The idea to hold a tournament in memory of the outstanding soccer coach Lobanovsky came up in the very first days after Ukrainians had paid last respects to one of the most illustrious personalities in the history of this country’s soccer. At first, the tournament was supposed to be scheduled for 2002. This would have happened if the Dynamo Kyiv management had not upgraded just in time the level of the Lobanovsky Memorial. The prize named after the great coach will from now on be contested by championship-level teams. This will be the format of the first tournament to take place in Kyiv on May 12-14.
TOURNAMENT RULES
That the tournament must be an international affair was beyond any doubt from the very beginning. The Russians, who for quite a good reason consider Lobanovsky as part of their own soccer history, were the first to accept the invitation to take part in the Lobanovsky Memorial. It now remains to be seen who else will join the tournament. What has greatly helped the organizers is the Ukrainian championship in which Dynamo Kyiv, an indispensable participant in the Lobanovsky Memorial, came off second best. It was decided that Russia and Ukraine would be represented in the first Memorial by the gold and silver medal winners of the respective national championships. For that reason, leaders of the Russian top division vied not only for medals and prizes but also for the right to play in the Lobanovsky memorial tourney.
Russia’s champion Lokomotiv Moscow and runner-up TsSKA (Central Army Sport Club, also from Moscow) immediately confirmed their wish to play in the Kyiv tournament, while the Russian and Ukrainian soccer authorities plan, simultaneously to leave a gap in the national championships on May 11-15.
The tournament will be held under a traditional rule: first the Ukrainian champion Shakhtar will play against Russia’s runner-up TsSKA, and then the Russian champion Lokomotiv will take on Ukrainian runner-up Dynamo. Both games will take place on May 12 at the Valery Lobanovsky Dynamo Stadium. The winners of the first matches will play for the grand prize on May 14 at the Olympic Stadium, the Ukrainian capital’s main arena. A little earlier on the same day, the same arena will see the losers’ final.
The Soccer Federation of Ukraine, organizer of the tournament, has pledged to bear all expenses to accommodate the tournament guests in Kyiv. Besides receiving the participating clubs’ players and officials, the tournament is expected to be attended by FIFA President Joseph Blatter, one of his deputies Michel Platini, and some UEFA official representatives.
The Lobanovsky Memorial prize fund includes $50,000 US for the winner and $35,000 for the runner-up. Those finishing third and fourth will also be awarded $25,000 and $15,000 respectively.
Even before the tournament organizing committee held its first meeting, it had received confirmation from the Russian side: both Lokomotiv and TsSKA are slated to bring their first-string players to Kyiv.
Memorial participants and guests will attend not only the matches but also functions in memory of Valery Lobanovsky. On May 13, the day the great coach’s heart stopped a year ago, a monument to Lobanovsky will be unveiled at Baikove Cemetery, and another monument in his honor will be ceremoniously opened on May 11 at Dynamo Stadium.
PRESTIGE AND PROSPECTS
What will the Lobanovsky Memorial mean for the world soccer calendar? Most probably, the first top-level tournament of this kind will be able to deliver what ex-USSR soccer fans have been missing.
Until recently, the Moscow-based Commonwealth Cup was the only regular competition for clubs from the formerly “fraternal republics.” This tournament has practically exhausted itself during its ten years of existence. This year, when Dynamo Kyiv stayed out of the Moscow competition and Lokomotiv Moscow fielded its second string, interest in the Commonwealth Cup in fact dropped to nil. The encounter between the champions of Ukraine and Russia was the only attraction in this quite large competition involving 16 teams. What further downgraded the Moscow tournament is the fact that it was played indoors on artificial turf.
From this perspective, the Lobanovsky Memorial has a number of advantages: first, matches at stadiums, not at indoor complexes; second, a suitable schedule that makes it possible to get things done in a few days; and, the main thing, the list of participants. The Moscow press has already labeled the Lobanovsky Memorial the Kiev Supercup, anticipating a final game between Russian soccer leaders. What dampens such expectations somewhat is the statement of Shakhtar Club President Rinat Akhmetov who, while duly praising the Kyiv tournament organizers, still stressed that his team would be preparing, first of all, for the crucial national championship and cup matches. This gives the impression that Shakhtar is reluctant to risk its best players on the eve of the season’s key games.
Voices can be heard today that Italian or German teams could be invited to the Lobanovsky Memorial, that the next tournament might be held in Donetsk, etc.
What can a promising tournament gain and lose if it accepts certain proposals? What is so far disputable is the date of the Memorial. All over the world, such tournaments are conducted in the summertime, when the most crucial games have already been played and the teams are getting ready for the next season. These games draw audiences that wish to see the updated teams, while coaches have an opportunity to test their new designs. As to the list of participants, it would be wrong to reduce this fascinating Ukrainian- Russian supercup to the level of one of the many mainstream commercial tournaments. The same applies to the tournament venue. A competition named for the great Kyivan Lobanovsky must be held in his hometown, the city he glorified all his life.
Given the right professional approach, the Lobanovsky Memorial could become the showcase of Kyiv soccer, a competition among the best teams of two countries to whose soccer Valery Lobanovsky made such a tremendous contribution. All this will arouse greater interest of fans in the tournament and boost the quality of the Memorial games. Quality was the basic criterion for the late great Coach. The May 12 and 14 games will show whether fans can anticipate a long and glorious history for the Lobanovsky Memorial. In any case, the participants and organizers are not hiding their optimism.
