Today’s date has gifted the world with several well-known individuals closely tied to football:
Nikolai Shaparenko
Nikolai Shaparenko (1998) — Ukrainian footballer, midfielder of Kyiv’s “Dynamo”. At the age of eleven, he moved to Mariupol, where he spent about a year playing football at DYuSSh-4. He then joined the “Illichivets” academy. He transferred to “Dynamo” in 2015. The second youngest goal scorer in the history of Ukraine’s top division. On May 31, 2018, he made his debut for the Ukrainian national team in a friendly match against Morocco.
Valery Porkuyan (1944) — Ukrainian footballer and coach, forward for Soviet clubs and the USSR national team, Master of Sports of the USSR of international class (1966), Honored Master of Sports of the USSR (1991). He became the champion of the USSR three times with “Dynamo” (1966, 1967, 1968) and won the Soviet Cup once (1966).
Tomas Rosicky (1980) — former Czech midfielder. He represented “Sparta,” London’s “Arsenal,” and Dortmund’s “Borussia.” Three-time champion of the Czech Republic and champion of Germany. Known by the nickname “Little Mozart.” Recognized for his excellent work ethic and ability to make very precise and sharp passes. He won a bronze medal with the Czech national team at Euro 2004. Overall, Tomas played 105 matches for his national team, scoring 23 goals.
