Some episodes from the soccer life of FC Dynamo players of different generations.
Commander of the Order of Merit, III degree Vasyl Rats was born on March 23, 1961 in Franchikovo in Transcarpathia. Honored Master of Sports, midfielder. Participant of the World Championships (1986, 1990). Vice-champion of Europe (1988). In the national team of the former USSR played 47 matches, scored 4 goals. Winner of the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup (1986), four-time USSR champion (played 185 matches, scored 24 goals) and winner of the Cup of the country, champion (1992) and winner of the Cup of Hungary (1993).
Played for "Karpaty" (Lviv) - 1978-1980, "Niva" (Vinnitsa) - 1980-1981, "Dynamo" (Kyiv) - 1981-1989, 1990, 1991, "Espanyol" (Spain, Barcelona) - 1989, "Ferencvaros" (Hungary, Budapest) - 1991-1993.
Vasily (in Hungarian Laszlo) is a graduate of Lviv sports boarding school. As a tenth-grader he played in the national team of schoolchildren of Ukraine. He started his way in professional soccer in the double of Lviv "Karpaty". Then there was Vinnitsa. The talented Zakarpattian received an invitation from Dynamo in 1981.
He started to play in the famous club in the reserves. He played his first match in the "base" against Dynamo Moscow. Then appeared in the starting lineup in a meeting with Spartak. And gradually became one of the main performers in the legendary team. An interesting detail - for four Dynamo years (1985-1988) Rats missed only one match.
The midfielder possessed a strong, well-positioned kick, and was characterized by his ability to effectively conduct attacking actions.
Vasily's star year was 1986. He became an honored master of sports. On June 2 in Lyon (France) Dynamo won the European Cup Winners' Cup for the second time in its history, defeating Spanish Atletico Madrid 3-0 in the final. Rats made a significant contribution to that achievement. In the fall, his team became the 12-time national champion.
That season in Mexico, Rac took part in the World Cup as a member of the national team. In the match against France he managed to score the decisive goal. He upset the goalkeeper of the reigning European champions Joel Batsa once again in Paris in the qualifying match of the European Championship.
Euro 1988 in Germany. The meeting in the group between the USSR and the Netherlands took place in Cologne. Outstanding stars - Rud Gullit, Frank Rijkaard, Ronald Koeman, Marco van Basten unsuccessfully attacked the gates of our national team, which at that tournament was led by Valery Lobanovsky. Then in a sharp confrontation his wards took the upper hand - 1:0. And the winning goal was scored by the hero of our story Vasyl Rats in the 53rd minute.
For the second time in the tournament these rivals met in the final. The Netherlands won 2-0. Our team got the "silver medal" - a great achievement.
The last match of the 1988 national championship was held at home with the leaders at that time - Moscow Dynamo. The home team needed only victory to win the title. Ratz sealed the fate of the match with an accurate strike - 2:1. The fans chanted: "Prudnikov and Bats are suffering - Vasya Rats came on the pitch!".
In 1991, the famous Dynamo player appeared in Budapest "Ferencvaros". Then the doctors of the Hungarian club, grabbing their heads, said to the player: "What kind of soccer, you are a semi-disabled."
But Vasily (ethnic Hungarian), who was especially warmly welcomed by local fans, still played that difficult season for himself, becoming the Hungarian champion. And the next year he won the Hungarian Cup with the team. And walked away from more soccer as a winner.
Having hung his cleats on the nail, Vasily Karlovich went into business. In Budapest, he founded the firm "Rats and Sons". His boys - Laszlo and Attila in his time also practiced soccer, but did not reach the level of his father. So they gave themselves completely to the family business.
And their restless father, as soon as he was called, immediately returned to soccer. In the season 1996/1997 he worked as the first assistant coach of Ferencvaros. In 2007 he became the assistant coach of Dynamo Kyiv. And in 2011 he was the coach of Obolon.
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There is a funny story connected with the name of Rats in Dynamo. In 2000, defender Laszlo Bodnar came to the team from Hungarian Debrecen. The newcomer was very surprised when his new partners started calling him Vasily. Then he was told about the performances of the famous Laszlo Raca in Dynamo club. In Ukrainian this name sounds exactly Vasyl.
Bodnar turned out to be a useful player for Kyiv. With them he twice won the title of Ukrainian champion (2001, 2003). Curiously, after leaving Dynamo, Laszlo Bodnar played in the infamous Salzburg and twice became the Austrian champion (2007, 2009). With Debrecen he won the Hungarian "gold" (2010)...
Oleksandr LIPENKO for Dynamo.kiev.ua