The legendary Dynamo Kyiv footballer Leonid Buriak, who won his greatest victories under Valery Lobanovsky, paid tribute to his great mentor.
- It is very important that Valeriy Vasilyevich is remembered, every year on this day people gather at the monument. It's nice that Dynamo's management is doing everything to make today's date sacred.
He was a man who was ahead of his time. I believe that the football he wanted to see Dynamo play is now played by a modern team. Of course, we now lack his wise advice and tactical ideas. Both Ukraine and the Dynamo football club have lost a coach who loved this club and this city to pieces. Everything he and his team did in those days was from the heart, sincerely. As for motivation, it was a pittance - we played for the honour of Ukraine, Dynamo.
My dream is for Dynamo to win another championship as soon as possible, and then the third star for 30 championship titles will appear above the club's emblem.
- Which of Valerii Vasylovych's immortal quotes do you remember the most?
- He was a man who was least interested in the spectacle, and victory always came first for him. He said that the game is forgotten, but the result remains in history.
At one time, we went to train with the club and the national team for three or four weeks at the Italian national team base. So, all the well-known Italian specialists who are now working as coaches, as well as specialists from other countries, came to our training sessions, took notes and treated Valeriy Vasilyevich with great respect.
- Dynamo's current coach Oleksandr Shovkovskyi also played under Valerii Lobanovskyi. Is his philosophy somewhat similar to that of the Maitre?
- Many of his students, including myself, coached Dynamo Kyiv. Not everything worked out as we wanted. In my opinion, Dynamo is currently looking for a new coach. Yes, now we cannot invite foreign players who could strengthen the team. Not because we don't want to, but because it's the time. We need to be patient and wait for victories, because we have good Ukrainian players.
I have already voiced my dream, and I hope that it will come true as soon as possible - a championship and the third star on Dynamo's emblem.