Coach from God, Professor of football, Iron Colonel... The coach of Dynamo Kyiv, Valeriy Lobanovskiy, has been called everything.
Valery LobanovskyFor many years he faithfully served football. Football was his life's work, he could not imagine himself without it. And we could not imagine football without Lobanovskiy.
There is no coach in the entire post-Soviet space, who would have achieved such results. Before he became the coach of the Dynamo club at the age of 35, he, a native Kievan, gave millions of football fans a great game, playing in the attack of his beloved Dynamo.
In the main part of the Kiev team this lanky technical player and a master of execution "dry leaf" appeared May 29, 1959 in a match with the Army of Moscow. On October 17, 1961 Lobanovsky and his teammates were congratulated on the first "gold", which Kiev team won in the championship of the former Soviet Union.
Then, while already working as coach of "Dynamo", he led his charges to champion medals eight times, five times his team won the "silver", two times - "bronze". In addition, Lobanovsky's Dinamo is a six-time winner of the national cup.
Also his team won the Ukrainian championship five times, and the National Cup three times. Two more Cup Winners' Cup (1975 and 1986) were won by the Bilo-Syni with Valeriy Vasyl'ovych as a coach.
Lobanovskyi's charges have won many awards. The number of victories won by the teams he has led over the years is second only to the famous Sir Alex Ferguson. Also, he is the holder of the UEFA Rubin Order of Merit, and, according to the European Football Union, he is among the five best European coaches of all times.
The last victory of the great coach
Valeriy Vassilyevich Lobanovsky passed away as warlords die on the battlefield. Unfortunately, there is no body armour in the world, which would protect from a lot of nervous stress, tremendous overload and tremendous emotional stress. The management of Dynamo club repeatedly persuaded the coach to undergo treatment, to leave the coaching bench - the electric chair - for a while. But he did not want to hear about it, as he could not imagine his life without football.
On Monday, May 13, 2002, Lobanovsky heart stopped beating at 20:35. It happened in Zaporizhzhya. Six days earlier, on May 7, during the Ukrainian championship match between Metalurh Zaporizhzhya and Dynamo (the Kyiv team won with a score of 3-1), the ambulance took the guests' coach to hospital. The best Ukrainian doctors fought for his life. But his heart failed...
Lobanovsky lived 63 years, 4 months and 7 days. The final match of the 2001/2002 Champions League began with a minute of silence in memory of the maestro. He died beautifully, if only death can be like that. He died in action. He died victorious! He passed away with dignity, worthy of his greatness.
We remember and will remember
Ukraine will remember Valeriy Lobanovskiy and will remember him for many years to come. He taught us to love football, love our home Dynamo. The Dynamo stadium is named after him, near which there is a sculptural composition of the great coach. The children's club academy is named after Lobanovskiy.
Since 2003, the tournament in memory of Valeriy Lobanovskiy is held. Over the years Dynamo, the national team of Poland, the youth teams of Ukraine, Slovakia, Austria, Slovenia, Israel, Finland, Uzbekistan became the winners of the tournament. Our youth team players who competed for the Cup in memory of Valeriy Lobanovskiy once included such players as Pyatov, Mykhalik, Morozyuk, Milevskiy, Aliev, Konoplyanka, Zozulya, Buyalskiy, Yarmolenko, Mudryk, Zinchenko, Supryaga and many others. Because of COVID-19 and the bloody war, this tournament has not yet been held.
Also, one of the capital's longest avenue is named after Lobanovsky, a square in Zaporizhzhya, where the beautiful Slavutich-Arena stadium is built. Kiev school #319, which Lobanovsky graduated with a silver medal, is named after him, and there is also a museum of the Great Coach.
They say that for those who left this land, the most important thing is to remember them. We remember and will remember Valeriy Lobanovskiy, a Hero of Ukraine and Coach from God for long.
Oleksandr LYPENKO for Dynamo.kiev.ua
