The country is proud of the God-given coach Valeriy Lobanovskyi. A hero of Ukraine and a holder of the UEFA Ruby Order "For Merits," he won numerous trophies with his team.
Valeriy LobanovskyiLobanovskyi is among the best coaches in the world of all time in the FIFA rankings, and is listed in the top five in Europe in the UEFA rankings.
One could speak endlessly about his greatness. The Master’s legacy is the foundation on which Ukrainian football stands and will stand!
The famous Kyiv resident always looked to the future and often outpaced time.
At the age of 34, he headed Kyiv "Dynamo" in 1973, later becoming a deserving coach of the USSR and a deserved coach of Ukraine, achieving outstanding success both domestically and internationally over a long period with his team.
Let me name some of them. Dynamo teams led by Lobanovskyi won three European trophies: two Cup Winners' Cups (1975 and 1986) and the UEFA Super Cup (1975).
Three of his disciples: Oleg Blokhin (1975), Igor Belanov (1986), and Andriy Shevchenko (2004) are holders of the "Ballon d'Or" from France Football (to the best football player in Europe), and Oleksiy Mykhailychenko is the champion of the 1988 Olympics in Seoul (Republic of Korea).
The national team (coach Valeriy Lobanovskyi) won bronze medals at the 1976 Olympics in Montreal (Canada). And in 1988 in Germany, Valeriy Vasyliovych’s team, most of whose players were from Kyiv Dynamo, became the vice-champion of Europe.
Medals and Cups
Valeriy Lobanovskyi’s Dynamo is an eight-time champion of the former USSR, having won "silver" five times, "bronze" twice, and the Cup six times.
There were five "gold" finishes in the Ukrainian championship, and three victories in cup tournaments.
At different times, under different conditions, Lobanovskyi managed to create gameplay ensembles that amazed football Europe, delighting a numerous army of Ukrainian fans.
Following the coach's footsteps
Many disciples of Valeriy Vasyliovych Lobanovskyi followed in his footsteps and became coaches. Let me name a few: Oleg Blokhin, Leonid Buryak, Volodymyr Muntyan, Viktor Kolotov, Mykhailo Fomenko, Volodymyr Onyshchenko, Volodymyr Troshkin, Viktor Matviyenko, Anatoliy Konkov, Anatoliy Dmyanienko, Volodymyr Bessonov, Pavlo Yakovenko, Oleg Kuznetsov, Andriy Bal, Yuriy Kalitvintsev, Oleksandr Holovko, Oleg Luzhny, Mykhailo Mykhailov, Valeriy Zuev, Valentyn Belkevych, Oleksandr Khatskevych, Viktor Kondratov, Andriy Shevchenko, Serhiy Rebrov, Oleksandr Shovkovskiy…
His beloved coach passed away on May 13, 2002, at the age of 63.
Annual Prize
At the end of May this year, the 34th Ukrainian championship will conclude, taking place during a tragic time for our country — the bloody war with our deadly enemy — the Moscow aggressor.
When summarizing the results of our main tournament, the best in their positions will be named.
Traditionally, we will also learn the name of the best coach of the championship. I, Alexander Lipenko — a deserved journalist of Ukraine, a holder of the "Golden Pen," and a master of sports, propose — to establish and annually award the best coach of the Ukrainian championship the Valeriy Lobanovskyi prize.
I am sure thousands of fans will support this proposal of mine. But the main thing is that the Football Association of Ukraine (president Andriy Shevchenko) and the Ukrainian Premier League (president Yevhen Dykyi), which conducts the national championship, listen to this idea.
I have no doubt that its holders will be proud of this award, just as the devotees of the great coach and the supporters of the famous club, which will celebrate its glorious 100th anniversary in 2027, are proud of their idol!
Alexander LIPENKO for Dynamo.kiev.ua
