Ukraine's flawless record in UEFA club finals
Thursday, May 21, 2015
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FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk can take courage from the fact that Ukrainian sides boast a 100% record in major European finals; UEFA.com recalls three memorable wins.
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FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk can take some comfort from the fact that no Ukrainian side has ever lost a major UEFA club competition final. UEFA.com recalls the nations' three most memorable European nights.
FC Dynamo Kyiv 3-0 Ferencvárosi TC
14/05/1975, European Cup Winners' Cup final
"Attractive football? I don't understand this concept," Dynamo coach Valeriy Lobanovskiy told UEFA.com in 2001. "There is not a club official or fan who would want an attractive defeat from their team. Football is a war. Every team has only one purpose – to win."
His Dynamo side showed utter ruthlessness as they took their first European title in Basel, Volodymyr Onyshchenko (18, 39) and Oleh Blokhin (67) putting an end to a Ferencváros side weakened by the absences of the suspended László Balint and injured pair László Branikovitz and László Pusztai.
FC Dynamo Kyiv 3-0 Club Atlético de Madrid
02/05/1986, European Cup Winners' Cup final
With skill and pace in every department, Dynamo shredded Atlético in Lyon, Olexandr Zavarov (4), Blokhin (85) and Vadym Yevtushenko (87) the scorers on the day.
Lobanovskiy's side scored freely throughout that season's competition – Zavarov, Blokhin and Ihor Belanov all ended the season with five European goals, sharing the tournament's top scorer award with 1. FC Dynamo Dresden's Frank Lippmann. Belanov, though, was certain that the honour was nothing personal. "Don't remind me about it," he said. "It was an award for Dynamo, not me."
FC Shakhtar Donetsk 2-1 Werder Bremen
20/05/2009, UEFA Cup final
Brazilians Luiz Adriano (25) and Jádson (97) scored the goals, and Croatian Darijo Srna was man of the match, but Shakhtar's success in Istanbul was greeted as a massive success for Ukraine. Coach Mircea Lucescu was sure that it presaged better times ahead.
"Until now we've had a problem with the standard of our league," the Romanian said. "Now I think eastern European countries could win the Champions League." Bremen took Shakhtar into extra time in Kyiv, with Andriy Pyatov's saves every bit as crucial as Jádson's goal in bringing the title to Donetsk.