Today, the iconic Volyn coach Vitalii Kvartsianyi celebrates his 70th birthday. One of his star pupils is former Dynamo Kyiv and Ukraine defender Oleh Luzhnyi.
- How did you get into Kvartsianyi's team?
- In the USSR, there were rules that teams in the Second League had to play two young players in a home match and one in an away match. This way, every young player could prove himself. Graduates of the Lviv sports boarding school went all over the country. I was recommended to Torpedo Lutsk. That's how I got to Vitalii Kvartsianyi's team.
- What were Kvartsianyi's training sessions like?
- The workload was serious, but we, the young ones, found it easy. If 35-year-old players could withstand the training, then at the age of 16 I had no reason to complain. Compared to Lobanovskyi's workload, it was heaven and earth. Valery Vasilyevich's was much harder.
I went to a good school at Kvartsianyi's place, which hardened my character. For example, we trained in any weather. Once we went to a training camp in Zakarpattia, it was raining like a bucket, the mud was up to the bone, you couldn't see the boots, but we were running. We had only two sets of uniforms, which had to be washed afterwards. For the second training session, the uniforms were mostly not changed so as not to get two dirty. We lived in spartan conditions. It was a good experience for young players.
- Did Kvartsyanyi often shout at you?
- Volodymyrovych will never shout for no reason. If he shouts, it means that I did something wrong, so there are no resentments. Kvartsianyi felt each player - whether he would progress or not. I like such charismatic people. Kvartsianyi always said what he thought.
- What do you remember about Kvartsianyi?
- I came to him as a 16-year-old boy and he showed me what adult football is all about - he let me play with uncles 30 years old. Firstly, I want to thank Vitalii Volodymyrovych. Kvartsianyi played a very important role in my football career and life.
He always told me how to train and play properly. I was young at the time, I could have gone out for a walk, and Volodymyrovych told me: "You'll have time to party later, but now you have to work and prove yourself!"
I really remember Kvartsianyi's words, which turned out to be prophetic in the end: "You will play for Dynamo Kyiv". I believed him and worked with double the energy. Volodymyrovych treated me like his own son.
- Can you tell us a funny story about Kvartsyan?
- At the time, I was serving in the army in Lutsk and playing for Torpedo. I was allowed to live in a dormitory with the players. I remember one match I didn't play very well. After the game, Kvartsianyi came to the dormitory and brought a colonel with him. The military man immediately called me to him and said: "Luzhnyi, be in the unit tomorrow".
Then I went to Kvartsianyi: "Volodymyrovych, talk to the colonel so that he doesn't take me to the unit. I promise I will play well in the next match." Kvartsianyi was a subtle psychologist.
- Would you like Kvartsianyi to return to coaching?
- Two weeks ago, I told Volodymyrovych: "Come back to football". He replied: "I would love to, but there is a war going on, no time for football". I am in favour of his return to coaching with both hands.
I have long said that if Kvartsianyi does not coach, there will be no football in Volyn. And so it happened. He was very fond of his team. I remember when I was already playing for Dynamo, Volodymyr borrowed money from me to buy a bus for FC Volyn. A real patriot!
No one should interfere in Volyn football at all. There is Kvartsianyi!
- Your wishes to Kvartsianyi.
- I wish that we celebrate his centenary together and that you call me again in 30 years to do the same interview about Volodymyrovych. I hope that he returns to football, finds sponsors, revives FC Volyn and achieves some results with the team.
Vitaliy Volodymyrovych, thank you very much for everything you have done in my life. I wish you health, happiness, peace, love and joy in life!
Andrey Piskun