Ukraine: first World Cup appearance makes a nation happy

Ukraine’s national team have come very close to qualifying for a major tournament on five occasions. After the 1-1 draw and 4-1 defeat against Germany in the play-offs in November 2001, the East Europeans just missed out on reaching the FIFA World Cup 2002 in Korea und Japan. And the same happened to them before the FIFA World Cup 1998 in France when they were knocked out by Croatia. The blue and yellows also only narrowly failed to qualify for the finals of the European Championships in 1995, 1999 and 2003. But their time had finally come at the start of September 2005: the Ukrainians were the first European team to qualify for the FIFA World Cup 2006 in Germany.

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“We’re all already excited about Ukraine’s, and their great world class striker Andrej Schewschenko’s, first World Cup appearance,” said Franz Beckenbauer, President of the FIFA World Cup 2006 Organising Committee. The former world class sweeper sent a letter of congratulation to Kiev. Excellent players such as Juri Maximov and Viktor Scripnik – both ex-Werder Bremen – and for some time now Andrej Voronin at Bayer Leverkusen have helped Ukrainian football gain a fine reputation amongst German fans, explained Beckenbauer.

Internationally, Ukraine’s reputation was already better than results suggest . The national team is sometimes termed “Eastern Europe’s France”. Behind the term is the esteem enjoyed by the eleven built around Schewtschenko, the AC Milan superstar. From a football point of view, the team coached by Oleg Blochin – one of the old USSR era’s outstanding players – is capable of producing magical performances. In contrast to the country’s national team, which is still waiting for its international break-through – Dynamo Kiev is one of the major European club sides. The perpetual championship winners have repeatedly proved their class in the past few years when playing in the Champions League against class teams such as Bayern Munich, Manchester United and Real Madrid. The club, which contained outstanding players back in USSR times and that won the European Cup Winners Cup in 1975 and 1986, provides the basis of the national team along with Schachtjor Donezk. Schachtjor, – the current Ukrainian league champions – are in the process of outranking Kiev.

“It’s indescribable. What we’ve achieved is a dream. I’ll never forget it as long as I live,” said Voronin, who came to Germany when aged only 15. Initially at Borussia Mönchengladbach, he later moved to Mainz 05 and 1. FC Cologne before playing up front for Bayer Leverkusen from the beginning of the 2004/2005 season. “Everybody in Ukraine is overjoyed that the World Cup in Germany will finally mark our first appearance at the finals. We’ve been waiting for 15 years. A 1-1 draw against Georgia assured the Ukrainians of top spot in the European Group 2 on 3 September and with it qualification for the World Cup finals. “When we were sure of qualifying, all hell broke loose in Kiev and every other town. The reception we received when arriving back home was something special,” reported Voronin. 

After the end of the Soviet Union in 1991 and the declaration of independence, the Ukraine became a member of the international football association (FIFA) in the following year. A story then evolved over 14 years that resembled a sports drama. Again and again the national team narrowly failed in its attempts to reach a major championship finals. After the unsuccessful qualification for the 2004 European Championship the team underwent an upheaval. The former Soviet international Oleg Blochin, Europe’s Footballer of the Year in 1975, took over in charge of the national team from Leonid Buryak. The aim of the former top striker was to eradicate one weakness in the team. Though all the players are well schooled technically, when put under pressure they tend to play “football by numbers”. In 2002, Rudi Völler, Germany’s former team manager concluded: “The old Russian school is evident in the team.” 

Ever since Blochin took over the post as national coach in September 2003, the side has been on the road to success. The Ukrainians topped Group 2 ahead of European champions Greece, ex-European champions and World Cup third placed Turkey. The problems lay off the pitch. In March 2005 and just before the decisive World Cup qualifying matches, Blochin announced his resignation.  The coach felt he was being forced out of office for political reasons. “My heart hurts. The team is my life,” said Blochin. As a member of the Ukrainian Parliament, he isn’t allowed to have any jobs on the side. Outrage prevailed in the country that Blochin was resigning. It was why the coach was able to retract his resignation. Half a year later he was able to enjoy the fruits of his two year’s work – Ukraine’s first World Cup appearance.