Yuri Ermakov

Yuri Aleksandrovich Ermakov was born on 12 July 1962 in Ivanovo, in the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic.

Alongside his playing career he studied at the Ivanovo State Power Engineering University, graduating in 1984. In 2000 he completed the Higher School of Coaches at the Russian State Academy of Physical Culture, qualifying as both a coach and a sports manager, and in 2010 he took a further diploma in organisational management at the Ivanovo power engineering university.

Ermakov first played for Tekstilshchik Ivanovo in 1980 and 1981. He developed at Volzhanin Kineshma under Vladimir Belkov from 1982 to 1985 and spent 1986 with Dinamo Makhachkala. Returning to Tekstilshchik in 1987, he became a regular and for many years captain of the side, a midfielder and defender who played through to 1995.

He then switched to futsal with Polygran of Moscow. In 1995 the team won the European Champions Cup and the Cup Winners' Cup, and he also won the Russian championship and Russian Cup. He captained Russia's national futsal team at a world championship and was named a Master of Sport of International Class. He returned to football with Spartak-Telekom in 1997 and 1998 and Spartak Kostroma in 1999, and played futsal for Saratov before retiring.

In 2003 he was appointed general director of Tekstilshchik, which he took into the First Division despite tight finances, later serving as sporting and technical director. He became the team's coach in 2007 and 2008, returned as general director from 2009, was vice president in 2012 and 2013, general director again from 2013 and president from 2017 to 2022. He was then made honorary president. He was a member of the council of the Professional Football League.

From January 2012 Ermakov was a member of the Public Council of the city of Ivanovo, and in its second convocation he chaired the committee on youth affairs, sport and patriotic education.

After leaving his executive role at Tekstilshchik he continued to work in the game at grassroots level, coaching juniors and heading a children's futsal academy in Ivanovo.

Yuri Ermakov died in Ivanovo on 8 November 2026, aged 64. Tekstilshchik announced his death on 9 November and offered its condolences to his family and friends. Russian reports said he had been ill. He was buried at the Bogorodskoye cemetery in Ivanovo.

Ermakov is remembered in Ivanovo as one of Tekstilshchik's most loyal servants, as captain, coach, director and president over more than four decades, and as one of the Russian players who won European honours in the early years of club futsal.

His honours included the badge of Excellence in Physical Culture and Sport and the honorary badges of the Russian Football Union and the Professional Football League for services to the development of football, the latter awarded in June 2015.