Working as a sports journalist on television, radio and in newspapers, I conducted many interviews with the honored master of sports, honored coach of Ukraine, five-time champion and seven-time winner of the Cup of the former USSR, winner of the Cup Winners’ Cup and UEFA Super Cup in 1975, bronze medalist of the Olympics 1976 in Montreal by Leonid Buryak.
I have preserved many interviews — audio, video, and newspaper clippings. I always asked a lot of questions to my interlocutor, who will celebrate his 70th birthday on July 10. And I always received honest answers to them. Here I have selected 9 of the most interesting ones and offer them to your attention.
— Leonid Yosypovych, as a sign of gratitude and in memory of your football talent and achievements, on September 13, 2015, on the Alley of Football Fame near the Chornomorets Stadium in Odessa, your name was immortalized — a star of Leonid Buryak appeared.
— I was born in football Odesa, here I mastered the first football science. At the age of 15, I was invited to “Chornomorets”, then at the age of 20 – to the Kyiv “Dynamo”. After finishing my career as a player, I became a coach. My wards, football players of “Chornomorets”, won silver medals of the championship of Ukraine for two seasons in a row (1993/1994 and 1994/1995), for the first time in the history of “sailors”.
Great football players played in Odesa in different years. I will not name all of them, but among them are Oleg Makarov, Anatoly Zubrytskyi, Volodymyr Shchegolkov, Viktor Prokopenko, Valery Porkuyan, Andriy Voronin, Ilya Tsimbalar, Yuriy Romenskyi and many others.
The names of many of them are immortalized on the Walk of Football Fame of FC Chornomorets. I would like to see similar Alleys in Kyiv, Lviv, Kharkiv, and other football cities of Ukraine.
— Statisticians calculated that Buryak played 612 official matches during his long football career. I understand, my question is difficult, but still… Which of the matches played was the most memorable? If it is not possible to single out one, then at least three.
– 90 minutes on the field, no matter how the match ends – with victory or failure – this is part of your football life. Many matches were memorable.
The first match for “Dynamo” on August 28, 1973. We hosted Ararat, one of the leaders of the championship. They lost – 0:1. Our coach Oleksandr Sevidov was noticeably nervous. He decided to let me onto the field in the second half. And it was I who managed to score the ball to Alyosha Abrahamyan, equalizing the score. Having played at full Dynamo speed, we defeated the future champion of the country – 3:1.
The final cup match in Moscow with the same “Ararat” was remembered. We were leading – 1:0. Shortly before the end of the second half, Sevidov decided that the job was done, so Buryak and Blokhin could rest. As a result, the Armenians equalized the score, and won in extra time – 2:1. It was a pity… This failure was postponed in the memory.
Three victories in the star-studded season for Dynamo in 1975 were memorable: May 14 over Ferencvaros (3:0) in Basel in the Cup final, September 9 in Munich (1:0) and October 6 in Kyiv (2:0) ) in matches with Bayern Munich in the fight for the UEFA Super Cup.
I can go on for a long time, but these matches are the most memorable.
— For many years you played under the leadership of Valery Lobanovskyi, later you were his assistant in the Ukrainian national team. Then you followed in the footsteps of Metra, becoming the coach of Dynamo, albeit for a short time, and the mentor of the national team. What is the importance of Valery Vasyliovych in your life?
— Lobanovsky is not just a coach who taught the science of winning. He was also an excellent teacher. I am sure that in each of us, his wards, a piece of the human charm of this remarkable personality remained for the rest of our lives. I proudly consider myself a pupil of the great Trainer. If it weren’t for Valery Vasyliovych, there wouldn’t be us, there wouldn’t be famous Dynamo teams and loud victories of the club from the banks of the Dnipro.
– I see, you have a book on your table called “In the world of wise thoughts”…
– Sometimes I flip through it. It has a rich supply of sayings, many useful tips for life.
– And what are your favorites?
– There are more than one of them. I will single out three that I often use.
1) Do great things without promising great things;
2) Happiness is given to those who work hard;
3) The happiest person is the one who gives happiness to the greatest number of people.
— Leonid Buryak has many friends, and not only from the world of football. Are you trusting, open with them?
— As Vakhtang Kikabidze sang: “My friends are my wealth.” Indeed, I have many friends. Unfortunately, recently some of them have left this world. I remember them all and will always remember them. A true friend is known in misfortune. I always try to be honest with my friends. I never leave friends in difficult moments. At the same time, I enter into friendship with few, but I cherish it.
— What do you appreciate the most in people, and what, on the contrary, do you dislike the most?
— I value honesty and decency very much. I hate betrayal and lies. I always try to be restrained, tolerant. Although sometimes you want to say to the interlocutor’s face everything that you think about him. But I restrain myself.
— What would be your first request if you caught a goldfish?
— Good health to all my loved ones and peace to our country.
— Is it true that Leonid Buryak first tasted champagne only at the age of 21?
– Yes, it’s true, although it’s hard to believe now, especially young people. Now I prefer to drink a glass of wine, red or white.
— In 1985, your first book “Hot Spots of the Field” was published, in 2007 – another “I Lived in a Happy Football Time”…
– Regarding the title of the second book, I really lived in a happy football time. The game brought me joy, football became the business and meaning of my life. However, due to various circumstances, not everything he dreamed of and wanted to achieve came true. But I should not take offense at life. My football years are my wealth.
— For many years now, you have been walking this difficult life together with your charming wife, in the past two-time world champion in rhythmic gymnastics Zhannoula…
— I am sure that God gave me Zhannul. We live in peace and harmony. When I saw her for the first time – slender, smiling, with green-gray eyes – I immediately thought that this is the girl of my dreams. After all, they say that there is love at first sight. For some time we rubbed against each other – and we rubbed.
Zhannulya is a real keeper of the family hearth. Our family is strong, friendly, big. Our motto since 1976 is “to love is to live the life of the one you love.”
We have adult children. Andriy works in the Ukrainian embassy of one of the foreign countries, Oksana is a choreographer, she has been living in Germany for many years. The son and daughter gave us five grandchildren – three boys and two girls.
We often see our grandchildren. The oldest, Anton, is 17 years old and dreams of becoming a virologist. And, for sure, it will definitely happen. And 7-year-old Oleksandr, in addition to the fact that he studies well and plays the guitar, is also a scoring midfielder of one of the children’s teams of Munich “Bavaria”. He already has awards for successful performances in various tournaments. It was in such competitions that his grandfather began his path to great football.
The entire team of “FACTS” joins in congratulating Leonid Yosypovich Buryak on his upcoming 70th anniversary. We wish the birthday boy good health, family well-being and a peaceful sky above his head in independent Ukraine.
Photo FC “Dynamo”
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