Oleh Kuznetsov

Who is Oleh Kuznetsov?

Oleh Volodymyrovych Kuznetsov is a former professional Soviet 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 central defender, Kuznetsov stayed with Dynamo until September 1990, when he transferred to Scottish club Rangers in the prime of his career. He injured his cruciate ligament in his second game and did not 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 returned to Ukraine to finish his career with CSKA-Borysfen Kyiv.

Kuznetsov retired in 1997. He appeared in 63 games for the USSR/CIS national team, 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 the USSR at the 1986 and 1990 FIFA World Cups, and the CIS at the 1992 UEFA European Football Championship. A six-time domestic champion, and a four-time domestic cup winner. 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.