Remembrance Day of Valery Lobanovsky. UAF representatives paid tribute to the legendary coach

13.05.2021 15:20

Photo by Volodymyr Rasner

Today marks 19 years since the day when the heart of one of the most outstanding coaches in the history of Ukrainian and world football - Valery Lobanovsky - stopped.

The long-time coach of Dynamo Kyiv led the club to the gold medals of the USSR championship eight times, five times to the highest awards of the Ukrainian championship, won the Cup Winners' Cup with the White and Blues (1975, 1986) and the UEFA Super Cup (1975). In 2000-2002, Valery Lobanovsky headed the national team of Ukraine. He managed to bring the Ukrainians to the playoffs of the 2002 World Cup, but, unfortunately, he was not destined to go to the World Cup with the blue and yellows. On the way of the Ukrainian team became the future silver medalist of the world championship - the national team of Germany.

Photo by Volodymyr Rasner

The evaluation of the Meter's merits before European and world football is the UEFA Ruby Order and the FIFA Order of Merit, of which he is a holder. In 2017, UEFA included Lobanovsky in the list of the 10 most outstanding coaches of European football since the creation of the union in 1954.

Valery Vasilyevich, despite health problems, remained in office until the last. On May 7, 2002, he suffered a stroke during a Dynamo match in Zaporizhia. In six days, on May 13, the coach's heart stopped.

Today in Kyiv, representatives of the Ukrainian Football Association laid flowers at the grave of the coach at the Baykovo Cemetery and at the monument to the Metro near the FC Dynamo Stadium (Kyiv). In honor of the bright memory of Valery Vasilyevich came, in particular, the head coach of the youth national team of Ukraine U-16 Oleg Kuznetsov, head coach of the youth national team of Ukraine U-19 Volodymyr Ezersky, coaches of the youth national team of Ukraine U-21 Vasyl Kardash and Vitaliy Reva, -football player Vladislav Vashchuk.

Photo by Volodymyr Rasner

Oleg Kuznetsov, who played under Valery Lobanovsky as a member of Dynamo in 1984-1990 and in the USSR national team in 1986-1990, recalling the coach, said: “Valery Vasilyevich was not only a great coach, but also a man with a capital letter. He decided my football destiny by inviting me to Dynamo. I would even call him my second father.

In 1982 I came to Kyiv with my father. Then everything was fast, five minutes of communication - and everything spun. Vasyliovych told me to move to the capital, saying that you would work with a double, and in the winter you would fly to the training camp with the first team.

Already as a Dynamo player, I communicated very little with Lobanovsky tete-a-tete, probably he was satisfied with my game. Although if he made a mistake, one look from the mentor was enough to understand his guilt. Valery Vasilyevich himself was tight-lipped.

As for the memorable matches under the leadership of Valery Lobanovsky, it is probably the final match of the USSR Cup in 1987 against Dynamo Minsk. Then the match started badly for us. We missed two goals, in fact, due to my mistakes and lost - 1: 3. In the second half I got a effective shot from a free kick from 30 meters, and at the last minute Alexander Zavarov transferred the game to extra time. In the end, we won the penalty shootout. "

Photo by Volodymyr Rasner