Recently, one of the main characters of the star lineup of Kyiv “Dynamo” in the late 80s, Igor Belanov, celebrated his anniversary. He turned 65. Here are 10 little-known facts from the life and biography of the holder of the “Golden Ball” of 1986.
When young Igor Belanov was training at the “Chornomorets” football school, all specialists first noted his high speed. This important quality, along with ball control, the ability to assess the situation, and a powerful shot, developed in him with each passing year: first in youth-level games, then in the first league of the USSR championship as part of Odessa’s SKA, and later in higher league teams — “Chornomorets” and “Dynamo”.
However, it was at the beginning of his professional career that Belanov was nicknamed “Skippy” for his speed — a name borrowed from a popular Australian series about a kangaroo at that time. It was this speedy animal that young forward was compared to. Later, in the mid-80s, journalists gave him a different definition — “Rocket”.
At the training base of Odessa “Chornomorets”, located at the 11th station of the Chornomorska road, all conditions were created for the main team of the city to train, recover, and rest. They could not only train and conduct theoretical classes, but also eat, relax in the sauna, and watch new films in their own cinema room.
And for Igor Belanov, the holy of holies of “Chornomorets” also became the venue for… his own wedding. It took place in the canteen hall, which was filled with all the invited guests. Among them were not only teammates but also guests from the groom’s and bride’s side. There had been no such precedents at the base before.
In Igor Belanov’s professional career, there were many outstanding matches — both as part of Kyiv “Dynamo” in European cup tournaments and the USSR national team. Just recall the match in the 1/8 finals of the World Cup USSR — Belgium (3:4), in which he scored all three goals into Jean-Marie Pfaff’s net. However, there is one game that Belanov remembers with particular nostalgia. It was the match of the 13th round of the USSR championship in 1985 “Dynamo” (Kyiv) — “Spartak” (Moscow).
By the end of May that season, Valeriy Lobanovskyi’s team was in first place in the standings, while the “red-whites” were fourth, with two points less. The duel between two irreconcilable rivals aroused great interest among fans, with 100 thousand gathered in the stands of the Republican stadium in the capital of Ukraine! The excitement around the central match and the significance of the game were such that there was no need to motivate the players. Igor Belanov, who at that time had scored 5 goals, played with special enthusiasm. At the beginning of both halves, he managed to score a goal past Rinat Dasayev, securing a 2:0 victory.
— I have been looking for a video of this match or at least its fragments for a long time, — said Belanov. — Whoever I asked in search, but to no avail. Unfortunately, they couldn’t preserve video recordings of one of the most memorable matches of “Dynamo” in those years. It’s a pity that we don’t know how to appreciate history.
In the spring of 1985, when Igor Belanov spent the first months as part of Kyiv “Dynamo”, another anti-alcohol campaign began in the USSR. The “Dry Law” renewed by the Soviet government implied a significant decrease in alcohol consumption among the population. Naturally, this also applied to athletes. It is obvious that not many at “Dynamo” belonged to the category of absolute teetotalers. Footballers often liked to relieve stress after matches or exhausting training sessions with a bottle of beer or wine.
— Vasily Rat and I loved to drink a bottle of Italian “Chianti” — a dry red wine, — recalls Belanov. — That was enough to sleep well after three full training sessions. Red wine is beneficial. It helped relax, and the sleep was more fulfilling.
Having played in his native Odessa at a professional level from 1979 to 1984 for six seasons (two with SKA and four with “Chornomorets”), Igor Belanov went to Kyiv, where he became a player for “Dynamo”. In this club, he received so many titles and accolades that any player from a big country would envy him. Just three years later, with the “Golden Ball”, Dynamo player Belanov was playing again in… the line-up of “Chornomorets”.
Few know about this fact, but it happened in December 1987. At that time, “Dynamo” and “Chornomorets” set off on a common cruise along the Danube and the Mediterranean Sea on a ship from Izmail. The football delegation visited Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, and Italy, holding friendly matches there. In these games, Igor Belanov played in the “mariners” jersey, and fans recognized him everywhere. By the way, during this tour, he scored two goals for “Chornomorets”: first against the Bulgarian “Spartak” from Pleven, and then against the Italian “Genoa” from Genoa. Not to mention, the football voyage of the Dynamo players turned out to be quite mysterious.
In the late 80s, when many of our footballers began to go abroad one after another, Igor Belanov was supposed to follow Alexander Zavarov to Italy. However, unlike his former teammate from “Dynamo” and the USSR national team, who ended up at the legendary Turin “Juventus”, Belanov was to become a player for a more modest club — “Atalanta” from Bergamo. Everything was already prepared for the transfer to his ranks, but at one point, circumstances changed drastically.
— You know, I even saw my contract with “Atalanta”. Moreover, I was photographed in the shirt of the Bergamo club, which I still have, — recalls Belanov. — Back then, all transfers were processed in the corresponding offices in Moscow, and I was no exception. But when almost all the papers were signed, some people connected to “Dynamo” suddenly intervened. I don’t know what they did, but instead of “Atalanta”, I went to the German “Borussia” (Mönchengladbach).
When Igor Belanov was over thirty, and he was a player for the German “Eintracht” from Braunschweig, he tried to use any opportunity to come to his native Odessa. During one of these visits, he did not sit idle but continued to step onto the football field. Moreover, Belanov did this immediately on two fronts, playing for an amateur team “Blago” from the village of Blagoevo in the Odessa region and for the veterans' team “Richelieu”. This pleasantly delighted football fans who specifically came to see the legendary compatriot and holder of the “Golden Ball”.
— I couldn’t play for my native “Chornomorets” during vacation due to contract conditions. That is why I played for amateurs and veterans, — explained Igor Belanov.
The most valuable prize in Igor Belanov’s football collection is, of course, the “Golden Ball”. For almost forty years, he has traveled almost half the world with it, giving people a wonderful opportunity to touch the history of football. Once, representatives of FC “Chornomorets” approached him, offering to create a copy of the valuable trophy. And not just to make it, but to display it for public viewing in the club museum. Belanov could not refuse the club that he dedicated many years of his career to.
— There is only one copy of my “Golden Ball”, — he said. — Specifically, the one that was made for the “Chornomorets” Museum. The original, which has a special cover, I keep in a super-reliable place. If I travel anywhere with it, the prize is accompanied by special security.
For every footballer who played in the 70s to the 90s, one of the main “gentlemanly” attributes was, of course, the car. Igor Belanov’s car park changed alongside the era and his financial situation. Everything went on an upward trend: his first car was a “Moskvich”, then came the “six” — “Zhiguli-VAZ-2106”, followed by a “Volga-GAZ-24”. After his departure to the German “Borussia” from Mönchengladbach, he initially used a “Mercedes”, then a BMW. In recent years, Belanov drives a BMW-6.
— For me, a car is just a means of transportation, — he clarifies. — I am not a racer.
If Igor Belanov’s actual birthday is September 25, he has been celebrating a second one for ten years now in December. One winter day, he was involved in a serious car accident, but miraculously remained alive.
— It happened in late 2014 in the Kirovohrad region, — recalls Belanov. — While returning to Odessa from my friends, there was an accident. The driver of the car in which I was with two of my friends lost control due to high speed on an icy road. At that moment, the car skidded, turned over several times, and ended up in a ditch. We were saved by the fact that we flew out of the cabin through the window. Fortunately, I only suffered minor injuries. You could say I was born in a shirt that day.
Vyacheslav Kulchytsky