Former Soviet keeper Viktor Chanov dies

Former Dynamo Kyiv and USSR international goalkeeper Viktor Chanov has died aged 57.

From a family of top-level keepers – father Viktor and elder brother Vyacheclav both played professionally – Chanov was born in Donetsk in 1959 and came through the Shakhtar academy. He made his professional debut there as a 19-year-old in 1978, but it is with Dynamo Kyiv that he is best associated.

Arriving at Dynamo in 1981, Chanov was a mainstay between the posts for the next nine years. For the most part under Valeriy Lobanovskiy, he won three Soviet Top Leagues (1985, 1986, 1990), five Soviet Cups (1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1990) and the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1986.

Chanov was named best goalkeeper in the USSR in 1986 (five years after his brother Vyacheslav). He made 21 appearances for the Soviet Union, being part of the squads for the 1986 FIFA World Cup and EURO '88. But for Rinat Dasayev, he may have earned many more caps.

Chanov departed for Maccabi Haifa in 1990, claiming the double in his first campaign and adding the Israeli Cup two seasons later. He ended his playing career at the now defunct CSKA Borysfen. There were brief spells as an assistant coach, at CSKA Borysfen and Dynamo Kyiv, but for the most part he left professional football behind. He died on Wednesday.