Aleksandrs Vanags

Aleksandrs Vanags

Personal information
Full name	Aleksandrs Vanags
Date of birth	1919
Place of birth	Rīga, Latvia
Date of death	1986
Playing position	Attacking midfielder
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1938–1940	ASK Rīga	13	(9)
1946–1947	RC Strasbourg	?	(?)
1947–1949	Nancy FC	21	(2)
1949–1955	RC Strasbourg	129	(13)
National team
1937–1940	Latvia	13	(9)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.

Aleksandrs Vanags

Medal record
Representing  Latvia
Men’s Basketball
European Championships
	1939 Lithuania	Team Competition

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.^[1]

Later Vanags took up coaching football and basketball.

References

1. Vanags' profile on the RC Strasbourg website