Today, the world celebrates several well-known individuals who have closely tied their lives to football:
Andrey Bal
Andrey Bal (1958−2014) — former Ukrainian footballer. He played as a defender and midfielder. He represented the colors of Lviv’s “Karpaty,” Kyiv’s “Dynamo,” as well as Israeli teams “Maccabi” (Tel Aviv) and “Bnei Yehuda.” He worked as one of the scouts for Kyiv’s “Dynamo.” He played 20 games for the USSR national team, scoring 1 goal (against the Brazilian national team in the 1982 World Cup — Ed.). He participated in the World Cups of 1982 and 1986. Andrey Mikhailovich passed away in 2014 while playing football at the stadium named after him, Bannikov.
Sergei Nazarenko (1980) — former Ukrainian midfielder, known for his performances with “Dnipro.” He played for the Ukrainian national team, where he was one of the key players. Quarterfinalist of the 2006 World Cup. He played 56 matches for the Ukrainian national team, scoring 12 goals. He currently serves as the assistant coach of “Polesie” Yuriy Kalitvintsev.
Sergei Buletsa (1999) — midfielder of “Dynamo.” He hails from Transcarpathia, where he grew up and began playing first for an amateur team, then for Uzhhorod’s SDYUSHOR. From there, he moved to Kyiv — first to the RvUFk academy, and then received an invitation to Vitaliy Kosovskiy’s team. He made his debut for the “white and blue” in the Ukrainian U-19 league on August 6, 2016, in an away match against Poltava’s “Vorskla” (2:3). He is currently on loan playing for the Polish team “Lechia.”
Angelo Peruzzi (1970) — former Italian goalkeeper. In the late 1990s, his place in the Juventus goal seemed unshakeable. He is a Champions League winner and a three-time Italian champion. But competitors appeared, and Peruzzi switched clubs to “Lazio,” while firmly sitting on the bench for the national team. He first became the substitute for Toldo, and then for Buffon. In 2006, he became a world champion while being the goalkeeper No. 2 of the “Squadra Azzurra.” He ended his career in 2007.
Bebeto (1964) — a well-known former Brazilian footballer. He began his professional career in 1983. He played for Brazilian clubs “Vitoria” (Salvador), “Flamengo,” “Vasco da Gama,” “Botafogo,” Spanish clubs “Deportivo La Coruña,” “Sevilla,” Mexican “Toros Neza,” Japanese “Kashima Antlers,” and “Al-Ittihad” from Saudi Arabia. He made his debut for the Brazilian national team in 1985. He participated in the World Cups of 1990, 1994, and 1998, becoming world champion in 1994. He won a silver medal at the 1988 Olympics and a bronze medal in 1996. He played a total of 76 matches for the national team, scoring 42 goals.
Michael (1981) — Brazilian midfielder. In his time, he played for Kyiv’s “Dynamo,” but after a short stay in Ukraine, he returned to his homeland.
