is a tremendous loss. What he did for Spartak and for Armenians cannot be put into words. He possessed incredible human qualities,” the ex-striker told Metaratings.ru.

Movsisyan recalled first meeting Simonyan after his brilliant debut for Spartak, when he scored a hat-trick against Terek. Later, after netting three goals against Zenit, the two spoke again — Movsisyan even gifted Simonyan his match shirt.

“He always offered valuable advice and treated everyone with great respect. It was an honor to know him and learn from him,” Movsisyan added.

Simonyan’s death was announced by Alexander Mirzoyan, president of the Russian Football Veterans Union. According to him, on November 20, the iconic athlete felt unwell and was hospitalized, and on November 23, one of the brightest figures in Russian football passed away.

Simonyan remains a symbol of an entire era — an outstanding player, coach, and personality whose name is forever linked with the history of Spartak and world football.