Oleksandr Zavarov

Oleksandr Anatoliyovych Zavarov, also spelt Aleksandr Anatoljević Zavarov (Олександр Анатолійович Заваров, Заваров, Александр Анатольевич) – (born 26 April 1961 in Luhansk, Ukrainian SSR) is a former Ukrainian football midfielder and the former head coach at FC Arsenal Kyiv.

He became first among Soviets footballers who got transferred to West European world class club when he was picked by Juventus to replace the outgoing Michel Platini.

He had a choice to serve either in the army or the MVD (Ministry of Internal Affairs), but older teammates, the 1972 champions, were suggesting him against Dynamo (part of the MVD system).

He was told that it would be difficult to outperform such players like Oleg Blokhin, Volodymyr Onyshchenko and others who played at that time for Dynamo.

Eventually, Zavarov joined SKA Rostov-na-Donu (part of the Armed Forces society) and still has an ambiguous feeling about it whether he has done the right thing.

Particularly Zavarov hated that during his demobilization after two seasons he was pressured to remain at SKA, offered a higher military rank (praporschik), possibility of moving to the Central Armed Forces club, PFC CSKA Moscow, and, when refused, placed in for 10 days long "Gauptvakhta" (type of military prison).

Coincidentally, at that time SKA was coached by German Zonin who made Zorya in 1972 the Soviet champions.

It was him who actually turned Zavarov from forward into midfielder.

Zavarov made his debut at professional level on April 27, 1979 in away match against the defending Soviet champion FC Dinamo Tbilisi when he came on substitute for Igor Gamula after the first half.

Zorya lost that match 0:3.

His first goal Zavarov scored in his third match on "Victory Day" May 9, 1979, in away tie (2:2) against SKA Rostov-na-Donu where both goals from Zavarov saved the game for Luhansk.

In his first season for the Zorya first team, Zavorov played 23 games and scored 7 goals.

However, his team placed second to last that season and was relegated.

In the summer of 1979 following the 1979 Spartakiad of the Peoples of the USSR, Valeriy Lobanovskyi offered Zavarov to join Dynamo Kyiv for the first time, but Zavarov refused by stating that he needs to consult with his mother.

In 1979 Zavarov was a student at the Voroshilovgrad Pedagogical Institute, but nonetheless received a notice from the Soviet military entrance processing office to carry out his compulsory military service.

In 1981 with different coach SKA won the Soviet Cup and in the final game on assist of Zavarov, his "homeboy" Sergey Andreyev scored the winning goal against Spartak Moscow.

Two weeks after the cup final in the league match against Spartak Zavarov scored his first career hat-trick, however SKA playing at home lost to Muscovite team 3:4.

In SKA Zavarov also played with his friend Igor Gamula and according to some rumors (Sovetsky Sport among others) they may have overindulged themselves with Soviet Abrau-Durso, but in later interviews Zavarov claimed that it was an innocent celebration of a victory in the Soviet Cup.

In 1981 Zavarov also made his first appearance in the European clubs' competitions on September 16 when SKA was hosting Turkish MKE Ankaragücü in the first round of 1981–82 European Cup Winners' Cup.

The Soviets won 3:0 and Zavarov scored twice.

In the next round SKA played against German Eintracht Frankfurt and again their first match of the two legs tie they played at home.

The home win over the Germans also came about not without help of Zavarov.

SKA Rostov-na-Donu leadership tricked Zavarov accused him in being "absent without leave" which would make him do another two years in disciplinary battalion.

While being in military detention, Zavarov remained determined to leave the service.

His wife when she found out wrote a grievance letter to the Minister of Defense Dmitriy Ustinov.

On the 9th day Zavarov gave up after all and signed an agreement to receive a rank and remain in the service.

However, once freed, Zavarov was requesting to be demobilized immediately.

From the Ministry of Defense arrived a commission which told him if he leaves, they will bar him from playing.

Zavarov told them that does not care and was disqualified indefinitely.

For almost 6 months he worked at the October Revolution Factory in Luhansk making train wheels until one of workers, two times Hero of Socialist Labor, blacksmith Kurylo didn't appeal to the Football Federation and disqualification was removed.

After being reinstated following his disqualification Zavarov joined the factory team where he worked FC Zorya Luhansk that played in the Pervaya Liga (2nd tier).

His first match after the disqualification was on May 11, 1982 in away game against Kolos Nikopol which Zorya lost 0:2.

In 1986, he was named the best footballer in the USSR and Ukraine and the 6th best footballer in Europe according to France Football.

Zavarov is widely regarded to be among the greatest footballers in the history of the USSR and Ukraine, and in 2000 he was included in the Ukrainian Team of The Century according to a poll by the Ukrainsky Futbol weekly.

Zavarov was born in Luhansk to family of worker who worked at foundry for one of the city's factories.

He started to play early in his life first on streets and then the Zorya sports school of Olympic reserves.

Later as senior in school he was offered to enroll to the Kyiv sports boarding school to gain an opportunity to try for Dynamo Kyiv reserves.

However, the hometown club was quick on its feet and kept its player.

When Zavarov was 16, the head coach of Zorya Yozhef Sabo took him to play for reserve squad and two years later Zavarov made his debut in the Soviet Top League.

With the Zorya sports school team, twice Zavarov reached finals of a children republican tournament "Leather Ball" but, alas, never won it.