Ukraine buries hero Lobanovskiy

Huge crowds
Heavy rain in the Ukrainian capital could not prevent the biggest public gathering the country has seen, including president Leonid Kuchma, prime minister Anatoly Kinakh, and footballers-turned-politicians Oleh Blokhin and Ihor Belanov.

Hero of Ukraine
From the national stadium, where Lobanovskiy was awarded the posthumous title of Hero of Ukraine, the funeral cortege passed to the Baykovoye cemetery to the strains of the national anthem and spontaneous applause.

'A father and a teacher'
The ex-Dynamo player Andriy Shevchenko, who had returned from a tour of the United States with Milan AC to attend, said: "He was our father and our teacher." His international team-mate Serhiy Rebrov added: "He was the most important man in my life. He has done more for this country than all the presidents put together."

Years of service
Lobanovskiy had served Dynamo as coach and player from the age of 18. He collapsed during the club's game against FC Metalurh Zaporizhzhya nine days ago in Zaporizhzhya. He was rushed to a hospital in the city where he underwent emergency surgery, but never regained consciousness.