Viktor Onopko: Spanish and Russian career

Viktor Onopko was a Soviet, Ukrainian and Russian football player. He performed in three championships of the Soviet and post-Soviet period (USSR, Ukraine, Russia). Also, the player played for three different teams (USSR, CIS, Russia). In 2004 he became a well-deserved MS (master of sports) of Russia.

Dossier

Viktor Onopko was born on the fourteenth of October 1969 (Lugansk, Ukraine). Position on the football field - the supporting midfielder, the defender. Weight 79 kg, height - 188 cm Years of performances in the big sport - 1986-2005. Has a wife Natalia and two children.

The game was notable for its tenacity and reliability. At the position of the central defender performed, in addition to defensive functions, and creative actions, connecting to the attacks of his team. He played his head perfectly, skillfully chose the position for the strike.

Onopko is the permanent captain of the Russian national team, a charismatic leader, distinguished by calmness and discretion. Included in the list of players who played 100 or more matches for their national teams.

Career football player

As football player Victor Onopko performed in three countries of the world for eight different clubs. He spent 463 matches, scored 33 goals.

• 1986-88, 1990-91 - Shakhtar (Donetsk);
• 1989 - Dynamo (Kiev);
• 1992-95 - Spartak (Moscow);
• 1996-2002 - Oviedo (Spain);
• 2002-03 - "Rayo Vallecano" (Spain);
• 2003 - Alania (Vladikavkaz);
• 2004-05 - "Saturn (Ramenskoye).

National teams

For three different national teams Victor Onopko performed from 1990 to 2004.

He played 116 matches and scored 8 goals.

• 1990-1991 - Olympic team of the USSR;
• 1992 - National team of the CIS;
• 1992-2004 - The Russian national team.

Onopko played four games for the national team of the CIS and 109 games for the Russian national team. In the period from 1990 to 1991 he went three times to the football field in the form of the USSR Olympic team.

Trophies and achievements

In the "Spartacus" Victor Onopko won three times the gold medals of the Russian championship (1992-1994), was two-time holders of the Cup of Russia (1992, 1994), became the winner of the Commonwealth Cup (1993). He was twice named the best player of the Russian championship (1992, 1993), was the winner of the prize "Leader of the national team" (2002).

As a result of the contest, "Russian Championships - 20 years" became the best central defender of the Russian championship of the period 1992-2014. Viktor Onopko, footballer, awarded the Order of Merit for the Fatherland and the Order of Honor. He was a participant of two World Cups (1994, 2002) and two European championships (1992, 1996).

Stages of the big way

Viktor Onopko is a football player who ended the era of the USSR football and the era of Russian sport began.

The pupil of the Lugansk school began his playing career in 1986 as part of Donetsk Shakhtar. The then coach of the team Anatoly Konkov gave the chance to the player to test himself in one of the strongest teams of the highest league of the USSR championship. There is no doubt that Victor's talent would make him a football legend of the Donetsk club. But fate was pleased to dispose of differently.

Having played several matches for the Donetsk club, Onopko is in the team "Dynamo" (Kiev). Here, in the team's backup team, he serves time as a conscript. Of course, in this way, V. Lobanovsky weakened the teams of competitors, pulling out promising players from their composition.

A year later, Victor, not succumbing to the persuasion of the coach, "Dynamo", promising prospects in the Kiev team, returns to Konkov in Donetsk. In Shakhtar his talent shone with new faces. Onopko - one of the best in its role players, is called into the Olympic team of the USSR, but the events in the country are already unfolding swiftly and unpredictably.

A year later, a mighty empire collapsed. Newly formed independent states began to hold their championships. But their level was so low, and the financial situation of the players is so depressing that there was a rapid outflow of the best Ukrainian players from the country. Some attempted to continue their careers in the far abroad, most of them joined the Russian championship.

In 1992, Viktor Onopko signed a contract with the Moscow "Spartak". Here he becomes the best defender of the Russian championship and twice in a row is recognized as the best player of the championship. As a football player of the Russian national team, he participates in the World Championship in the USA (1994). Team, however, out of that competition quickly flew out, and soon after "Spartacus" to the club "Oviedo" flew and Viktor Onopko.

At that time, many Russian football players moved to foreign European clubs. A special success was considered to be in the team representing the leading championships of the old world: Italy, Germany, England, France, Spain. Victor signed a contract with the "Real". But it was a team not from Madrid, but from the city of Oviedo. Quickly entrenched in the main part of the club, Onopko picked up his dispatch functions on the football field, becoming the leader of the team and the team captain.

As an Oviedo footballer, he took part in the 1996 European Championships. The very same Spanish club was going through bad times. The bankrupt team was transferred to the lower division, and Viktor Onopko (photo of him attached in our material) moved to "Rayo Vallecano".

Of course, it is difficult to show all of your best football qualities in a team that is fighting for the preservation of a residence permit in the Spanish Premier League. The team flew out, and Onopko returned to his native Russian championship. Having provided all possible assistance to "Alania" to preserve the registration of the club in the top league, he moves to the team "Saturn", led by Oleg Romantsev.

Here, in 2006, Victor Onopko completed his playing career.

After graduating from the high school of trainers, he works in the Moscow club of CSKA as an assistant to the main coach of the team. It so happened that Viktor Onopko, whose biography began to be written in Ukraine, became one of the most outstanding football players in Russia.