National Teams Hall of Fame. U-16: Euro 1994 bronze

08.04.2020 16:16

Recent successes of Ukrainian teams, in particular, of the national team - in Nations League and European Championship qualifying as well as Ukraine U-20 at U-XNUMX World Cup 2019 , complemented the history of domestic football with new bright pages.

The triumph of Oleksandr Petrakov's wards is a peak for youth football. Ukrainian football gained its first international recognition since independence in the spring of 1994. Then 16-year-old boys under the guidance of a well-known specialist Volodymyr Kiyanchenko became bronze medalists of the European Championship in Ireland.

This was the first qualifying round for our U-16 youth team (later this age category will be changed to U-17), and immediately such a success. The qualifying tournament was very short - only two matches in October 1993 in Debrecen, Hungary. First, Ukraine modestly defeated the hosts - 1: 0 (goal by Volodymyr Hopkal), and then simply crushed the Armenian team - 9: 0. Roman Marich scored a hat-trick, Andriy Holovko scored twice, Volodymyr Hopkalo, Andriy Klymenko, Valentyn Slyusar and Serhiy Zgura scored once.

Marich, who represented Lviv's Karpaty, was not included in the bid for the final tournament. The same fate befell Oleksiy Voronov from the Kyiv RVUFK, the Republican Higher School of Physical Culture. At that time it was still called RUOR (Republican School of the Olympic Reserve), but this name was used by the educational institution only in 1990-1992 - from 1966 to 1990 - RSHISP (Republican Specialized Boarding School of Sports), from 2015 - Ivan Piddubny Olympic College).

In the same year, 1993, in preparation for the Euro-1994 qualifiers, Kiyanchenko's wards took part in an international tournament in the Netherlands, where they drew with the hosts (3: 3), defeated Luxembourg (5: 0), and defeated Iceland (2: 1) and lost to Portugal (0: 1). Subsequently, the Ukrainians played in a tournament in Austria, where the well-known results include a victory over Latvia (3: 0).

The top scorers in preparation were Serhii Zhura (five goals) and Valentyn Slyusar (four goals). Serhii Bilokin (2), Hennadii Zubov and Andrii Klymenko (one each) also were among scorers.

Serhiy Bud-Husaim (UOR Kharkiv), Ihor Knyazev (Metalist Kharkiv), Serhiy Levitsky (Dynamo Kyiv) took part in friendly matches among those who did not play in either the Euro-1994 qualifiers or the final tournament. and Anatoliy Matkevych (UOR Dnipropetrovsk).

Great hopes were placed on this bronze generation. But units made their way to the national team of Ukraine. Gennady Zubov showed himself most clearly - 29 matches, three goals (1996-2003). Valentin Slyusar has two matches (2008-2009) and Serhiy Perhun has one (2001). The latter would probably have played more, but three days after his debut in the national team suffered a head injury in a match for CSKA Moscow, after which he died on August 28, 2001. And soon Omar Mishkov, who died on September 6, 2001, was involved in a car accident. Volodymyr Kiyanchenko, head coach of the team (since May 21, 2011), Oleh Fedoruk (September 29, 2014) and Serhiy Omelyanovych (July 21, 2015) are no longer alive.

Ukraine at Euro-1994 (U-16)

Step by step

Belgium - Ukraine - 1: 2

Goals: Vandepaar (74, penalty) - Yashchuk (6), Fedoruk (9).

Ukraine: Perhun, Kolchin (Kuptsov, 78), Fedoruk, Nazarov, Mishkov, Gopkalo (Bilokin, 73), Zubov, Locksmith, Zgura, Omelyanovich, Yashchuk.

Referee: V. Grinak (Slovakia).

Booked: Shockert - Locksmith.

April 26. Dublin. Belfieldpark Stadium. Group tournament.

Turkey - Ukraine - 1: 1

Goals: Baikhan (11) - Zubov (20).

Ukraine: Ostapenko, Kolchin, Fedoruk, Nazarov, Mishkov, Gopkalo, Zubov, Locksmith, Zgura, Omelyanovich (Bilokin, 78), Yashchuk (Golovko, 70).

Referee: K. E. Fisker (Denmark).

Booked: Duranoglu - Omelyanovich, Kolchin, Golovko.

Sent off: Belokin (79).

April 28. Dublin. RDS Stadium. Group Tournament.

Iceland - Ukraine - 1: 2

Goals: Gislason (17) - Yashchuk (56), Locksmith (68).

Ukraine: Ostapenko, Kolchin, Fedoruk, Nazarov, Mishkov, Hopkalo (Klimenko, 46), Zubov, Slusar, Zgura, Omelyanovich, Yashchuk (Golovko, 78).

Referee: R. O'Hanlon (Ireland).

April 30. Dublin. Belfieldpark Stadium. Group tournament.

England - Ukraine - 2: 2 (on penalties - 4: 5)

Goals: Carragher (2), Cassidy (56) - Fedoruk (49), Omelyanovich (80).

Ukraine: Ostapenko, Kolchin, Fedoruk, Nazarov, Mishkov, Klimenko, Zubov (Gopkalo, 76), Locksmith, Zgura, Omelyanovich, Bilokin (Golovko, 74).

Referee: J. Pratash (Portugal).

May 3. Dublin. RDS Stadium. 1/4 finals.

Denmark - Ukraine - 2: 2 (on penalties - 5: 3)

Goals: Lektonen (37), Torup (80) - Bilokin (42), Hopkalo (61).

Ukraine: Ostapenko, Kolchin, Fedoruk, Nazarov, Mishkov, Klimenko (Gopkalo, 40), Zubov, Slusar, Zgura, Omelyanovich, Bilokin (Golovko, 73).

Referee: R. O'Hanlon (Ireland).

Booked: Gronkyar - Bilokin, Omelyanovich.

Sent off: Omelyanovich (71).

May 5. Dublin. Dalimanpark Stadium. 1/2 final.

Austria - Ukraine - 0: 2

Goals: Box (21), Zgura (72, penalties).

Ukraine (starting line-up): Ostapenko, Kolchin, Fedoruk, Nazarov, Mishkov, Hopkalo, Zubov, Locksmith, Zgura, Yashchuk, Kuptsov. Replaced by: Klimenko, Golovko.

Referee: M. Levnikov (Russia).

Booked: Klein.

May 8. Dublin. RDS Stadium. Match for 3rd place.

Note that future stars played in our rivals. For example, Fatih Tekke (Turkey), Eidur Gudjössen (Iceland), Jamie Carragher and Emil Heski (England), Esper Gronkyar and Martin Laursen (Denmark).

The Ukraine squad: (U-16) at Euro 1994