Valeriy Lobanovskyi

Date of Birth: 06.01.1939

Place of Birth. Education. Born in Kyiv as the son of a machine factory worker and a housewife. He graduated from secondary school with a silver medal and attended the Kyiv Polytechnic Institute. From an early age, he fell in love with football, which became the meaning of his life.

Player Career. Position - left winger and central forward. He started his career at the capital's student football school and then at the youth football school. He played for the teams 'Dynamo' (Kyiv) - 1957-1964, 'Chernomorets' (Odessa) - 1965-1966, 'Shakhtar' (Donetsk) - 1967-1968.

In the USSR league, he played 258 matches and scored 71 goals. USSR Champion 1961, USSR Runner-up 1960, USSR Cup winner 1964.

He made two appearances for the USSR national team and seven appearances for the USSR Olympic team, scoring one goal. He was twice included in the list of the 33 best players in the USSR.

One of the best USSR forwards of the first half of the 1960s. Individually strong, he excelled at dribbling with changes of pace and direction. He had a precise shot with his left foot and played skillfully with his head. He went down in history as a brilliant executor of corner kicks in Soviet football. The lightly cut ball that described a wide trajectory in the air often landed in the net without anyone else's help. He particularly harmonized well on the pitch with Oleg Bazilevich and Valentin Troianovskyi.

Coaching Career. As head coach, V. Lobanovskyi led the following teams:

- 'Dnipro' (Dnipropetrovsk) - 1969-1973 (led the team to the top league in 1971),

- 'Dynamo' (Kyiv) - 1974-1982, 1984-1990, 1996 - May 2002 (5-time Ukrainian champion (1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001), 3-time Ukrainian Cup winner (1998, 1999, 2000), 8-time USSR champion (1974, 1975, 1977, 1980, 1981, 1985, 1986, 1990), 6-time USSR Cup winner (1974, 1978, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1990), winner of the Cup Winners' Cup 1975, 1986, UEFA Super Cup 1975).

He managed the USSR national team from 1975-1976, 1982-1983, 1986-1990, including the World Cups of 1982 (together with Konstantin Beskov and Nodar Akhalkatsi), 1986, and 1990. Under the leadership of V. Lobanovskyi, the USSR national team won bronze at the 1976 Olympics and silver at the 1988 European Championship. In total, 77 matches (42 wins, 19 draws, 16 losses).

He coached the national teams of the UAE (1990-1993) and Kuwait (1994-1996, third place at the Asian Games).

From January 1998 to December 2001, he was the head coach of the Ukrainian national team.

As an outstanding coach, V. Lobanovskyi achieved remarkable success not only in Soviet competitions during the USSR years but also on the international stage. He was one of the most respected professionals in world football. He successfully combined coaching talent and great organizational skills.

V. Lobanovskyi introduced cutting-edge sports scientific achievements (interval training), the principles of the so-called 'system football,' where the versatility of players and the highest intensity of play are paramount, and a long-term program for selecting and training young footballers with consideration of model characteristics.

'Dynamo' in the style of the mid-1970s revolutionized the thinking of many great coaches. Marcello Lippi once admitted that he learned a lot from Lobanovskyi. Enzo Bearzot admired the team of the Ukrainian coach, and Fabio Capello conceptualized the intricacies of the training process under his leadership.

Awards. He was awarded the orders 'Order of Honor' (1971), Order of the Red Banner of Labor (1987), the UEFA Ruby Order 'For Merits.' Hero of Ukraine (posthumously). The Kyiv 'Dynamo' stadium bears his name.

Tragic End. Valeriy Lobanovskyi died on May 13, 2002. On May 7, the coach suffered a stroke during the match between 'Dynamo' and the local 'Metalurh' in Zaporizhzhia, from which he died five days later.

13.05.2008