January 6 marks the 84th anniversary of the birthday of the legendary player and coach of "Dynamo" Kyiv Valery Vasyliovych Lobanovskyi. This is one of the special dates in the annals of the glorious club, because the greatest achievements in its history are associated with the figure of the great Metra.
Photo: fcdynamo.comValery Lobanovsky devoted a large part of his life to football and Dynamo, first bringing success to the Kyiv club as a gifted player, and later, even more, as a mentor, creating three golden teams in different decades that glorified Kyiv and Ukraine throughout the world.
Valery Lobanovskyi's trophy collection at the head of Dynamo Kyiv has not yet been surpassed by anyone. His ideas were far ahead of his time, he was always a football trendsetter and a role model for his coaching colleagues and followers. The great Ukrainian coach is rightly considered one of the best coaches in the history of football and is placed in the highest places in various ratings.
Valery Vasyliovych has not been with us for more than 20 years, but his memory will never fade. And even now, during the difficult wartime, many people came to Metra's grave at the Baikovo cemetery and to the monument near the Dynamo stadium named in his honor on Memorial Day.
Some could barely hold back tears. And not only relatives, like Valery Vasyliovych's daughter Svitlana, but also those who got to know Metro through playing football. These are Andrii Biba, with whom Lobanovsky played side by side in Dynamo, and Volodymyr Muntyan and Leonid Buryak, who won legendary victories with the club already under the leadership of Lobanovsky the coach.
In addition to flowers from the club's veterans and their families, flowers were also laid at the memorial on behalf of the president of the club Igor Surkis, Hryhoriy Surkis, as well as from the entire Dynamo team. Despite the absence of an organized rally, caused by the martial law, fans also came to the grave at Baikovo Cemetery and to the monument to Valery Lobanovsky near the stadium, for whom the name of the great coach is the personification of the victorious history of Dynamo Kyiv.
Those who came to Baikovo cemetery on the frosty morning of January 6 shared memories of Metra. Dynamo vice-president Oleksiy Semenenko spoke warm words dedicated to Valery Lobanovskyi:
"Paying tribute to Valery Vasyliovych's merits, every year on January 6 we come here to say that we remember him, love him, and we tell the younger generation about him at every opportunity when it comes to football - what an important figure he was, not only for football, but also for our entire country. Each subsequent generation will come here, and he will be forever in our memory. Many thanks also to the fans who came here on this day, despite the fact that we cannot hold organized rallies and gather people during martial law. On the day of the 84th anniversary of the birth of Metra, we also remember with kind words his best half, without whom Valery Lobanovskyi's star would hardly have risen so brightly in the sky, if his wife Adelaida Pankratiivna had not been by his side for many years. Kudos to them from all of us.”
The legendary Dynamo player Leonid Buryak shared his memories of the mentor under whose guidance he gained fame for the Kyiv club and Ukraine:
"I personally miss Valery Vasyliovych very much, not to mention his family and loved ones. I have no doubt that he would help in this difficult time both for the country and for the Dynamo Kyiv club, given his experience and knowledge. He was a man who was ahead of his time and always thought ahead. Undoubtedly, he is one of the most outstanding Ukrainians in history."
Oleksandr Ishchenko, director of Dynamo Youth Football Academy, said that Valery Lobanovskyi is an example to follow and for the younger generations of Dynamo residents:
"At the Dynamo football school, we tell the children who Valery Vasyliovych was - in addition to the fact that he was a bright football player and an outstanding coach, he was also a very educated person. We have to prepare people not only for football, but also for life, so that they are worthy citizens of their country."
Valery Lobanovskyi's life became an example of selfless service to his cause, to which he gave all of himself without a trace. Not only titles and achievements speak eloquently for him, but also boundless love and memory of many generations.
"We are alive as long as we are remembered" - these words engraved on the memorial best say that Valery Vasyliovych will always be alive in the hearts of those who love and respect him, because his bright memory will be eternal .
