Full name Aleksandrs Vanags Years Team Died 1986 Date of death 1986 Role Football player | Name Aleksandrs Vanags Date of birth 1919 1938–1940 ASK Riga | |
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Aleksandrs Vanags (21 March 1919 – 1986), aka Alexandre Vanags, was a Latvian football and basketball player. At a young age he debuted in the Latvia national football team, after World War II he played football in France.
Biography
The right wing forward-midfielder Aleksandrs Vanags made his debut with Universitātes Sports (later he moved to ASK Rīga) and Latvia national football team at a young age. He scored 9 goals for Latvia in 18 matches (from 1937 to 1939). In addition to football Vanags also played basketball for Latvia on an international level, he was silver medalist of EuroBasket 1939. In 1942 during German occupation of Latvia Vanags as a player with ASK won the Latvian league title.
After the Second World War Vanags settled in France where he joined RC Strasbourg. For two seasons he played also with FC Nancy but then returned to Strasbourg. In 140 matches with RC Strasbourg Vanags scored 10 goals. In 1951 with RC Strasbourg Vanags won Coupe de France.
Later Vanags took up coaching football and basketball.