Oleg Kuznetsov

Football manager infobox
playername = Oleg Kuznetsov


fullname = Oleg Vladimirovich Kuznetsov
nickname =
height = height|m=1.84
dateofbirth =birth date and age|1963|3|22|
cityofbirth = Magdeburg
countryofbirth = East Germany
currentclub = Retired
position = Central defender
youthyears = 1971–1980
youthclubs = FC Desna Chernihiv
years = 1981–1982
1983–1990
1990–1994
1994–1995
1995–1997
clubs = FC Desna Chernihiv
Dynamo Kyiv
Rangers F.C.
Maccabi Haifa
CSKA-Borysfen Kyiv
Total
caps(goals) = 14 (0)
181 (5)
35 (1)
6 (0)
11 (1)
247 (7)
nationalyears = 1986–1991
1992
1993–1995

nationalteam = USSR
CIS
Ukraine
Total
nationalcaps(goals) = 58 (1)
5 (0)
3 (0)
66 (1)
manageryears = 1998–2001
2001–2002
2002–2004
2002–
managerclubs = CSKA Kyiv "(Assistant)"
CSKA Kyiv
Dynamo Kyiv "(Assistant)"
Ukraine "(Assistant)"

Oleh Volodymyrovych Kuznetsov - or Oleg Wladimirovitsch Kuznetsow (in German) ( _ru. Олег Владимирович Кузнецов) (born March 22, 1963 (Magdeburg, East Germany) is a former professional Ukrainian football player. Kuznetsov had started playing football when he was 8 years old. However, it wasn't until he was 20 when his talent was noticed by the Soviet giants at that time, Dynamo Kyiv.

A spectacular stopper, Kuznetsov stayed with Dynamo until September 1990, when he transferred to Scottish club Rangers F.C. in the prime of his career. Unfortunately, he injured his cruciate ligament in only his second game (against St Johnstone) and didn't play again for a full year. The time out meant that new players had been brought in and he was never a first choice again. After a four year stint, hampered by injuries, he moved on to the Israeli team Maccabi Haifa to play for one season. He retrned to Ukraine to finish his career with CSKA-Borysfen Kyiv.

Kuznetsov retired in 1997, after an illustrious playing career. He appeared in 63 games for the USSR/CIS national team (1 goal), and 3 times for the Ukraine side after the fall of the Soviet Union. He was a silver medal winner with the USSR team at the 1988 UEFA European Football Championship. He also represented USSR at the 1986 and 1990 FIFA World Cups, as well as at the 1992 UEFA European Football Championship. A six-time domestic champion (3 with Dynamo Kyiv and 3 with Rangers), and a four-time domestic cup winner (3 with Dynamo Kyiv and 1 with Rangers). He won the UEFA Cup Winners Cup in 1986, and was a European Cup semi-finalist in 1987 with Dynamo Kyiv. He was in 11th place in the European Footballer of the Year award in 1988, and in 17th place in 1989.

Kuznetsov began coaching in 1998 at the last club he played for professionally, CSKA Kyiv. Starting out as an assistant coach he became head-coach for the 2001–2002 season. He moved to the coaching staff at Dynamo Kyiv and is currently on the coaching staff of the Ukraine national team. As coach, he was part of the Ukraine national team that reached the Quarter-finals of the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany.