On 3 June, Serhiy Rebrov, an outstanding player and former coach of Dynamo Kyiv and now the coach of the Ukrainian national team, turned 50. UEFA honorary member Hryhoriy Surkis congratulated the hero of the day.
Sergey RebrovDear Sergey Stanislavovich!
I sincerely congratulate you on your Golden Jubilee. I pay tribute to one of the most productive forwards in the history of national football, an extraordinary teacher, a passionate patriot of the Motherland, a Human Being and an Athlete with a capital H.
With your incredible speed, thirst for victory and willingness to fight for it, as well as your dedication to the interests of your home team, you have earned the deep respect of the fans. And your extraordinary sense of the episode and understanding of the game, the ability to decide the fate of a match of any complexity, of course, have put Serhii Rebrov's name in the golden generation of Ukrainian football masters.
I am very glad and proud that fate brought our lives together under the banner of Dynamo Kyiv, where you have always been my friend from a young age. Both in the club's star team of the 1990s and in the national team during one of the most difficult and important periods of its formation, you led your teammates for many years.
And after an extremely fruitful playing career, you, a worthy student and successor of Valery Lobanovsky, also felt the call to coach. And, putting aside your personal peace of mind for later, you quickly turned into a thoughtful, demanding, modern and advanced mentor in every sense.
Even the list of coaching trophies and championship titles won during your first decade of coaching - in championships of different countries, on different continents - deserves the highest praise. So, dear jubilee, I wish you high creative flight in the future! Especially on the eve of the start of Euro 2024, which you are meeting at the head of the renewed Ukrainian national team.
I wish you health, love and happiness in your family home! Patient inspiration, sportsmanship and capable, talented pupils! And the fulfilment of all your deepest desires.
And to all of us - a long-awaited, victorious peace! Many years to come!
Sincerely,
Hryhoriy Surkis
