Column by Alexander Lipenko. Ahead of the brilliant Lineker and Butragueño

I continue to tell you about famous Dynamo footballers of different generations. Today, the honored master of sports Igor Belanov is in the spotlight.

The forward was born on September 25, 1960, in Odessa. Holder of the “Ballon d’Or” — an annual award for the best footballer in Europe (1986). In the traditional survey of the reputable Paris magazine “France Football,” the Kyiv Dynamo player received 84 votes, surpassing the top scorer of the 1986 World Cup, Englishman Gary Lineker (62), and Spaniard Emilio Butragueño (59).

Belanov participated in the 1986 World Cup, was the vice-champion of Europe in 1988. He played 33 matches for the USSR national team, scoring 8 goals. Holder of the Cup Winners' Cup (1986), champion of the USSR (1985, 1986), holder of the Cup (1985, 1987, 1990). He was included in the list of the “33 best” four times. Silver medalist of the Ukrainian championship (1996).

He played for clubs: SKA (Odessa), “Chornomorets” (Odessa), “Dynamo” (Kyiv), “Borussia” (Germany, Mönchengladbach), “Eintracht” (Germany, Braunschweig), “Metallurg” (Mariupol).

Proved to be a good match

At one time, Leonid Buryak advised Valery Vasilyevich Lobanovsky to pay attention to his countryman, the forward of “Chornomorets,” Belanov. And then the Maestro heard his protégé. Thus, the 25-year-old Odessa native became a player for the capital’s “Dynamo.” The 1985 and 1986 seasons were successful for the Kyiv club both at home and abroad.

Excellent start and long-distance speed, precise kicking, perseverance, work ethic, and the ability to clearly execute the coach's instructions allowed Igor to become a leading player in Lobanovsky’s team. As part of the Dynamo players from 1985 to 1989, the forward played 121 matches, scoring 39 goals.

Memorable goals were scored against the Moscow “Spartak.” One of them turned out to be the two-thousandth goal of Kyiv “Dynamo” in the USSR championships.

Ruined goalkeepers' moods

The “starry” seasons for Belanov and “Dynamo” were 1985 and 1986. The Kyiv team then competed in the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, which they had already won in 1975.

Igor opened the scoring for European cup goals on November 6, 1985, in Kyiv in the 1/8 finals, hitting the net of the Romanian club “Universitatea” (Craiova). The hosts won — 3:0.

In the quarterfinal away match in Vienna against “Rapid,” Belanov troubled Austrian national team goalkeeper Michaël Konsel twice. The Dynamo players won — 4:1. Konsel didn’t have any respite from our forward in the Kyiv match at the Republican Stadium (5:1). And in the semifinals in Prague, Belanov scored from a penalty against “Dukla” — 1:1.

They started a “carousel”

On May 2, 1986, in Lyon (France) at the “Gerland” stadium in the Cup Winners' Cup final, Dynamo players Igor Belanov, Alexander Zavarov, and Oleg Blokhin, supported by midfielders Vasily Rats, Pavel Yakovenko, and Ivan Yaremchuk, created a real “carousel” in front of the opponent's goal, making the Spanish defenders dizzy.

Valery Lobanovsky’s charges won (3:0) and claimed the Cup Winners' Cup for the second time. Goals were scored by Zavarov, Blokhin, and Vadim Yevtushenko.

Final tournament results: 9 matches (6 wins, 2 draws, 1 loss, goals — 26:8). The credit for this achievement belongs to the whole team.

Goalkeepers: Mikhail Mikhailov (5 matches/5 goals conceded), Viktor Chanov (5/3).

Defenders: Anatoly Demyanenko (9/2 goals), Oleg Kuznetsov (9), Sergey Baltacha (8), Vladimir Bessonov (8), Vasily Yevseev (1).

Midfielders: Vasily Rats (9/2), Ivan Yaremuk (9/3), Andrey Bal (8), Alexander Zavarov (8/5), Pavel Yakovenko (8/1), Alexey Mikhaylichenko (1).

Forwards: Igor Belanov (9/5), Oleg Blokhin (9/5), Vadim Yevtushenko (9/3).

Coach — Valery Lobanovsky.

Fredriksson sympathized with the “Red Devils”

In late May 1986, the next World Cup kicked off in Mexico. The core of the USSR national team, led by Valery Lobanovsky, consisted of Kyiv Dynamo players.

In the first match of the group stage, our team crushed the Hungarian national team (6:0!). Belanov scored the opener. Then there was a draw (1:1) with France and a victory over Canada (2:0).

Then came a dramatic match against the Belgian national team. Belanov managed to score the first “hat-trick” of the tournament. But unfortunately, our team lost to the “Red Devils” (3:4). The Belgians were aided by referee Fredriksson from Sweden. He turned a blind eye and allowed our opponents to score two goals against Rinat Dasayev from clear offsides.

At that time, one Yugoslav newspaper wrote that the offside positions of the Belgians could be seen even while flying in an airplane.

At one point, Belanov said in an interview, “Without a second thought, I would trade my ‘Ballon d’Or’ for a fair result in the match at the 1986 World Cup against the Belgians.”

After playing in the Bundesliga, he later became the president of a club in Switzerland

After the end of the 1989 season, Igor Belanov left Kyiv “Dynamo.” He spent several years in the prestigious German Bundesliga, playing for well-known clubs “Borussia” (Mönchengladbach) and “Eintracht” (Braunschweig).

Belanov ended his player career in 1997 at the age of 37. His last club (as a player) was Mariupol “Metallurg.” He played five matches in the Ukrainian championship for this team and scored four goals.

In 2003, Igor Ivanovich became a co-owner and assistant coach (though only for one year) of the Swiss club “Wil.” He invited his longtime friend Alexander Zavarov to the position of coach. Within a few months, the team from the town of 23 thousand residents transformed before our eyes. In the final of the Swiss Cup (2004), “Wil” defeated the famous “Grasshopper” from Zurich (3:2), claiming the only trophy in its history.

But the fairy tale came to an end—due to a conflict with board members, Belanov had to leave the club. After his departure, “Wil” lost eight matches in a row and left the top division of the Swiss championship.

After returning to his native Odessa, Belanov led the city’s Department of Physical Culture and Sports for three years.

In Southern Palmira, there is a glory alley of FC “Chornomorets” leading to the main stadium of Odessa. It features commemorative stars of players from the club of different generations. On September 1, 2012, a star of the 1986 Ballon d’Or holder Igor Belanov appeared there.

When on February 24, 2022, the Russian hordes attacked our homeland from the Moscow swamps, Igor Ivanovich together with his son picked up rifles and joined the ranks of self-defense…

“Glory to everyone who opposes the occupiers who brazenly came to destroy our Land and our Free, Heroic People! I, Igor Belanov, and my son Valeriy Belanov believe in our victory! Glory to Ukraine!” — wrote the famous footballer on his page in the social network Facebook at that time.

Aleksandr LIPENKO for Dynamo.kiev.ua