Olympic medal record
Competitor for  Soviet Union
Men's Football
Bronze	1980 Moscow	Team Competition

Olympic medal record
Competitor for  Soviet Union
Men's Football
Gold	1988 Seoul	Team Competition

Volodymyr Vasylyovych Bezsonov or Vladimir Vasilyevich Bessonov (Ukrainian: Володимир Васильович Безсонов, Russian: Владимир Васильевич Бессонов, born March 5, 1958) is a Ukrainian football manager and former player, he is considered to be the best defender ever to play for the USSR national football team.^{[citation needed]} He is the current head coach of Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk in the Ukrainian Premier League.

[edit] Career

[edit] Club

Volodymyr Bezsonov's career began in 1976 with Dynamo Kyiv. Here he spent most of his career, except for a short one-season stint in Israeli club Maccabi Haifa F.C. in 1990-91. He was well known as a lightning quick full-back with a powerful shot. Bessonov was attack- minded and scored a good return for a defender. He ended 27 goals in the 377 games that played for Dynamo.

[edit] International

Bezsonov won 79 caps and scored 4 goals for the USSR national football team from 1977 to 1990 and was included in three FIFA World Cup squads. He also holds the record for the fifth highest appearances for the USSR national football team.^[1] In the 1990 World Cup he was sent off against Argentina. His team ended up losing the match 2-0.

[edit] Coaching

Volodymyr Bezsonov is currently the head coach of Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk.

[edit] Personal life

Vladimir is married to Viktoria Serkyh, a former two-time world champion in rhythmic gymnastics. Together they have a daughter, Anna Bessonova, who also competes internationally in rhythmic gymnastics, became world champion in 2007, and an olympic bronze medalist in 2008.

[edit] Honours

[edit] Individual Honours

• Ukrainian Footballer of the Year: winner 1989
• Ukrainian Footballer of the Year: 2nd place 1988
• Ukrainian Footballer of the Year: 3rd place 1986
• Voted in the Soviet Unions "All time World Cup team" on planetworldcup.com above other great Full-backs such as Igor Netto and Vasiliy Rats.^[2]

[edit] Club Honours

• USSR Championship: winner 1977, 1980, 1981, 1985, 1986, 1990
• USSR Cup: winner 1978, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1990
• USSR Super Cup: winner 1980, 1985, 1986
• UEFA Cup Winners Cup: winner 1986
• Trofeo Santiago Bernabéu: winner 1986
• 1980 Summer Olympics: Bronze Medal.
• 1988 Summer Olympics: Gold Medal.
• UEFA European Football Championship: runner-up 1988.
• USSR Championship: runner-up 1978, 1982, 1988
• USSR Super Cup: runner-up 1977
• UEFA Super Cup: runner-up 1987
• WorldSoccer "Team of the World" in 1986: Part of the Dynamo Kyiv team that came 2nd.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Info on Dnipro Official website

v • d • e Soviet Union squad – 1982 FIFA World Cup 1 Dasayev • 2 Sulakvelidze • 3 Chivadze • 4 Khidiyatullin • 5 Baltacha • 6 Demyanenko • 7 Shengelia • 8 Bessonov • 9 Gavrilov • 10 Oganesian • 11 Blokhin • 12 Bal • 13 Daraselia • 14 Borovsky • 15 Andreyev • 16 Rodionov • 17 Buryak • 18 Susloparov • 19 Yevtushenko • 20 Romantsev • 21 Viktor Chanov • 22 Vyacheslav Chanov • Coach: Beskov

v • d • e Soviet Union squad – 1986 FIFA World Cup 1 Dasayev • 2 Bezsonov • 3 Chivadze • 4 Morozov • 5 Demyanenko • 6 Bubnov • 7 Yaremchuk • 8 Yakovenko • 9 Zavarov • 10 Kuznetsov • 11 Blokhin • 12 Bal • 13 Litovchenko • 14 Rodionov • 15 Larionov • 16 Chanov • 17 Yevtushenko • 18 Protasov • 19 Belanov • 20 Aleinikov • 21 Rats • 22 Krakovsky • Coach: Lobanovsky

v • d • e USSR squad – UEFA Euro 1988 Runners-up 1 Dasayev • 2 Bezsonov • 3 Khidiyatullin • 4 Kuznetsov • 5 Demyanenko • 6 Rats • 7 Aleinikov • 8 Litovchenko • 9 Zavarov • 10 Protasov • 11 Belanov • 12 Vishnevsky • 13 Sulakvelidze • 14 Sukristov • 15 Mikhailichenko • 16 Chanov • 17 Dmitriev • 18 Gotsmanov • 19 Baltacha • 20 Pasulko • Coach: Lobanovsky

v • d • e Soviet Union squad – 1990 FIFA World Cup 1 Dasayev • 2 Bezsonov • 3 Khidiyatullin • 4 Kuznetsov • 5 Demyanenko • 6 Rats • 7 Aleinikov • 8 Litovchenko • 9 Zavarov • 10 Protasov • 11 Dobrovolski • 12 Borodyuk • 13 Tsveiba • 14 Liuty • 15 Yaremchuk • 16 Chanov • 17 Zygmantovich • 18 Shalimov • 19 Fokin • 20 Gorlukovich • 21 Broshin • 22 Uvarov • Coach: Lobanovsky