It’s been seventeen years since the world lost one of the most brilliant football specialists of all times.
This day family, friends, trainees and colleagues of the great coach together with journalists and admirers of Lobanovskyi paid tribute to him. At first – at the Baikove cemetery and then – in front of his monument located next to Dynamo Stadium.
Numerous Dynamo legends came to lay flowers at the monument – Volodymyr Muntian, Leonid Buriak, Andriy Biba, Olexiy Mykhailychenko, Volodymyr Bezsonov, Olexandr Zavarov and others.
FC Dynamo Kyiv president Ihor Surkis thanked all the present and said:
- We won’t have another Lobanovskyi. Maybe there will be a coach, who achieves a lot with Dynamo, but Lobanovskyi was unique.
It’s been 17 years since he passed away. I remember every minute. I was with him when he got sick. He didn’t let me take him to the hospital. He rendered all decisions by himself.
Probably he was right. We know how much he achieved. Today we can only dream of results he demonstrated.
Besides, one could talk to Lobanovskyi about anything – politics or art. Not only about football. They say he was tough, but he was a man of principle. He made his performers play the way he saw football. We’ll always remember Valeriy Lobanovskyi.