In the winter of 1997, a new era in the history of Dinamo. In one of the snow-covered January days, Valery Vasilievich Lobanovsky returned to Ukraine, who for the last six years worked in the Middle East. The brothers Surkis managed to find the right words for the master, and for the second time in his career he headed the Dynamo Kiev. They say that one river can not be entered twice, but this is clearly not our case. The return of Lobanovsky already after the collapse of the USSR was no less successful, and in some aspects even more grandiose.
Already in the first full season Dynamo led by Lobanovsky led a rustle in Europe, when he took the first place in the group UEFA Champions League with PSV, Newcastle and. Barcelona. At the same time, the Spaniards were defeated 3-0 at home and 4: 0 on the road. Already then the whole of Europe began to talk about Lobanovsky and his offspring, but the failure in the quarterfinals, when the "blue and white" in five matches got five goals from Juventus, for a while stopped these conversations. Up to the next European Cup season, which became a historic for Dynamo and all of Ukraine. On it we will concentrate our attention.
Lobanovsky for a year and a half in the camp Dynamo spent a fantastic job and one of his main achievements was that he managed to prepare his players morally to great victories. They really believed in their strength and were ready to beat the best teams in the world. Lobanovsky forced players to look at rivals with different eyes. We are favorites. We are the best. If the opponents do not agree, let them try to prove the opposite on the football field. So what were the main characters of that season? Composition gathered the following: Shovkovsky, Luzhny, Golovko, Vashchuk, Kaladze, Belkevich, Gusin, Khatskevich, Kosovsky, Rebrov and Shevchenko. It was these players who were part of the Dynamo Golden Dynasty which achieved the biggest success in the UEFA Champions League in the history of Ukrainian clubs. How did it happen?.
In the first qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League on the way to Dynamo Welsh Barry Town again rose, which was easily defeated by the Kievites at the same stage in the last tournament (6: 0). The result is even more lamentable for the club from Wales - 10: 1 on the sum of two meetings. But the second qualifying round was almost turned into a tragedy for the Ukrainian team. That case, when the fairy tale could end even before it started - in Kiev Dynamo managed to lose 0: 1 to Prague Sparta, which brought them closer to the sensational flight from the tournament at such an early stage.
Nevertheless, in the Czech Republic Dynamo played in the majority - on the side of the team was also luck. So, the guests managed to transfer the game to the penalty shootout in the 88th minute of the meeting. And here the hosts helped. Gabriel's own goal after the goalkeeper repelled Shevchenko's strike. A series of penalties turned out to be truly fiery! Despite the fact that it was not possible to score Shevchenko and Konovalov from the point, Shovkovsky proved that he is the master of the penalty shootout and has repelled three strikes from his opponents! The decisive penalty was punched by Dmitrulin and almost tore the net. The enchanting victory of the Lobanovsky team, which forced all Ukrainian fans to get gray!.
In the group stage, too, great difficulties arose. With the naked eye it was noticeable that Dynamo is very difficult to enter the season. The peculiarities of the preparation and methods of Lobanovsky affected, but later they will give their result. I just had to endure. The Kyivites began that group stage with a defeat from Panathinaikos and a draw with Lance. The situation was heated to the limit, but in London in a match with Arsenal to Dynamo luck returned - Sergei Rebrov equalized the score already in the time compensated by the referee, thanks to which the people of Kiev were able to take home an incredibly important draw. But on the Olympic team returned to the game. Arsenal was defeated without a chance for the "Gunners". After this victory over Panathinaikos and Lance were taken for granted, but in them without validol and mistress Fortune did not do. In the end - the first place and the quarter-final with Real Madrid.
The mistakes of last autumn were corrected, the team approached the games in the best physical and psychological conditions. There was only one thing - to prove their strength on the field. Nevertheless, there were fears that the story of last year may repeat, when Dynamo, after winning the group stage, loses in the first confrontation at the start. "When the Real Madrid fell, even did not get an eyebrow. Then, Madrid needed to be afraid of us, "- recalls those times, the current head coach Dynamo and the then player of the team Lobanovsky Alexander Khatskevich. At the exit in Madrid, was obtained an excellent result - 1: 1, but he added skepticism to the fans of the Ukrainian club, because last year in the first match with Juventus account was similar.
Doubts increased, because the first time in Kiev, Dynamo failed, and the guests several times forgave our team. Nevertheless, in the second half of the meeting, the people of Kiev managed to squeeze the most out of their moments and both blows to the goal of the gate of Illegner ended with goals - a double was marked by Andriy Shevchenko! Two strikes, two goals. Real, for comparison, had 14 strokes, of which 6 - on target. Lucky the strongest, is not it? Roberto Carlos left the stadium with his head down. Guti was generally morally destroyed, because it was at him then the coach John Toshak "hung all the dogs". But the post-match interview with Lobanovsky, which later became very popular:.
"Today we failed the first half of the match. Apparently, they all wanted very much in their own stadium, they played as well as possible in front of their fans - and they burned out. However, in general, the game showed that not only money that allows to acquire superstars, they decide the outcome of the case. Finance, of course, an important component of football, but still not the main. We fought on an equal footing with Real Madrid - the mini-team of the world. We told the guys before the match that today not only the player who plays football better but the one with the harder character who wins a little more than the opponent ".
In the semifinals Dynamo had to play with one of the favorites - the Munich Bayern Munich, but then it seemed that the team Lobanovsky anyway with whom to play. Everything will depend on them. And it happened in reality. Then the Olympic contained just over 83 thousand people, but the excitement was so great that 90 thousand fans managed to visit the game! And Dynamo had every chance to "bury" the German grand in Kiev, but the experience of the guests played a role. Probably, the decisive.
Let's recall the compositions:.
Dynamo: Shovkovsky Alexander, Luzhny Oleg, Golovko Alexander, Vashchuk Vladislav, Kaladze Kahaber, Kosovsky Vitaly, Gusin Andrey, Alexander Khackevich (Kiryukhin Alexander, 81), Belkevich Valentin, Shevchenko Andrey, Rebrov Sergey.
Coach: Valery Lobanovsky.
Bavaria: Oliver Kahn, Marcus Babbel, Samuel Kuffur, Mehmet Scholl, Thomas Strunz, Lothar Matthaus, Stefan Effenberg, Jens Jeremis, Hassan Salihamidzic (Alexander Tsinkler, 72), Michael Tarnat, Carsten Janker (Ali Daei, 89), Spare: Bernd Dreer, Thomas Helmer, Thorsten Fink, Thomas Linke.
Coach: Ottmar Hitzfeld.
Lobanovsky played the whole tournament with one team and did not make any substitutions - his guys were in great physical shape. The leaders of the attack of that composition were young Rebrov and Shevchenko, in the center of the field, Hatskevich and Belkevich acted in pairs, who played together since seven years, because of which mutual understanding between them was at the highest level. Players felt each other at the subconscious level. Leaders of defense were Golovko and Luzhny - their authority in the team was unshakable.
As for Bavaria, the weather in this team was done by Lothar Matthaus, Marcus Babbel, Karsten Janker and, of course, the legendary Oliver Kahn. Ottmar Hitzfeld one year before the meeting with Dynamo replaced as head coach of Bavaria Giovanni Trapattoni and made the team more attacking. His football philosophy allowed him to stay in the camp of the German grandee for 6 years, and this already speaks volumes.
The hosts perfectly started the fight and in the first half upset Kana twice already. And again Shevchenko's double. The score was on the case - our guys looked stronger. However, to go on a break with a handicap in two balls could not - Tarnat from 30 meters struck the bottom with a free kick and hit the corner. Goal is absolutely nothing. Despite the offensive missed the ball, already at the beginning of the second half Dynamo managed to regain the advantage again in two goals - distinguished himself Kosovsky. And after that the Dynamo were obliged to put an end to the opposition, scoring the fourth goal. However, the same Kosovsky failed to realize a clean one-on-one way, and Rebrov from 10 meters could not deliver an accented strike and simply rolled it into the hands of Kanu. For such a waste of "blue and white" were punished as hard as possible. First Effenberg scored from the penalty area, and two minutes before the end, Yanker sold our defense and from a close distance struck Shovkovsky.
"We were not killed then. Knew: no matter how the game is formed, everything will be decided in two weeks on Olympiastadion. Amazing? Earlier everything was much easier. In that team so accurately ... "- with longing in his eyes remembers the old times Alexander Khatskevich.
In Germany, the Dynamo was already trivially unlucky, Kahn did wonders, and Basler outlined a draw near the Golden Composition of the Ukrainian club and the era of Maitre. The final was almost in hand, it could be touched, but it slipped right from under the nose. There is a certainty that in the decisive match Manchester United would not have become a problem for the "Lobanovsky chicks", but the barrier in the form of Bavaria proved insurmountable. As admitted Valery Vasilievich years later, in his coaching career there were only two duels, the result of which he could not explain even to himself. This defeat of the USSR national team from the Belgians at the World Cup in 1986 (3: 4) and Dinamo draw in the game with Bayern in 1999.
Nevertheless, even despite such an insulting flight, that season became the most grandiose in the history of Ukrainian clubs in the UEFA Champions League. Incredible success, which is still nostalgically remembered by the fans and the participants themselves of that action. About Dinamo Lobanovsky spoke throughout Europe, and for his players lined up from the top clubs. Is not this the best recognition?.