I have told many times about Viktor Kanevskiy, the long-time captain of Kyiv Dynamo, a favourite of the older generation fans, and I will continue to do so.
Viktor KanevskyThe brilliant forward-bomber played 195 matches for Dynamo in the Union championship, scored 80 goals. Champion of the USSR in 1961, silver medallist in 1960, winner of the Union Cup in 1964. Participant of the 1962 World Championship in Chile. He was named in the list of "33-best players of the country".
Started in backyard football. Later began to study at the famous school of Mikhail Borisovich Korsunsky. At the age of 16 he went to work at the factory "Arsenal": he made engravings on "Kiev" cameras. For fun he played for the factory team "Mashinostroitel". Another six months worked at the plant "Transsignal" mechanic.
However, Kanevsky was on the notice in "Dynamo" (Kyiv), and one day in 1955 he received a postcard with an invitation to the team. Together with him then in the Dynamo family came Valery Lobanovsky, Oleg Bazilevich and Valentin Troyanovsky, who later became the striking trio of the Kyiv club.
At first Kanevskiy's game did not go well, and coach Oleg Oshenkov was ready to expel the guy. But a chance helped - Kanevskiy was in a military unit, took the oath, and at the same time played for the championship of the unit. In one of the matches the opponent was defeated 10:0, and Kanevsky scored 8 goals.
That match was attended by Oshenkov, who immediately took Kanevsky back to the club. The next day after the match for the championship of the part Victor already played in the championship of the USSR against Kishinev "Moldova".
Fully forward revealed under the mentor Vyacheslav Solovyov, who managed to convince Dynamo players that not only Moscow teams can become champions of the country.
20-year-old Kanevsky made his debut for Dynamo in 1956, when centre forward Andrey Zazroev left the team. Having taken the baton from the famous performer, Viktor carried it honourably for almost 10 years.
Kanevsky is a striker by vocation. For this role he had good reasons: powerful and accurate strikes from both feet and from different distances, athleticism, high technique, a set of a variety of feints, the ability to improvise depending on the situation on the field.
The strength of his "shots" could appreciate the goalkeepers of clubs in Germany, England, Austria, Brazil, Italy ...
Once the famous goalkeeper Lev Yashin said about the Kiev striker such words:
"I personally got the most trouble from Viktor Kanevsky. It was a well-prepared physically player, with a wide outlook, excellent vision of the field. He bravely engaged in one-on-one battles with defenders. And constantly shot at the goal very dangerously. A number of goals, which he scored for me, can be called "dead".
Undoubtedly, for Viktor Kanevskiy, the captain of Dynamo, the most memorable and successful was the season-1961. For the first time Dynamo Kyiv left behind Moscow clubs, which had won the championship "gold" for 25 years in a row. And Viktor Kanevsky scored 18 goals in 26 games - the most in the team.
Kaneva's partners in the championship squad were: Oleg Makarov, Viktor Serebryanikov, Valeriy Lobanovskiy, Jozsef Sabo, Oleg Bazilevich, Anatoliy Suchkov, Yuri Voinov, Vladimir Shchegolkov, Andrey Biba, Valentin Troyanovskiy, Vladimir Anufrienko, Vitaliy Shcherbakov, Nikolay Koltsov, Vasily Turyanchik, Igor Zaitsev, Nikolay Kashtanov, Leonid Klyuev, Vladimir Sorokin, Valery Verigin, Vladimir Erokhin.
The partners valued their captain very much. Here are statements about him by some of them.
Valentin Troyanovsky: "Vitya is a player from God. How great he chose a place at the opponent's goal. It seemed that the defenders were always losing him. And if they did, he almost always managed to get past the guards. I think he was just a talented man who was destined to become a winner.
Vladimir Erokhin: "Viktor both on the pitch, and in the changing room, and in training, and in the most tense meeting - he remained even-tempered, friendly, attentive. He treated all his partners well. It seemed that he never had any ill-wishers. Our captain was a real leader in everything. Although he never showed it, and tried to stand out on the field only by playing".
One of the favourite wise expressions for Viktor Kanevskiy: "... the days are creeping away more and more slowly, turning into twilight, the years are flying away more and more quickly and turning into old age".
Valery Lobanovsky came to the rescue
After finishing his career as a player (it happened in Odessa "Chernomorets", where he played together with Valery Lobanovsky), Viktor Kanevsky moved to coaching. And faced a cavernous injustice.
The fact is that his patronymic is Israelievich, and his nationality is Jewish. So it was in the Soviet passport. And this did not like at that time the power holders in the most "international" country.
Victor Kanevsky said about that sad situation:
- My photo was "etched" from booklets, magazines and the book "Attacking Peaks". My whole team of 1961 is standing, and instead of me there is an empty place. And many other "miracles", I had to endure and continue to do my job.
When I travelled abroad with the team, there was always a KGB officer with me. They were very afraid that I would run away. But there were invitations to foreign clubs.
I felt especially keenly the cool attitude and distrust when I started to work as a coach. Not a word of gratitude, but there were successes. I worked with "Tavria" (Simferopol), with which I entered the First League. It was the same with Kharkiv "Metalist". For four years he headed Dnipro.
I received an invitation to work as a coach in Algeria together with other specialists. I had already started to draw up travelling documents, but was refused. My colleagues went to North Africa without me. I was offended and disappointed.
Then I decided to change my country of residence. I applied for departure. I was immediately expelled from the CPSU and dismissed from the service. I had to work at a construction site. My application was considered for ten years.
I do not know how my future life would have turned out if it had not been for Valery Lobanovsky. Having listened to me carefully, he offered to head Dynamo (Irpin) - the home club of the main team. And later Valeriy helped me. He is the only one who understood my problems.
However, I changed my place of residence. Together with my wife Tamara we moved to the USA. In New York I created a football school "Soccer Star", where children of Ukrainian emigrants and American boys were engaged. In short, life got better, he was doing what he loved to do....
Kanevsky flew to Kyiv several times. By the way, Viktor Israelievich celebrated his 75th anniversary in his native city, in the club of his life - "Dynamo".
Did not become an outstanding Ukrainian footballer on 25 November 2018 (rested at the age of 82). Buried in the United States - Bristol, Connecticut.
Oleksandr LIPENKO for Dynamo.kiev.ua
