He wasn’t a player for blondes. He was a player for real men, for guys, for kids. He featured for FC Dynamo Kyiv with great dedication just like for his national team.
He’s left a lot unsaid in his life and on the pitch.
Football, chosen by fate
Valentyn Belkevych was born in the maternity clinic located 100 meters far from FC Dinamo Minsk stadium. Thus it seems that it was his destiny to play football. And he deed. At first – in the street.
Later he was spotted by coach Mykhailo Bratchenia.
Future teammate and friend of Belkevych Olexandr Khatskevych joined the football school approximately at the same time. Two kids had different character, but quickly found the common ground.
Rational intelligibility
Virile character helped Belkevych in Kyiv at first as Dynamo head coach Yozhef Sabo didn’t see the place for talented player in the squad, so he featured for reserve team.
Things changed when legendary Valeriy Lobanovskyi took charge of the White-Blues. He made Belkevych a star of European football.
Olexandr Khatskevych recalls that Valentyn always stayed calm even though it was necessary to yell at someone sometimes. He explained everything with rational intelligibility.
Dynamo captain’s armband outbalanced everything
Belkevych won a lot of trophies with Dynamo – seven domestic titles in Ukraine, six Ukrainian Cups and reached the Champions League semifinal with the White-Blues in 1999.
When he had offers from famous European clubs he became Kyivans’ skipper and decided to stay in Dynamo as he didn’t want changes.
Special one
Belkevych was a special person with special character. For example he just avoided communication with people, who seemed uninteresting to him. The same was with young players. If some performer lacked necessary football qualities Valentyn didn’t explain him anything.
- We often argued with him because of that, - says Khatskevych.
- Anyway I guess it was the only thing we had different views on.
This is the biggest loss in my life. The hardest moment was when they closed casket.
Valentyn has stayed in our memory in form of goals and assists. It’s great that we saw him.
* adapted from interview of Olexandr Khatskevych for Serhiy Shurko, www.pressball.by, www.sport.tut.by, www.goals.by
