Vladimir Muntyan
Encyclopedia
Volodymyr Fedorovych Muntyan , (born 14 September 1946, Kotovsk
, USSR, was a renowned Soviet midfielder
of the 1960s and 1970s. Muntyan is considered to be one of the best and most talented players to ever represent Dynamo Kyiv and Soviet Union
. He is also the only player apart from Oleg Blokhin
(his team-mate in the 1970s) who has won 7 Soviet championships
.
worker and a nurse, Muntyan became interested acrobatics
and competed successfully in Kiev's city-wide competition, winning accolades in his age category. His family eventually relocated to live near a professional soccer grounds in Kiev, where young Muntyan and his friends would hang out, acting as ball boy
s to the elders. While once juggling a ball, he was approached by a soldier
, who asked him if he was interested in taking up football as a sport
. Muntyan said yes and was taken to Mikhail Korsunskiy, who was a famous local children's coach at the time. He quickly recognised Muntyan's potential.
’s youth team with people like Semen Altman
and Anatoly Byshovets
(both coaches
now). After a Spartakiada match between the Kiev
and Moscow
teams, which Kiev won, Dynamo Kyiv youth coach Mykhaylo Koman offered young Muntyan to come to a training session with the senior team the next day at 11:00. The young boy turned up outside the ground, but was so scared to see his idols Valery Lobanovsky, Andriy Biba
, that he hid behind a tree and didn't make the team bus. However his friend Anatoly Byshovets
helped him to get over the fear and eventually he turned up to a training session.
. Despite weighting only 60 kg (9.5 stone
s) and short of 170 cm in height, he was encouraged to play and his skills were further enhanced by the training. When five of then current squad left to join 1966 Soviet football team
for the World Cup
, Dynamo Kyiv managed to win a double (championship and the cup) with Muntyan stepping in from the reserves as one of the main players.
Kotovsk, Ukraine
thumb|Kotovsky Memorial in KotovskKotovsk is a city in Odessa Oblast, Ukraine, the administrative center of Kotovskyi Raion. Population is 40,718 ....
, USSR, was a renowned Soviet midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
of the 1960s and 1970s. Muntyan is considered to be one of the best and most talented players to ever represent Dynamo Kyiv and Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. He is also the only player apart from Oleg Blokhin
Oleg Blokhin
Oleh Volodymyrovych "Oleg" Blokhin is a Ukrainian football coach and current head coach of the Ukrainian national team. Blokhin was formerly a standout striker for Dynamo Kyiv and the Soviet national team...
(his team-mate in the 1970s) who has won 7 Soviet championships
Soviet Top League
The Soviet Top League since 1970 was officially known as the Supreme League serving as the top division of Soviet Union football since 1936.It was one of the best football leagues in Europe ranking second among the UEFA members in 1988-1989 seasons...
.
Early years
A son of a factoryFactory
A factory or manufacturing plant is an industrial building where laborers manufacture goods or supervise machines processing one product into another. Most modern factories have large warehouses or warehouse-like facilities that contain heavy equipment used for assembly line production...
worker and a nurse, Muntyan became interested acrobatics
Acrobatics
Acrobatics is the performance of extraordinary feats of balance, agility and motor coordination. It can be found in many of the performing arts, as well as many sports...
and competed successfully in Kiev's city-wide competition, winning accolades in his age category. His family eventually relocated to live near a professional soccer grounds in Kiev, where young Muntyan and his friends would hang out, acting as ball boy
Ball Boy
Ball Boy is a comic strip in the UK comic The Beano and also the name of the main character. It first appeared in issue 1735, dated 18 October 1975. It features a five-a-side football team that includes:* Ball Boy - the captain of the team, Ball Boy bears resemblances to The Dandy's Owen Goal...
s to the elders. While once juggling a ball, he was approached by a soldier
Soldier
A soldier is a member of the land component of national armed forces; whereas a soldier hired for service in a foreign army would be termed a mercenary...
, who asked him if he was interested in taking up football as a sport
Sport
A Sport is all forms of physical activity which, through casual or organised participation, aim to use, maintain or improve physical fitness and provide entertainment to participants. Sport may be competitive, where a winner or winners can be identified by objective means, and may require a degree...
. Muntyan said yes and was taken to Mikhail Korsunskiy, who was a famous local children's coach at the time. He quickly recognised Muntyan's potential.
Youth years
Due to the boy's natural talent, he was included in KievKiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
’s youth team with people like Semen Altman
Semen Altman
Semen Yosypovych Altman is a Ukrainian football coach and former goalkeeper. He is the current manager of SC Tavriya Simferopol.Semen’s son, Hennadiy Altman is also a goalkeeper and has followed his father to many of the teams Semen has coached over the years.- Career :Altman played for Kolhospnyk...
and Anatoly Byshovets
Anatoly Byshovets
Anatoliy Fyodorovich Byshovets is a Russian football manager and former international striker. He played his entire professional career with club side Dynamo Kyiv. He won Olympic gold as a coach with the Soviet team at the 1988 Summer Olympics. He was also a manager of USSR, Russia, and South...
(both coaches
Coach (sport)
In sports, a coach is an individual involved in the direction, instruction and training of the operations of a sports team or of individual sportspeople.-Staff:...
now). After a Spartakiada match between the Kiev
Kiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
and Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
teams, which Kiev won, Dynamo Kyiv youth coach Mykhaylo Koman offered young Muntyan to come to a training session with the senior team the next day at 11:00. The young boy turned up outside the ground, but was so scared to see his idols Valery Lobanovsky, Andriy Biba
Andriy Biba
Andriy Andriyovych Biba is a retired Soviet football player and Ukrainian coach.-Honours:* Soviet Top League winner: 1961, 1966, 1967....
, that he hid behind a tree and didn't make the team bus. However his friend Anatoly Byshovets
Anatoly Byshovets
Anatoliy Fyodorovich Byshovets is a Russian football manager and former international striker. He played his entire professional career with club side Dynamo Kyiv. He won Olympic gold as a coach with the Soviet team at the 1988 Summer Olympics. He was also a manager of USSR, Russia, and South...
helped him to get over the fear and eventually he turned up to a training session.
Early career
Muntyan joined the Dynamo Kiev team as a 15 year old, when the main team coach was Victor MaslovVictor Maslov
Victor Aleksandrovich Maslov was a Soviet Russian footballer and coach. He was especially notable during his coaching career. He won numerous USSR Championships with clubs Torpedo Moscow, Dynamo Kyiv, and one with FC Ararat Yerevan....
. Despite weighting only 60 kg (9.5 stone
Stone (weight)
The stone is a units of measurement that was used in many North European countries until the advent of metrication. It value, which ranged from 3 kg to 12 kg, varied from city to city and also often from commodity to commodity...
s) and short of 170 cm in height, he was encouraged to play and his skills were further enhanced by the training. When five of then current squad left to join 1966 Soviet football team
USSR national football team
The Soviet Union National Football Team was the national football team of the Soviet Union. It ceased to exist after the break up of the Union...
for the World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
, Dynamo Kyiv managed to win a double (championship and the cup) with Muntyan stepping in from the reserves as one of the main players.
Statistics for Dynamo
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Europe | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Dynamo FC Dynamo Kyiv FC Dynamo Kyiv is a professional football club based in the Ukrainian capital city of Kyiv. Founded in 1927, the club currently participates in the Ukrainian Premier League and has spent its entire history in the top league of Soviet and later Ukrainian football... |
1965 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| 1966 | 26 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 8 | |
| 1967 | 19 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 4 | |
| 1968 | 36 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 5 | |
| 1969 | 27 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 34 | 10 | |
| 1970 | 25 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 3 | |
| 1971 | 18 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 6 | |
| 1972 | 30 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 39 | 11 | |
| 1973 | 28 | 6 | 9 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 42 | 8 | |
| 1974 | 22 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 8 | 2 | 34 | 6 | |
| 1975 | 29 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 33 | 2 | |
| 1976 (s) | 10 | 3 | |||||||
| |10 | 3 | ||||||||
| 1976 (a) | 13 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 22 | 2 | |
| 1977 | 16 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 2 | |
| Total | 302 | 57 | 34 | 7 | 35 | 6 | 371 | 70 | |
- The statistics in USSR Cups and Europe is made under the scheme "autumn-spring" and enlisted in a year of start of tournaments
Honours
- Ukrainian Footballer of the YearUkrainian Footballer of the YearUkrainian Footballer of the Year is an annual award given by the Ukrainskiy Football daily to the best professional Ukrainian footballer....
:
-
- 1970
- Soviet Footballer of the YearSoviet Footballer of the YearThe award Soviet Footballer of the Year had been awarded to the best footballer of the former Soviet Union from 1964 until 1991. The poll was conducted by the weekly sport newspaper Football .-List of winners:-Most Wins by Club:...
:
-
- 1969
- USSR ChampionshipSoviet Top LeagueThe Soviet Top League since 1970 was officially known as the Supreme League serving as the top division of Soviet Union football since 1936.It was one of the best football leagues in Europe ranking second among the UEFA members in 1988-1989 seasons...
: 7 (record) Winner
-
- 1966, 1967, 1968, 1971, 1974, 1975, 1977
- USSR Cup: Winner
-
- 1966, 1974,
- UEFA Cup Winners Cup: Winner
-
- 1975
- UEFA Super Cup: Winner
-
- 1975
- UEFA Euro 1968: Fourth Place
-
- 1968
- UEFA Euro 1972: Runner-up
-
- 1972
- USSR ChampionshipSoviet Top LeagueThe Soviet Top League since 1970 was officially known as the Supreme League serving as the top division of Soviet Union football since 1936.It was one of the best football leagues in Europe ranking second among the UEFA members in 1988-1989 seasons...
: Runner-up
-
- 1965, 1969, 1972, 1973, 1976
- USSR Cup: Runner-up
-
- 1973
- USSR Super CupUSSR Super CupThe USSR Super Cup, or Season's Cup, featured the winners of the previous season's Soviet Top League and USSR Cup in a one or two legged playoff for the trophy. The competition never took off, as the Super Cup winner was only determined 7 times in the last 15 years of Soviet football. It wasn't...
: Runner-up
-
- 1977
- UEFA Champions LeagueUEFA Champions LeagueThe UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
: Runner-up
-
- 1977