The famous coach and former footballer Volodymyr Sharan shared his memories of the former player of “Karpaty” and “Dynamo” Stepan Yurchyshin, who passed away last Thursday:
Volodymyr Sharan— Our football community learned about the sad news that came from Lviv. Like many people, I remembered Stepan Fedorovych yesterday. This man is a legend not only of Lviv football but of Ukrainian football as well. When I was 17-18 years old, Yurchyshin was still a player of “Karpaty,” where I was just starting my career. Back then, he was an example of a true professional, a person with a capital letter. It is very sad that his heart stopped beating so early and he completed his life journey. After all, he was only 68 years old — not a critical age for a man. He could still live and live, but life is not eternal — this is how it happened…
I remember my first game with “Karpaty.” It was on April 25, 1989, in Lviv when I, at the age of seventeen, stepped onto the field of the packed “Druzhba” stadium (now called “Ukraine”) in a match against Kyiv’s “Dynamo.” It was a friendly match watched by more than ten thousand spectators. There was a special atmosphere in the stadium, and Stepan Fedorovych scored the ball from a penalty kick. For me, it was just super! How he took those penalties — it was just great! In that match, thanks to his goal, we won 1:0. That was my debut in “Karpaty.” A debut with Yurchyshin’s memorable goal.
Later, I had to work with him on the coaching staff of “Karpaty.” And although I was the head coach of the Lviv team for only two months, it was comfortable and pleasant with Stepan Fedorovych, who was my assistant. He was always cheerful, sincere, and positive, and I really appreciated his energy and experience. We were together at training camps in Turkey, and then continued our joint work upon returning to Lviv. This was after I had previously been under the guidance of head coach Yurchyshin when I played for “Karpaty” in the 2000/2001 season. Back then, at the end of the championship, Lev Brovarskyi left the head coach position, and the team was led by Stepan Fedorovych. That was our shared football fate.
