The ex-captain of Dynamo, its famous midfielder Valentin Belkevich, passed away very young. He was also a member of the Belarus national team, and most recently a coach. All this is about Valentin Belkevich, who died at 41. He passed away on August 3, 2014.
Future star of Ukrainian football, originally from Belarus
Valentin was born on January 27, 1973 in Minsk. Little is known about his childhood and parental family. Valentina Kapustin’s mother taught Russian at one of the Minsk institutes, her father was a historian. As a child, the boy was sent to the youth sports school for the football section. Most likely this was the mother’s initiative, since after Belkevich’s death, his coach Mikhail Bratchenya recalled that his father objected to his son playing football. This was explained by the fact that Valentin did not shine in his studies, and his father sought to raise a successor to the dynasty of teachers. But football turned out to be the activity where the guy showed his best qualities - he made progress. But dad didn’t notice this, didn’t appreciate it and didn’t see the future - even the uniform and sports shoes were selected for the student by the coach.
At the same time, the parents were divorced, each was building their own lives and did not show consistency regarding the vision of their son’s future. His grandmother had a great influence on Valik’s upbringing - at first she took him to training. Alexander Khatskevich worked in the same sports section with Belkevich. They were destined to meet again in life, but this time as part of FC Dynamo. During their adolescence, the boys managed to kick the ball around even after classes at the sports school, which made them very friendly. At the same time, Khatskevich was more impulsive, and Valentin was more disciplined and obedient.
Football is like life
Valentin Belkevich played his first professional match as part of Dynamo Minsk in the 1991-1992 season. He twice received the Belarusian champion title with the team and was noted as the best player in Belarus. But somehow a rather wealthy Kiev resident with a connection to football got to one of the training sessions. His decision was immediate: “I’m buying!” The club was paid 400 rubles, and Belkevich left for Kyiv, where the head coach of the Ukrainian national team Valery Vasilyevich Lobanovsky immediately saw the athlete’s potential. After a while, he created a shock trinity - Shevchenko - Rebrov - Belkevich. The athletes began to become friends outside of football and often spent time together with their families.
In total, Belkevich played 250 matches and scored 58 goals. At the end of 2006, he became the owner of the “Badge of Honor” for his services to Belarusian football. In 2008, he signed a contract with the Keshly club (Inter - Azerbaijan). Having received an injury a year later, he became a coach, broke his contract and applied for Ukrainian citizenship.
There was an unpleasant moment of disqualification in his sports career, when in one of the matches the Union of European Football Associations accused him of doping. The athlete explained this by injections containing steroids, which were used to treat a knee injury received in 1993. But he was never able to prove his case to the international community.
As part of Dynamo Kyiv, Valentin was repeatedly chosen as team captain. He was never accused of “dirty” play - he was always extremely intelligent on the field, but could group the team around him and off it. Even at the end of the contract with Dynamo Kiev, when an offer was received from his most ardent opponents, Shakhtar Donetsk, to play for him, he sharply refused - this was not consistent with his life principles.
Personal life of an athlete
In 2004, the Dynamo captain married the lead singer of the VIA Gra group, Anna Sedokova. In this marriage, which turned out to be short-lived, a daughter, Alina, was born. Two years later, the couple separated and Valentin returned to Olesya, an acquaintance from the Minsk period, a girl who for some time had been his common-law wife even before meeting Sedokova.
After Belkevich’s death, legal battles between his women began over the inheritance in the form of an apartment and sports awards. Sedokova insists that the property should belong to the parents and only daughter. Grandfather and grandmother renounced their share in favor of their granddaughter. All this is constantly discussed in the press and included in the topics of various shows. Something is happening that Valentin could not stand during his lifetime - personal life has ceased to be personal, and publicity has brought tons of garbage and dirt into it.
Fatal blood clot
Close people and friends talk about the death of Valentin Belkevich like this: everything happened with lightning speed. Late in the evening, Valik became suddenly ill, he sat down on the sofa and died instantly. The ambulance that arrived recorded the fact of cardiac arrest. The cause of death of Valentin Belkevich is said to be a detached blood clot.
At the insistence of his last wife Olesya, he was buried in Ukraine - Valentin decided to become a citizen of this country and this fact was respected after his death. The grave is located at the Baikovo cemetery next to the grave of the great Bogdan Stupka and mentor Valery Vasilyevich Lobanovsky.
Today, at the age of 42, the famous Dynamo football player and coach Valentin Belkevich died, the official website of Dynamo Kyiv reports.
His blood clot broke.
He spent his best football years at Dynamo Kiev, delighting thousands of fans with his extraordinary skill and talent. FC Dynamo (Kyiv) expresses its deepest condolences to relatives, friends and everyone who knew this wonderful person and first-class professional.
Before starting his career in the Ukrainian capital, Belkevich played for Dynamo Minsk and became the champion of Belarus four times. A native Minsk resident received Ukrainian citizenship in 2008.
He moved to Dynamo Kiev in 1996. However, the footballer was “not noticed” right away; he rarely appeared in the main lineup, but with Valery Lobanovsky’s return to the club, the situation changed. Belkevich showed himself to the fullest and became the author of most of the rapid counterattacks, which later became the signature style of Dynamo in the late 1990s.
In the major league for Dynamo he played 212 matches and scored 50 goals. In the Ukrainian Cups for Dynamo - 38 matches, scored 8 goals. In European cups with the white and blue, he played 67 matches and scored 12 goals. With the white and blue he became champion seven times and won the Ukrainian Cup six times.
In 2008-2009 he played for the Azerbaijani club Inter Baku. After a year with the team, they received a coaching license, terminated their contract with the club and ended their playing career.
Since June 2010, Belkevich worked as an assistant to the senior coach of the Dynamo Kyiv youth team.
By the way, Belkevich was repeatedly recognized as the best player in the Ukrainian championship according to various publications. Success distinguished Belkevich in the coaching field.
Belkevich's victories:
- 4-time champion of Belarus (1992-1995)
- 2-time winner of the Belarusian Cup (1992, 1994)
- 7-time champion of Ukraine (1997-2001, 2003, 2004)
- 6-time winner of the Ukrainian Cup (1998-2000, 2003, 2005, 2006)
- Participant in the 1999 Champions League semi-final
- Best football player of Belarus 1995
- The best football player of the decade in Belarus
- Best football player of the Ukrainian league 2001
- Best assistant of the Ukrainian Championship 2000, 2001
- The best football player of the Ukrainian championship 2000/2001 (according to the newspaper “Team”).
WORDS OF FAMILY, RELATIVES, COLLEAGUES
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This is some kind of horror... I don’t believe it... He was a brilliant athlete, a strategist and a good person. He loved his daughter. He was loved and respected by millions. And especially one little girl... Thank you for your words of support. Thank you,” Sedokova wrote.
As those around the singer told Komsomolskaya Pravda in Ukraine, she learned the tragic news closer to lunch and could not come to her senses for a long time.
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I had the opportunity to work with Valentin at Dynamo for the last two years as a coach. I can only say good things about this man, only the best. He was honest, decent, smart and quite educated. I didn’t complain about my health, everything was fine. Last week we talked to him, but this week the connection was lost... I called him a few days ago - he did not pick up the phone... Therefore, the news of his death is a real shock for me.
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Valentin Belkevich is a man from our Dynamo family. A man who has done a lot for football. He was an extraordinary master. He is from that era and generation of football players with whom Dynamo had its own identity. And even though they didn’t win anything big in Europe, they were nevertheless taken into account, they kept the Dynamo (Kyiv) brand at a very high level.
In my opinion, there are no people who would not be comfortable with Valentine. He is quite a sociable person. It was easy for me to communicate with him - we played in the same language, worked in the same language, we had a lot in common. He is the kind of person who, I think, has never had conflicts with anyone.
Life, unfortunately, can be unfair and unmerciful. It does not flow in the opposite direction, taking away the best among us. Valentin Belkevich played 334 matches for Dynamo Kiev and scored 69 goals. The legendary playmaker, the “conductor”, the heart of the team, whose wonderful combinations, magnificent shots and goals scored will forever remain in the memory of football fans, has passed away.
Belkevich was also successful in the coaching field. Under his leadership, Dynamo became the champion of Ukraine in the tournament among 19-year-old football players, young players progressed and reached a new level. Valentin Belkevich’s entire life was connected exclusively with football. This game was everything to him, and Valentin devoted himself to it to the fullest.
I sympathize with the parents and relatives of my friend and excellent football player Valentin Belkevich,” Artem Milevsky wrote on his Instagram. - May he rest in peace. This is terrible and very scary.
FROM PERSONAL MATTER
Valentin BELKEVICH was born on January 27, 1973 in Minsk. He played as a midfielder in the clubs “Dynamo” (Minsk), “Dynamo” (Kyiv), “Inter” (Baku).
In the Major League for Dynamo Kiev he played 212 matches and scored 50 goals. In the Ukrainian Cup - 38 matches, 8 goals. In European Cups - 67 matches, 12 goals.
BY THE WAY
What was he silent about?
Dina DNEPROVA
Everyone knows that Valentin Belkevich was not very sociable with journalists and did not particularly favor the press, but if he wanted, he could tell at least a few interesting facts from his biography.
AN UNUSUAL FAMILY
Valentin Belkevich’s mother is a Russian language teacher at the institute. Father is a scientist-historian. And the son is a football player. Although his education was also all right: one higher education in law, the other, of course, received at the Institute of Physical Education. Legal specialization, by the way, has never been superfluous.
DISQUALIFICATION
In September 1994, while playing for Dynamo Minsk, he was disqualified by UEFA for a year for doping. In fact, Belkevich had problems with his knee since the fall of 1993. His treatment was carried out by the club doctor Vasily Dmitrakov. At that time, there were no doping controls in European Cup matches. Therefore, no one kept strict records of the use of medications and medical procedures. In Minsk, the doctor simply gave injections of retabolil, which is used not only to build muscle mass, but also to strengthen bones. Traces of the banned substance remained in the body months later. Dmitrakov died in the spring; no medical records remained after him. And in August, after the match with the Maltese in the UEFA Cup, no one could give a clear explanation. As a result, Belkevich had to miss a year.
IT DIDN’T WORK WITH VIA GRAY
In 2004, Belkevich married the famous Ukrainian singer Anna Sedokova (from the group "VIA Gra"). After some time, the couple divorced. On December 8, 2004, their daughter Alina was born. Alina's godmother is the wife of Goran Sablic, at that time a defender of Dynamo Kyiv.
MASTER OF BILLIARDS
Valentin played Russian billiards perfectly, and no one taught him specifically. Like all the guys, I came to the table at the base in my free time, so I got carried away. Besides him, Andrey Shevchenko, Oleg Gusev and Maxim Shatskikh played very well. They loved to play for anything, for example, push-ups. But unlike a card "joker" it is not for money.
WHAT IS METRO
Belkevich once admitted that during the years of his life in Kyiv, he had never traveled on the subway:
In Paris, Leningrad, Moscow, Minsk I had a chance to use the metro, but in Kyiv it hasn’t worked out yet - there was no reliable guide. And now it has become even harder. There are huge traffic jams on the streets, you can't get to the metro.
2014-08-01 15:13:59
FootballOn August 1, Valentin Belkevich, a symbol of Belarusian football at the turn of the century, passed away. One of the best Belarusian football players in the history of the country died due to a ruptured blood clot. Pressbal.by recalls the most striking episodes from the life of the great player.
Valentin Belkevich began his brilliant career in his homeland, in Dynamo Minsk. The video footage did not preserve any memories of those years. The young footballer went through the youth team and the reserve team of the Minsk club, becoming one of its leaders. Then there was an unpleasant doping scandal that disrupted Belkevich’s transfer to Maccabi, disqualification and, finally, a move to Dynamo Kiev. Things didn't work out at first, but with Valery Lobanovsky's return to the club, Valentin became part of something great.
Yes, Belkevich, one might say, came at the right time and to the right club. Lobanovsky created a team that will be called the “golden” squad of Dynamo Kyiv. The pinnacle of these guys was the 1998/99 Champions League semi-final. In that draw, a fight took place that Belkevich will call the most memorable in his career. At the Kiev Olympic Stadium, the Ukrainian club won against the legendary Real Madrid.
"Dynamo" Kyiv - "Real" - 2:0
It seemed that the dream ticket to the final, which was hosted by Camp Nou, was so close... But in the semi-finals the Kyivians were unlucky. The more experienced Bayern stood in their way - 3:3 at home and 0:1 away did not allow Belkevich and company to overcome another historical milestone. The Belarusian, 10 years later, will complain about the unrealized moment in the first match, when his shot was saved by the legendary Oliver Kahn.
"Dynamo" Kyiv - Bayern - 3:3
Two years later, Dynamo was already somewhat different. Andrey Shevchenko moved to Milan, which significantly weakened the attack of the Kievites. Belkevich becomes the real leader of the squad and receives the captain's armband. But he would call Dynamo the best squad in which he had the chance to play - with Lobanovsky, Shevchenko and Rebrov.
Champions League 1999/00. Group stage. “Anderlecht” - “Dynamo” Kyiv – 4:2. Belkevich goal (86)
Nevertheless, for many years Belkevich became the engine of Dynamo, its heart. The Belarusian not only came up with attacks, but also did not forget to score himself. The key to success, undoubtedly, was his amazing understanding with his partners, especially with his compatriot Alexander Khatskevich. At times, the Belarusians fired doubles, delighting not only Dynamo fans, but also you and me.
Champions League 2002/03. "Dynamo" Kyiv - "Feyenoord" – 2:0. Belkevich goal (47)
Belkevich's career in the national team is also worthy of mention. After all, he became the leader of the team that was one step away from its dream of qualifying for the 2002 World Cup. Then the Belarusians took third place in the qualifying group, losing only two points to the Ukrainian team. That European selection will be remembered not only for the conflict with Eduard Malafeev, who accused two Belarusian Kiev residents of an unsuccessful game with their southern neighbors, but also for Belkevich’s cool goal against the Norwegian national team.
Qualifying match for the 2002 World Cup. Norway - Belarus - 1:1. Belkevich's goal
Two years earlier, the team played disastrously in the qualification for Euro 2000. Our team was far from reaching the forum, taking last place in the group. But how can one not remember an interesting fact: the Belarusians twice took points from the winner of the quintet and the future Euro finalist of the Italian national team (1:1, 0:0). In the first of these matches, Belkevich scored a goal.
Euro 2000 qualifying match. Italy - Belarus - 1:1. Belkevich's goal
The Belarusian completed his successful career at the Azerbaijani Inter. But, having hung up his boots, Valentin returned to the club, which he called his real home. He became the coach of the Dynamo Kyiv youth team, and later an assistant coach of the Kiev youth team.
A beautiful romance and a luxurious wedding are not always followed by long and happy family relationships. One of the brightest famous couples of the last decade had a chance to see this from their own experience. Anna Sedokova and Valentin Belkevich, their marriage lasted less than two years, however, the history of this relationship is of keen interest to the public even after many years. One of the most successful football players in the country, and the star of the most popular girl’s musical group, they were not embarrassed by the ten-year age difference or other circumstances, but who would have thought that such a beautifully twisted relationship would come to naught so quickly and scandalously? .
Anna Sedokova and Valentin Belkevich: a love story
Their relationship began quite by accident; Anna Sedokova’s first husband, Valentin Belkevich, ironically visited the same hairdresser as the performer. They often met in a salon located in Kyiv, but their communication was limited to greetings. After several months of such chance meetings, the football player got the phone number of the young lady who charmed him, and one day he simply called and invited Anya to go bowling. From this very moment, their stormy romance began, the 21-year-old girl truly fell in love for the first time, and Valentin also showed quite tender feelings for her. The young man was not stopped even by the fact that he himself was not free at that time; the football player had a common-law wife named Lesya, with whom he lived for more than 10 years. Their relationship with Anna seemed exclusively rosy to young people at that time, and just five months after the start of the whirlwind romance, the performer discovered that she was pregnant. Naturally, the first person she told about this was Valentin, the football player was incredibly happy about this news, and immediately invited his beloved to formalize their relationship.
The young artist was in love and happy, and she had no thoughts that the fairy tale might one day end. However, a few days before the happy wedding, the future husband presented his beloved with a marriage contract for signature. As Anna later said, she was very hurt and even offended by this, but she didn’t want to quarrel on the eve of the wedding, so she didn’t even show it, and simply signed the papers, considering them a simple formality. Their wedding was one of the brightest and most publicized events of that time, and just three days later the first huge scandal took place. The newlyweds quarreled right at the airport, in front of the entire Dynamo team, which was flying to training camp in Yalta. This trip was supposed to be a “honeymoon” for the couple, but as a result, Valentin got angry and refused to help his pregnant wife with luggage, and the singer had to carry all the suitcases and bags herself.
Everyone who knew this famous couple personally was surprised how people so different in all respects could come together. Anya loved to attract attention and always be at the center of the main events, while Valentin always preferred to remain on the sidelines, hated journalists, and did not want to discuss his personal life. However, for the sake of her beloved, the performer even decided to leave her successful career in the mega-popular VIA Gre and turned into a housewife. She really tried to be an exemplary wife: she cooked, kept the house cozy and abandoned all social events. But this did not help strengthen the family, and some chill ran between the spouses. Even when the couple had a baby daughter, Alina Belkevich, this did not help improve the relationship. The husband began to return home later and later, and after that, at times he even spent the night outside the house. Anya cried, tried to talk, but this did not give any result, and later she found out that her husband was dating his former common-law wife Lesya. As it turned out, it was this woman that he truly loved all his life, and the young performer was for him, although very strong, but still a fleeting hobby. When everything was revealed, Sedokova realized that their marriage had long been a complete deception, and therefore, she decided to simply leave. According to the terms of the marriage contract, she was left with nothing, so she had to start all over again. Belkevich's daughter remained to live with her mother, and after the divorce, her father, although he did not spoil the heiress with attention, helped financially. There was, however, another attempt to reunite the couple, but it failed miserably, and Valentin finally chose Lesya.
Death of Valentin Belkevich
After the divorce, Anya claimed in an interview for a long time that the main reason for this was her husband’s ban on her returning to the big stage. But years later, the performer still admitted that she lost in such a protracted fight with her rival. The celebrity also noted that she maintains normal relations with her ex-husband for the benefit of their common daughter, and never allowed herself to speak badly or disrespectfully about her father in her presence. The only noteworthy thing is that the ex-husband never introduced Anya to her parents, and at the time of the football player’s tragic death, they had never even seen their only granddaughter.
His life in its prime was cut short by a fatal blood clot. The football player, and later a successful coach, was only 41 years old at that time. Valentin passed away on August 1, 2014, the young man’s heart suddenly stopped. As relatives say, everything happened just like lightning, in the evening in his own house the football player suddenly complained of a sharp deterioration in his health, he sat down on the sofa and... that’s it, the ambulance that arrived only recorded the fact of the celebrity’s death. 
He was buried in Kyiv, at the Baikovo cemetery; they say that his parents wanted Valentin to rest in his native Minsk, but his widow Lesya insisted on the Ukrainian capital. Hundreds of people came to the farewell ceremony for the legend; these were friends, relatives, colleagues of the deceased, and ordinary Dynamo fans who were shocked by what happened. The only one missing from those seeing off the football player on his last journey was his ex-wife Anna. The performer later explained her absence this way: she believes that he had his own story and his own family, which she did not want to meet face to face. And Sedokova was never able to tell her daughter about what happened, who, although she rarely saw her father, loved him very much. Later, the girl learned about the tragedy by accident, from complete strangers, which was a real shock for her; the singer still cannot forgive herself for this.
Litigation over the inheritance of Valentin Belkevich
After the death of the famous football player, a lawsuit was launched for the inheritance he left in the form of an expensive apartment in Kyiv, numerous sports awards, as well as a large sum of money. Since the athlete died suddenly and at a fairly young age, he did not leave any will, so the heirs decided to clarify their dispute and claims in court. It should be noted that in addition to legal litigation, an information war also began between Valentin’s ex-wife Anna Sedokova and his widow Lesya Belkevich. The singer in an interview calls her rival nothing more than her husband’s mistress and a homewrecker, and also claims that Lesya does not get in touch and does not appear at the hearing in the courtroom.
In turn, the athlete’s widow is outraged by this treatment; she lived with Valentin for more than 20 years, and even during his marriage to the performer, he maintained contact with her. It turns out that Lesya was there before, after and even during their relationship with Anya, the constant woman in his life. She bears his last name, and Valentin raised her son from his first marriage as his own; by the way, many throughout this time thought that the boy was his son. The woman also calls it a lie that Sedokova claims that she does not get in touch. Lesya notes that no one even tried to contact her or her lawyer, and she found out about the meeting after the fact, and there was no point in delaying the process.
Be that as it may, the case has not yet moved forward, and to date not a single court decision has been made.
"Andrey Shevchenko introduced us"
Nikolai Belkevich, father: I was proud of Valik, he was very hardworking. I started playing football when I was still working as a power engineer at the Institute of Technical Cybernetics. I myself once played for the national team of the Minsk region, in the army, I have ranks, I am a candidate master of sports in skiing and athletics. Valik also passed on his athletic streak. I saw his potential and took him to Children's Sports School No. 5, to a familiar coach Andrei Tychyna. Valik was not yet six, but he began to play with older children.
Olesya Belkevich, wife: We met Valik in 1996, literally a week after he moved from Minsk to Kyiv. Andrey Shevchenko introduced us. Together with Valentin, we raised my son from our first marriage, Vladimir, who was one and a half years old at the time of our meeting. Valik insisted that he live with us from the first day.
Jozsef Szabo: I remember well how we were at a training camp in Sweden and Valentin Belkevich was brought there. The guy was just golden, he never quarreled with anyone. He was always full of energy. A talented player, he really wanted to work as a coach and was a promising specialist.
“Valya!” I shout to Belkevich. “Well, do something!”
Anatoly Baidachny, ex-mentor of the Belarusian national team: Such players always radiate some kind of hope. I believe in miracles. I remember we lost to the Slovenian national team - the game didn’t go well and that’s it.
Valya! - I shout to Belkevich. - Well, do something!
Now, Nikolaevich,” he nods. - We'll try!
And after a couple of minutes he accurately places the ball in the far corner.
Maxim Shatskikh: There was an ideal understanding with Valik. I knew he could, he knew I could. We understood what to give, where to give and how to give. I will not list further, because I take into account the line of attack. We had a game plan - it wasn’t like they laid out who was playing where on the field. There was interchangeability. I could end up in my own penalty area, and Fedorov, Vashchuk or Khatskevich in someone else’s.
Victor Leonenko: I couldn’t imagine Dynamo without him at all. Rebrov and Shevchenko should be grateful to him all their lives for making them scorers. Valya is Dynamo's best playmaker of the last twenty years, this is not even discussed. Personally, I equate him to Zavarov. He knew how to do everything on the field, he saw every point of it, every centimeter, every partner.
Anatoly Demyanenko: He was a great player who knew how to anticipate on the field. That's why we called him "professor". He enjoyed authority among his colleagues - it was not for nothing that he was captain for many years. You don't just choose a captain like that. He had many plans; he wanted to establish himself in the coaching field.
“He and Khatskevich could go anywhere for fishing.”
Olesya Belkevich: I gave my whole life to Valentin. Even when in 2004 we had a misunderstanding in the form of Anna Sedokova, we still did not part for a long time. Their marriage was short-lived and, according to Valik, forced. Now Anna does not mention this, but after the divorce, Valentin bought her and her daughter an apartment in Kyiv worth 100 thousand dollars.
Nikolai Belkevich: He was the highest paid football player at Dynamo Kyiv. But it is important not only to be able to earn money, but also to manage money wisely. Valik did not have this. He objected to me: “Dad, but this is my money, I don’t demand anything from you.” But I wasn’t worried about myself, about him and his health. All of my son’s Achilles, inguinal rings, and menisci were operated on. Once he was accused of doping. How did he know that the doctors were injecting him so that he would recover faster after the operation?
Anna Sedokova, singer, ex-wife: At some point I realized that my marriage had burst like a soap bubble. I probably came up with it myself. But life is much tougher. I don't judge him or say who is bad. It’s just that one person feels good in one place, another feels good in another. This is his life. I respect his right. And my daughter and I feel good too. But for me it was a difficult story.
Vladimir Muntyan: I headed the Dynamo double team and was very glad that Valentin decided to start a coaching career and become my assistant. We didn't work together for long, just one season. He is a very decent person, he loved life and football. Sometimes taciturn, but very demanding and disciplined. It was a pleasure to work with him.
Victor Leonenko: We used to communicate often. They loved to chase balls in billiards. You know, I never beat him even once. In December 2011, when Ukrainian football turned 20 years old, after the award ceremony we went to play with it. And they rubbed some calluses while playing. That's how many kilometers we walked around the table!
Valka was also a fishing fan. She and Khatskevich could go anywhere for her. Once I went with them 500 kilometers and then cursed them all day. We got up at 3-4 in the morning - and at least something: the eyes were sparkling, the mood was great. Valka has probably traveled all over Ukraine, visiting all the fishing spots.
Alexander Khatskevich: Valik's two-year contract with the Dynamo U-19 team has ended, and he was offered a job in the club's academy. But, as far as we know, he did not plan to devote himself to children. I know that Valentin met with Igor Mikhailovich Surkis, and he asked him to wait until the end of August. Then it would be decided what position Valik could occupy in the club. That is, in fact, he had two or three months free.
I wouldn't say that he had any depression about this. It’s just that with free time he began to go fishing more. One - for two or three days. But, as a rule, we communicated regularly: on Tuesday we played tennis, and the next day we played football. And then on Monday I wrote to him, saying you’ll be at tennis, we’ve always played in pairs. He didn’t answer and didn’t come, he wasn’t there on Wednesday either, and on Friday everything happened...
All these days, Valik did not answer calls or text messages, although, as Lesya later said, he felt absolutely normal. But I am not at all surprised by this fact. Sometimes he wanted to be alone. On weekends it was usually impossible to reach him by phone.
"A blood clot broke loose, the heart stopped..."
Nikolai Belkevich: He worried everything inside himself, never complained... On the eve of the tragedy, they were going to go to the dacha, Valik was watching football, at the last moment he said that he was not feeling well, and stayed to sleep on the sofa. At night, Olesya heard unnatural snoring. They called an ambulance, they tried to revive him for about 40 minutes... And the conclusion: a blood clot came off, his heart stopped.
I talked to medical friends and they said that in people who have undergone many operations, some of the blood vessels do not work. And it is necessary to thin the blood all the time, otherwise blood clots will form in them. I know that Valik carried aspirin in his pocket. But did he accept it?..
It’s mystical, but less than a day before Valik’s death, my wife and I were at our dacha in Raubichi, and I suddenly began to experience terrible heart pain. They even thought of calling an ambulance. It seemed to let go, we fell asleep, and at one in the morning my wife called, she didn’t speak - she just sobbed into the phone. I immediately understood everything...
Oleg Luzhny: He was a great football player and a wonderful person, a sociable guy. He loved life, loved all sorts of pranks and jokes. Could cheer anyone up. The last time we saw him we were playing tennis - I was paired with Rebrov, and Valik was with Sasha Khatskevich. Many people joked and had fun... Everyone loved him, he was always ready to help his friends. And there was a fighter on the field; his opponents respected him and were even afraid of him.
Vitaly Kosovsky: The connection with Valentin was cut off at the end of the week... I called every day, he didn’t pick up. And on the night of August 1 he was gone. This is a real shock for me!
Artem Milevsky: Valik's death... I still can't believe it. When I flew to Kyiv with Hajduk for the game with Dnepr, I went to see him at the cemetery, I’ll be honest, there were even tears. This man was a great authority for me, a man with a capital M, a football legend.
Sergey Rebrov: We still need to look for such decent guys. Valik never acted on the sly or said anything behind his back. Loved football. And he loved to work hard. He communicated quite closely with many of the guys from the team. This is a huge loss for them. Shock.
Maxim Shatskikh: I won't forget him for the rest of my life. I spent ten years in the same room with this man. I knew his every move, every thought. He comes in, and I already know what he will say. Just like on the field.
Oleg Babiy, Football 24