Dynamo Kyiv and USSR national team legend Jozsef Szabo shared memories of Valeriy Lobanovskyi in an exclusive interview with Sport RBC.UA, detailing a long-standing friendship that went far beyond the professional football community. Szabo, who himself made the journey from one of the brightest midfielders in Soviet and Ukrainian football to a top-tier coach, discussed what Lobanovskyi was like off the pitch, the advice he gave to a colleague, and why their dialogues on tactics and game organization continued for many years.

Friendship Preceding the Coaching Career

According to Szabo, their acquaintance and friendship were formed even before Lobanovskyi began his coaching career at Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk. "We were friends even before he went to work at Dnipro. Lobanovskyi was a complex, stubborn man, but we could talk frankly about football," Jozsef Jozefovych recalled. It was during this period, when neither was yet tied to coaching work, that a relationship based on mutual respect and a readiness to openly discuss professional matters developed between them. Later on, when both worked as coaches, these conversations did not stop, but merely took on a more specific character.

"Introduced Him to His Future Wife"

A special place in Szabo's memories is occupied by the personal side of their relationship. The former Dynamo manager admitted that it was he who introduced Lobanovskyi to his future wife, Ada. This fact, little known to the general public, emphasizes the depth of the friendly bond between the two football figures, which was not limited to professional communication at training bases or in locker rooms. Szabo emphasized that Lobanovskyi, despite his difficult character, was ready to share experience and help colleagues without trying to take responsibility for someone else's decisions.

Football Instinct and Stubbornness

Jozsef Szabo highly praised Lobanovskyi's analytical abilities, noting his exceptional football instinct and ability to analyze the game in detail. "He could prompt how best to organize the team, how to prepare for an opponent," said Szabo, who throughout his coaching career frequently turned to his colleague for professional consultation. At the same time, the former Dynamo midfielder did not hide the fact that training loads under Lobanovskyi were extremely heavy. However, according to him, it was precisely this work that allowed the teams he managed to demonstrate play at the highest level.

"The Head Coach Is You, and You Are the One Responsible for the Result"

One of the key principles that Lobanovskyi, according to Szabo's recollections, invariably communicated to colleagues was the clear fixing of responsibility. "At the same time, he always emphasized: 'the head coach is you, and you are the one responsible for the result.' This was the right position," Szabo noted. Lobanovskyi, in his words, did not try to substitute other people's management decisions or shift the responsibility for the work of other coaches onto himself. He acted as an advisor and analyst, leaving the final word to the person directly in charge of the team.

Advice to Modern Mentors

Concluding his story about Lobanovskyi, Jozsef Szabo shifted to current issues in the coaching profession. He emphasized that it is not enough for modern specialists to rely solely on their own football career, no matter how successful it may have been. "To achieve results, you need to study, gain experience, and understand how to work with players," Szabo stated. These words resonate with the general theme of the interview: Lobanovskyi, according to a friend's recollections, was precisely the kind of coach who constantly analyzed, studied, and was not afraid to admit that there are nuances in the game requiring deep understanding. Earlier, Jozsef Szabo spoke in another interview about total control by special services during his appearances for the USSR national team, which complements the picture of the era in which the football careers of both legendary specialists were formed.