Ex-football player and coach of Kyiv Dynamo Leonid Buriak shared his memories about his former team-mate Mykhailo Fomenko, who passed away yesterday at the 76th year of life.
Leonid Buryak. Photo — A. Popov- About a year ago I learnt that Mikhail Fomenko was ill. He had been operated on in Austria. The operation was serious, and the doctors said that everything seemed to be in order, and all the problems were over. But, unfortunately, despite the encouraging information, everything came back completely different. When a close person with whom we played together for a long time leaves us, it leaves a bitter mark.
Fomenko was a reliable player, he cemented the game in defence. Without the trio of Reshko - Konkov - Fomenko there would be no victories that we managed to win. They were reliable, skilful players. There was such a situation inside the team that they, as senior comrades, controlled everything. Over time, this was passed on to us.
So, when a person dies, it is sad. It is a depressing state. It's especially hard to realise this after living with such a person for half a lifetime. It's hard to process. It is a grief for relatives, it is a grief for us, former teammates and colleagues.
- For football Ukraine, the news of Mykhailo Fomenko's death came as a shock. It is difficult to come to terms with the idea that this man has gone.
- He had good relations with everyone. He was a non-conflict person, and he did his job silently, calmly. We had such a team that no one told anyone, no one shouted. Everyone fulfilled their duties diligently. Fomenko is one of those who was worthy of the title of team captain. He wore the captain's armband at Dynamo for a long time.
We all regret that everything happened this way and we will always remember this man. What can you do, it is life. As they say, sooner or later the fairy tale ends. He could still live, because age still gave the right to a quiet old age. But... Condolences to the family and friends. We have to get over all this. One thing I can say: he was not an ordinary football player, not an ordinary person. Heavenly kingdom, glowing memory.
Andrey Pisarenko
