In 1975 his Dynamo Kyiv team became the first side from the Soviet Union to win a major European trophy when they beat Hungarian side Ferencváros in the final of the Cup Winners' Cup.
Lobanovskyi is highly esteemed for his achievements as a coach but also for his both highly scientific and disciplinarian approach to management.
Master of the dry leaf
Lobanovskyi began his playing career as a left winger with Dynamo Kyiv, his hometown club, whilst with the side he won both the USSR league and cup.
He spent seven years with the club before finishing his career with brief spells at Chornomorets Odessa, and Shakhtar Donetsk. Lobanovsky ended his playing days at the age of 29 having scored 71 goals in 253 games. He also earned two full caps for the Soviet Union. Lobanovskyi played his first international game on September 4, 1960 away against Austria.
He is most famous for his legendary ability to score from corner kicks and his ability to curve the ball and place it wherever he pleased; his immense fame gained from this led him to take over as a coach for Dynamo Kyiv.
Happy years
A year after retiring as a player Lobanovskyi was named as the manager of FC Dnipro. After four years in Dnipropetrovsk, Lobanovskyi moved to his former club, Dynamo Kyiv, before the start of the 1974 season, he would manage the side for 15 of the next 17 years (he spent 1983–1984 managing the USSR).
During these two spells Kyiv were successful in breaking the Moscow dominance of Soviet football. Lobanovskyi led his side to the Soviet Supreme league eight times, the cup six times, the European Cup Winners' Cup of 1975 and 1986, and European Super Cup of 1975.
On USSR duty
Lobanovskyi also spent three spells managing the USSR during this period. He took the side to the bronze medal in the 1976 Summer Olympics during his first spell. However, it was his third, and last, spell with the side that he gained the most attention.
He was asked to manage the side on the eve of the 1986 World Cup. The side, which consisted mainly of his own Dynamo Kyiv players, finished top of their group, but were knocked out in the second round by Belgium 4–3 after extra time. The team did, however, achieve far greater success at the 1988 European Championship. The team again finished top of their group, beating the Netherlands on the way. However, they played the Netherlands again in the final and failed to repeat their previous victory.
Following perestroika many of Lobanovskyi's best players, for both club and country, left the USSR to play in Western Europe. Going into the 1990 World Cup he couldn't call upon his own Kyiv players to form the core of the side as he had previously done. His subsequent lack of ability to completely control his side led to the team finishing bottom of their group.
Soon after the debacle of the World Cup, Lobanovskyi decided to leave Dynamo Kyiv and take up the lucrative offer of managing the United Arab Emirates national team.
Great Return
In January 1997, Lobanovskyi returned to manage Dynamo Kyiv for a third time. The club by this time had fallen somewhat from their former heights. The Whites and Blues had been thrown out of European competition by UEFA following attempts to bribe an official, and the club was also struggling somewhat in the Ukraine Supreme League. Lobanovskyi, however, managed to turn the club around quickly. Aside from leading the team to five consecutive championships, Lobanovskyi managed to turn the side into one of the best sides in Europe, reaching the semi-finals of the Champions League in 1999. He was made manager of the Ukraine national side in March 2000, but was sacked after the side lost a playoff to reach the 2002 World Cup to Germany.
Passed away as a coach
Lobanovskyi suffered a stroke on 7 May 2002, shortly after his Dynamo Kyiv side had beaten away FC Metalurh Zaporizhzhya. He died on 13 May, during brain surgery, following complications suffered after the stroke. At the Champions League final in Glasgow two days later, UEFA held a minute's silence in his honor.
UEFA Vice-president Hryhoriy Surkis:
- They say that people live until there is reminiscence of them. Thus I’m sure Valeriy Lobanovskyi will live forever. Success he achieved is a landmark for many coaches and teams.
* following www.bulvar.com.ua
