The Odessa City Council has made a decision to rename the street formerly known as Alexander Matrosov to honor the legendary football coach Valery Lobanovsky. Although his name is strongly associated with Kyiv's «Dynamo», the esteemed coach also had strong ties to Odessa.
Lobanovsky's Odessa Career and Global Recognition
Valery Lobanovsky had a significant connection to Odessa, having played for the local team «Chornomorets» in 1965 and 1966. During his time with the team, he played in 59 matches and scored 15 goals. Additionally, it was in Odessa that Valery Vasilyevich earned his higher education from the local Polytechnic Institute.
Lobanovsky's global recognition is underscored by numerous awards and rankings. For instance, in January, the portal GiveMeSport included him in their list of the top 15 coaches in football history. His coaching career spanned work with «Dynamo» (Kyiv), «Dnipro», as well as the national teams of the USSR, Ukraine, Kuwait, and the UAE.
Under his leadership, Kyiv's «Dynamo» won the USSR championship eight times and the USSR Cup six times. On the European stage, the team twice claimed the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup and won the European Super Cup, defeating Bayern Munich in the final. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, «Dynamo» continued to dominate under Lobanovsky, winning five consecutive championship titles and three Ukrainian Cups.
