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by Kateryna Chernii (Author)
This book explores the biography of Valeriy Lobanovskyi (1939-2002), a revolutionary football coach and a prominent figure in modern Ukrainian history. While he was ranked among the top ten most influential coaches of all time by UEFA, Lobanovskyi's significance is not limited to sport. In Ukraine, Lobanovskyi was a nation-building figure whose influence extended far beyond the football pitch. His biography is typically Soviet but also unique, differing in profound ways from the many stories we usually hear from behind the Iron Curtain. He was a Kyiv-born Ukrainian coach, raised in the Soviet Union, who left his mark on the history of world football. This book tells the story of Lobanovskyi's coaching career in the context of wider historical events and the transition from the Soviet Union to independent Ukraine. Lobanovskyi's story is a good case study with which to explore the legacy of the Soviet system, with all its opportunities and challenges, which continued to shape Ukraine long after the collapse of the state itself. His career is especially illustrative in the wake of Russia's ongoing war against Ukraine, shedding light on the post-communist transformation from a perspective that is usually overlooked. Lobanovskyi serves as a revealing example of Ukraine's agency in a wider historical context. What did it mean to be a football pioneer behind the Iron Curtain - and what legacy did it leave behind?
