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FC DYNAMO KYIV
/ FC DINAMO KIEV
(UKRAINE) |
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FC
Dynamo Kyiv (Dinamo Kiev) is the main professional football club in the
Ukrainian capital, Kyiv.
History overview
It was founded in 1927 as an amateur team, part of the Soviet nation-wide
"sport society" called "Dinamo". This society later became officially funded
and patronized by NKVD, later by MVD (Soviet police). In 1950s-1980s team
players were even officially ranked as police officers. However, thousands
of ordinary Soviets were paying symbolic membership fees for "sport society".
During the Soviet era, the club was one of the main rivals to the football
clubs in Moscow and games with these teams often saw the whole population of
Ukraine uniting behind them. Leaders of the Ukrainian SSR were unofficially
regarding the club as their "national" team and providing it with generous
support. In that way, Dinamo became de-facto professional team of
international importance.
When the Soviet Union collapsed, Dynamo Kyiv became a member of the new
football league of Ukraine. Its status as the country's principal club did
not alter as they went on to dominate domestic cups. This dominance has
recently been threatened by Shakhtar Donetsk from the eastern region of
Donbass.
Since 1993, the team is owned by Hryhoriy Surkis, Ukrainian businessmen of
Jewish descent, one of the richest tycoons in Eastern Europe (with the
interests in electricity, oil trade, and, allegedly, organized crime).
Ukrainian opposition have accused the government of setting too low price
and other irregularities during the privatization of club's real estate.
Surkis is closely linked to President Leonid Kuchma, being a member of the
so-called "Kiev holding" (a.k.a. "Dinamo group") - an influential business
and political clan, formally organized in SDPU (o) political party. Team's
players (including Andriy Shevchenko) and symbolics have been used in the
political advertisements for pro-Kuchma politicians during recent elections.
Achievements
Dynamo's striker Oleg Blokhin is the all-time leader in games (432) and
goals (211) of the USSR National Championship. The team won it for many
seasons, most oftenly in 1970s-1980s. Team's players usually consisted the
majority of Soviet Union's national team. Dinamo Kiev won the Cup Winners'
Cup in 1975 and 1986. In 1999, the club reached the semifinals of UEFA
Champions League. These victories are associated with the name of Valeriy
Lobanovs'kyi - 1960s player and later long-time chief coach of the club,
also a coach of USSR national football team in various championships. He
died in 2002 after a heart attack that occurred during the game.
Structure
The club's home field, Lobanovs'kyi Dynamo Stadium, is situated in the
picturesque park, located in the center of the city, close to the Dnipro
River bank. The team also has a modern-equipped training base in the Kyiv's
suburb of Koncha-Zaspa. Highly-visited games are held on the 90.000-capacity
stadium of city-owned National Olympic Complex.
Dynamo Kyiv maintains its own football school for children and youth, also
situated in Kyiv. Junior Dynamo teams are colloquially known as Dynamo-2 and
Dynamo-3. Andriy Shevchenko, now the most famous Dynamo player, is among the
graduates of the school.
Notable Players
Igor Belanov
Oleh Blohin
Kakha Kaladze
Oleh Luzhny
Oleksiy Mykhaylichenko
Sergiy Rebrov
Andriy Shevchenko
Oleksandr Zavarov |
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