Oleg Blokhin facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Oleg Blokhin

Blokhin as manager of Dynamo Kyiv in 2014
Personal information
Date of birth	(1952-11-05) 5 November 1952 (age 72)
Place of birth	Kiev, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union (now Kyiv, Ukraine)
Height	1.80 m
Playing position	Forward
Youth career
1962–1969	Dynamo Kyiv
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1969–1988	Dynamo Kyiv	432	(211)
1988–1989	Vorwärts Steyr	41	(9)
1989–1990	Aris Limassol	22	(5)
Total		495	(225)
National team
1972–1988	Soviet Union	112	(42)
Teams managed
1990–1993	Olympiacos
1993–1994	PAOK
1994–1997	Ionikos
1998	PAOK
1998–1999	AEK Athens
2000–2002	Ionikos
2003–2007	Ukraine
2007–2008	Moscow
2011–2012	Ukraine
2012–2014	Dynamo Kyiv
Honours Men's football Representing  Soviet Union Olympic Games Bronze 1972 Munich Team competition Bronze 1976 Montreal Team competition UEFA European U-23 Championships 1972 Europe
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Oleg Blokhin (born 5 November 1952) is a famous Ukrainian and Soviet former football player and manager. He is known as one of the best football players of his time. Blokhin was an amazing striker for Dynamo Kyiv and the Soviet Union team.

He holds the record for most goals scored for both Dynamo Kyiv (266 goals) and the Soviet Union national team (42 goals). He also scored the most goals ever in the Soviet Top League (211 goals). Blokhin is the only player to have played over 100 games for the Soviet Union. He also played 582 games for Dynamo Kyiv over 18 years.

With Dynamo Kyiv, Blokhin won eight Soviet league titles and five national cups. He also won two European Cup Winners' Cups. He played for the Soviet Union in the 1972 and 1976 Olympic Games. He also played in the 1982 and 1986 FIFA World Cups.

During his playing career, he won the Soviet Footballer of the Year award three times. He also won the Ukrainian Footballer of the Year award nine times. In 1975, he was named European Footballer of the Year, winning the Ballon d'Or. He was the second Soviet player and the first Ukrainian to win this award.

As a coach, Blokhin led the Ukraine national team twice. He managed the team in the 2006 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2012. In 2011, he was named one of "the legends of Ukrainian football."

Early Life and Family

Oleg Blokhin was born in Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, in 1952. His mother, Kateryna Adamenko, was a champion athlete in the USSR. She was great at the pentathlon, sprint, and long jump. His father, Vladimir Blokhin, was a police officer and a fast runner.

Because of his athletic parents, Oleg became a fast runner too. By age 16, he could run 60 meters in less than 7 seconds. His parents helped him develop his speed, which was a big part of his football success.

Oleg was married to Irina Deriugina, a famous rhythmic gymnast. They have a daughter named Iryna Blokhina, who is a singer. Oleg later married Angela, and they have two more daughters, Hanna and Katerina.

Playing Career Highlights

Blokhin was one of the best football players in the world in the 1970s. He scored many goals for his hometown club, Dynamo Kyiv. He became the top goalscorer in the history of the Soviet League. This league was one of the strongest in Europe.

Blokhin usually played as a forward or winger. He was famous for his amazing speed. He played most of his career for Dynamo Kyiv. He holds the record for most goals (211) and most appearances (432) in the USSR national championship. He helped Dynamo win the championship 8 times.

He also led Dynamo to win the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in 1975 and 1986. He scored a goal in both finals. Blokhin is also the USSR national football team's most capped player with 112 games. He is also their all-time leading goalscorer with 42 goals. He scored one goal in each of the 1982 and 1986 FIFA World Cups.

Blokhin was one of the first Soviet players to play football in other countries. He played for Vorwärts Steyr in Austria in 1988. He also played for Aris in Cyprus.

Coaching Career

After he stopped playing, Blokhin became a coach. He coached Greek clubs like Olympiacos, PAOK, AEK Athens, and Ionikos. With Olympiacos, his team won the Greek Cup and the Greek Super Cup in 1992.

In September 2003, he became the head coach of the Ukraine national team. Under his leadership, Ukraine qualified for a big tournament for the first time as an independent country. They reached the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany. Ukraine made it to the quarter-finals of the tournament, where they lost to Italy.

Blokhin coaching in 2012

After Ukraine did not qualify for UEFA Euro 2008, Blokhin left his coaching role in December 2007. He then coached FC Moscow for a year. On 21 April 2011, Blokhin was again chosen to coach the Ukraine national team. He led the team in UEFA Euro 2012 when it was hosted in Ukraine. They beat Sweden but were eliminated in the group stage after losing to France and England.

In September 2012, Dynamo Kyiv hired Blokhin to coach their club. He was dismissed as Dynamo's manager in April 2014 because of the team's poor results.

Political Life

In 1998, Oleg Blokhin was elected to the Verkhovna Rada. This is Ukraine's parliament, where laws are made. He was elected for a second time in 2002. He joined different political groups during his time in parliament.

Honours and Awards

Oleg Blokhin has won many awards and titles throughout his career.

With Dynamo Kyiv

• Soviet Top League (8 times): 1971, 1974, 1975, 1977, 1980, 1981, 1985, 1986
• Soviet Cup (5 times): 1974, 1978, 1982, 1984–85, 1986–87
• USSR Super Cup (3 times): 1981, 1986, 1987
• UEFA Cup Winners' Cup (2 times): 1974–75, 1985–86
• UEFA Super Cup: 1975 (Runner-up in 1986)

Individual Awards

Blokhin's Golden Foot award from 2009

• Ballon d'Or: 1975 (This award is for the best football player in Europe)
• Soviet Footballer of the Year: 1973, 1974, 1975
• Ukrainian Footballer of the Year (9 times): 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1980, 1981
• Soviet Top League top scorer: 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1977
• Golden Foot: 2009 (as a football legend)
• UEFA Golden Player for Ukraine
• Honoured Masters of Sport of the USSR (1975)
• Merited Coach of Ukraine (2005)

See also

In Spanish: Oleh Blojín para niños

• List of men's footballers with 100 or more international caps