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Ukraine turn to former ace Blokhin
KIEV, Ukraine (Reuters) -- Former Dynamo Kiev striker Oleg Blokhin has been named as new coach of the Ukrainian national team. Blokhin, voted European Player of the Year in 1975, replaces fellow ex-Soviet international Leonid Buryak, who has been sacked following a string of poor results. Ukraine, who had a disappointing Euro 2004 campaign, lost any chance of making the finals in Portugal after defeat by Spain in their final qualifier. The 50-year-old Blokhin, who has a contract until 2006, had an outstanding playing career. He played 18 seasons (1970-87) for Dynamo Kiev, most of them under coach Valery Lobanovsky. Known for his lightning speed, he won eight Soviet league titles and two European Cup Winner's Cups in 1975 and 1986. He also played in two World Cups in 1982 and 1986. Blokhin, who still holds the all-time Soviet league scoring record with 211 goals in 432 games, coached a number of Greek clubs, including Olympiakos, PAOK Salonika and Ionikos, after retiring in 1990. Long road backBlokhin became a communist member of Ukrainian parliament shortly after quitting Ionikos in February 1997. But he admitted he was surprised by his latest appointment. "Yes, it was news to me. I also understand the difficult situation we're having with the national team," he said. "I know it's going to be a long road back but I'm also prepared to work hard to try and regain Ukraine's former glory." He dismissed suggestions that he was ignorant about the current state of Ukrainian football. "Yes, I've been away from the game for a while but I've been watching a lot of football lately, so I think I have a pretty good idea of what to expect," said Blokhin, who also holds Soviet international records with 112 caps and 42 goals. Blokhin's first match in charge will be against Macedonia in a friendly in Kiev on October 11. Copyright 2003 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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