Vladimir Muntyan

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Volodymyr Fedirovych Muntyan (Russian: Владимир Мунтян, Ukrainian: Володимир Мунтян, Romanian: Vladimir Muntean), (born September 14, 1946, Kiev, USSR, was a renowned Soviet midfielder of the 1960s and 1970s. Muntyan is considered to be one of the best and most talented players to ever represent Dynamo Kyiv and Soviet Union. He is also the only player apart from Oleg Blokhin (his team-mate in the 1970s) who has won 7 Soviet championships.

[edit] Biography

[edit] Early years

A son of a factory worker and a nurse, Volodymyr became interested acrobatics and competed successfully in Kiev's city-wide competition, winning accolades in his age category. His family eventually relocated to live near a professional soccer grounds in Kiev, where young Muntyan and his friends would hang out, acting as ball boys to the elders. While once juggling a ball, he was approached by a soldier, who asked him if he was interested in taking up football as a sport. Muntyan said yes and was taken to Mikhail Korsunskiy, who was a famous local children's coach at the time. He quickly recognised Muntyan's potential.

[edit] Youth years

Due to the boy's natural talent, he was included in Kiev’s youth team with people like Semen Altman and Anatoly Byshovets (both coaches now). After a Spartakiada match between the Kiev and Moscow teams, which Kiev won, Dynamo Kyiv youth coach Mikhail Khoman offered young Muntyan to come to a training session with the senior team the next day at 11:00. The young boy turned up outside the ground, but was so scared to see his idols Valery Lobanovsky, Andriy Biba, that he hid behind a tree and didn't make the team bus. However his friend Anatoly Byshovets helped him to get over the fear and eventually he turned up to a training session.

[edit] Early career

Muntyan joined the Dynamo Kiev team as a 15 year old, when the main team coach was Victor Maslov. Despite weighting only 60 kg (9.5 stones) and short of 170 cm in height, he was encouraged to play and his skills were further enhanced by the training. When five of then current squad left to join 1966 Soviet football team for the World Cup, Dynamo Kyiv managed to win a double (championship and the cup) with Muntyan stepping in from the reserves as one of the main players.

[edit] Individual honours

• Ukrainian Footballer of the Year: 1970

Awards
Preceded by Volodymyr Serebrennikov	Ukrainian Footballer of the Year 1970	Succeeded by Yevhen Rudakov

[edit] References

• (Russian) RussiaTeam Biography

v • d • e USSR squad - 1970 FIFA World Cup 1 Shmuts • 2 Kavazashvili • 3 Afonin • 4 Dzodzuashvili • 5 Kaplichny • 6 Lovchev • 7 Logofet • 8 Khurtsilava • 9 Shesternyov • 10 Zikov • 11 Asatiani • 12 Kiselev • 13 Yashin • 14 Muntyan • 15 Serebryanikov • 16 Byshovets • 17 Yevriuzhikin • 18 Metreveli • 19 Nodia • 20 Puzach • 21 Khmelnitsky • 22 Porkujan • Coach: Kachalin