Vladimir Muntyan

Infobox Football biography
playername= Volodymyr Muntian
fullname = Volodymyr Fedorovych Muntian
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1946|9|14|df=y
cityofbirth = Kotovsk
countryofbirth = Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union
height =
currentclub = Ukraine U-21 (manager)
position = former midfielder
youthyears =
youthclubs = FC Dynamo Kyiv
years = 1965-1977
1980
clubs = FC Dynamo Kyiv
SKA Kyiv
caps(goals) = 302 (57)
?
nationalyears = 1968-1976
nationalteam = USSR
nationalcaps(goals) = 49 (7)
manageryears = 1981-1982
1986-1988
1992-1994
1995-1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003-2004
2004-2005
2008-present
managerclubs = SKA Kyiv
COSFAP, Madagascar
Ukraine Olympic football team
Guinea
Cherkasy
FC Orion Kyiv
SC Tavriya Simferopol
FC Obolon Kyiv
FC Alania Vladikavkaz
FC Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih
FC Vorskla Poltava
Ukraine U-21|

Volodymyr Fedirovych Muntyan ( _ru. Владимир Мунтян, _uk. Володимир Мунтян, _ro. Vladimir Munteanu), (born September 14 1946, Kotovsk, 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.

Biography

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.

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.

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.

Individual honours

* Ukrainian Footballer of the Year: 1970

References

* [http://www.rusteam.permian.ru/players/muntyan.html RussiaTeam Biography]