Viktor Onopko, football player: biography, personal life, sports career

Central defender - one of the most important positions on the football field. From composure and competent defense game player who manages the protection of doors and provides peace of mind in the rear of the team depends largely on the final result of the match. The best defender of Russia nineties rightly considered Viktor Onopko, whose biography is told below. Taciturn, self-possessed, he was the leader of all the teams in which he was able to play.

Game handwriting

Viktor Onopko - footballer, who was lucky enough to work under the guidance of two trainers most extraordinary post-Soviet space. Born in Ukraine, he passed through the system of Kiev "Dynamo" Valery Lobanovsky where he worked, and then followed by a transition to the Moscow "Spartak", which taxied Oleg Romantsev.

Viktor Onopko, football player: biography, personal life, sports career

Games philosophy of the two teams has been diametrically opposed, and hence versatile tactical arsenal, lessons player. Tall, strong, Viktor Onopko was a versatile player, able to play both in defense and closer to the center of the field. He possessed good technique, good to handle the ball. During the time spent in "Spartacus", a native of Lugansk perfectly mastered the game with one touch and learned to distribute accurate transmission.

Victor himself called shooting guard. The first season of "Spartacus" was used in the core zone of the midfield, he has successfully connected to the attacks and scored a lot of goals. Later he was transferred to the center of defense, where he became a really irreplaceable.

While not the fastest player, Onopko perfectly able to choose the position on the field, able to play a proactive and thereby leveled the lack of speed. It was very difficult to beat, he is aggressive and hard to function selection of the ball, not allowing players to breathe calmly attack.

Ukrainian footballer period

Viktor Onopko was born in Voroshilovgrad (now Lugansk), Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic in 1969. At that time, the local football team is quite high was quoted in the Soviet football. When Victor was three years old, "Dawn" even won the championship alliance. Accordingly, the city was a good sports school, where he began his football education future pillar of the defense of "Spartacus" and the Russian national team Viktor Onopko.

The first football club - "Stakhanovite", played in the lower leagues of the USSR. Soon, however, he was seen by experts of the strongest teams in eastern Ukraine - Donetsk "Shakhtar". For second "miners" Viktor Onopko played until 1989.

At a young age, he was not considered a gifted footballer. While many of his peers revealed early and spent a lot of games for various youth teams, Onopko calmly and methodically worked in training and constantly progressed. In 1989, taking advantage of military age player, it recruited in Kiev "Dynamo".

Viktor Onopko, football player: biography, personal life, sports career

Valery Lobanovsky, making out a huge potential in the inconspicuous-looking player, personally tried to persuade Victor to stay in the system and the people of Kiev guarantee him a place in the main team after the departure of leaders. However, he preferred to return to Donetsk, where he became one of the key players.

The dilemma with a choice of football citizenship

The beginning of a football maturity Onopko was due to the collapse of a large country. In 1991, the Soviet Union ceased to exist, held last single championship. In front of many Ukrainian sportsmen then the problem urgently choice - where to play next? The situation in the Russian clubs was more stable, many players prefer to leave Ukraine. I not immediately made his choice, Viktor Onopko. "Spartacus" made him an offer to move, but he, being a couch potato, first opted to stay in Donetsk. However, his wife Natalia insisted on leaving, the family began to tear contradictions. Decisive was the opinion in-law Victor, who is still in-law persuaded to accept the offer of Oleg Romantseva and move to Moscow.

Moved in "Spartacus", then you could still go back and play in the "Miner" or "Dynamo". However, the decision about the choice of the team had already irreversible. We had to decide once and for all - Ukraine or Russia?

Becoming the successor of the USSR, the Russian Federation had the opportunity to play at the 1994 World Cup. Ukraine had to wait for the qualifying round for the European Championship in 1996. Among the many reasons for this, too, explains the fact that many immigrants from Ukraine chose the Russian football citizenship. Among them, nearly half of the stars of "Spartacus": Tsymbalar, Nikiforov, Juran. Viktor Onopko also decided to permanently link their fate with Russia is spending his first match for the team in 1992.

The universal player "red-white" team

Many do not understand the decision Oleg Romantseva invite to the team of Viktor Onopko, brought up in a system completely different football than in Moscow "Spartak". However, the team are new blend in the composition and soon became quite invaluable.

Viktor Onopko from the outset showed himself to be a versatile footballer, able to close multiple positions on the field. Initially, it was used in central midfield, where he actively connected to the attacks. In 1993, Onopko, for example, chop 13 goals in 43 games and was named the best player of the season. Nevertheless, it is still remembered as the best central defender of the first half of the nineties.

Viktor Onopko, football player: biography, personal life, sports career

laconic, cold-blooded native of Lugansk soon managed to become a real team leader. Victor Onopko invariably chose a captain that will be repeated and the team, and in the "Oviedo".

The furore in the Champions League and move to Spain

Along with "Spartacus", he spent several distinct seasons, each time winning in the national championship. Especially memorable 1995, when the Moscow club has managed to win six wins in six matches of the Champions League. It was then that many European clubs lined up for players of "Spartacus."

Among the team was left, and Viktor Onopko. Largely influenced his decision turbulent situation in Moscow in those years. Players of "Spartacus" for victory in one of the tournaments presented on the car. Expensive cars have been stolen at all, except for two people who prudently surpassed gifts to other cities.

Idol Asturias

Viktor Onopko received offers from many clubs, but chose a modest "Oviedo", who paid for it, "Spartacus" 2, 2 million dollars compensation.

Asturian club did not shine in the Liga, having acquired in mid-table. Viktor Onopko, as well as in "Spartacus" quite soon became the team captain, which is quite rare in the Spanish club. Coach of the club immediately began to use it in place of central defender Viktor Onopko which provide reliable and stable defense. Several times the country's most popular football edition announced its best defender of the month of the championship.

Viktor Onopko, football player: biography, personal life, sports career

Russian footballer laid out in each game without a trace, very professional treating their duties. Spanish fans, subtly understand football, we appreciated this attitude to the football business. Onopko soon became a real idol of Oviedo, which is very embarrassing modest and reserved person.

The problems in "Oviedo"

However, the club soon began to shake the financial turmoil. Victor has not received a salary for two years, the debt to them has increased to 1, 5 million euros. The team flew to Segunda, and Onopko in season 2002/2003 went to rent, "Rayo Vallecano".

However, the Madrid club at the end of the season lost his place in the elite of Spanish football, and returned to luganchanin "Oviedo". He played for the team in good faith and in the second division, in contrast to many players. Not only in front of the club Onopko has arrears of wages, the other players also did not receive the money. In protest, they openly horsing around and just serving your number on the field.

Viktor Onopko, football player: biography, personal life, sports career

Hot Spanish fans were ready to devour the players, "Oviedo", when the team collapsed in the third division. The only one who escaped this fate, was Viktor Onopko, who worked in good faith all the years spent in Spain.

Return to Moscow

When the "Oviedo" lost his place in the Segunda, Viktor Onopko was free to leave the team. Returning to Russia in 2003, he joined the "Alania", which helped to avoid relegation from the Premier League. Soon he moved to play "Saturn", which was led by Oleg Romantsev. Moscow Region club became the last in the career of Viktor Onopko as a player.

Viktor Onopko, football player: biography, personal life, sports career

After spending some time in Spain, Victor returned to Moscow. He graduated from high school coaches, worked as a functionary in the RAF. In 2009, he accepted an offer of CSKA and since then has consistently worked there as one of the coaches of the club.

Viktor Onopko. Personal life

The wife of the legendary defender and captain, unlike most modern footballers wives - a self-sufficient and is actively working woman. Natalia Onopko was a coach in rhythmic gymnastics.

Eugene daughter under the strict supervision of the mother has achieved some success in this sport, performed for the Spanish national team for many major tournaments.

Viktor Onopko, football player: biography, personal life, sports career

All the major decisions in the family will only be accepted by common agreement of the spouses, so they live together for more than twenty years.