Volodymyr Pianykh turns 70!
Friday, February 5, 2021
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On February 5, one of the best defenders in the history of Shakhtar Volodymyr Pianykh has turned 70
Volodymyr Pianykh made his debut for Shakhtar first team at the age of 19. He played during 1970-1971 and 1974-1983. Volodymyr made a total of 305 appearances, scoring six goals. He netted the winner against Dinamo Tbilisi in the USSR Cup final in 1980. Volodymyr is also a silver (1975, 1979) and bronze (1978) medalist in the USSR leagues with Shakhtar. After the player career, he became a referee, and later - an inspector.
Volodymyr Pianykh marks the milestone date at home, in his home city of Donetsk. We talked to the birthday man on behalf of all the fans, thanked him for the years he spent at Shakhtar and wished him good health, energy, well-being and happiness.
- Volodymyr, what year or moment at Shakhtar is the most memorable for you?
- All of them! We won silver medals in the league twice, once claimed the bronze ones, raised two Cups ... This is life. We were inseparable: Shakhtar and I are one whole. My friend Misha Sokolovskiy and I often recall those years and our successes. Our team was very good. While many teams in the Soviet Union league were select teams of the republics, Shakhtar Donetsk was mostly represented by the guys from Donetsk and the Donetsk region. The province, but we weren’t afraid of anyone, on the contrary - they feared and respected us. And we respected our opponents, but we were stronger than them. We embodied our coal-mining spirit on the football field. We went on a tour down to the coal face, we saw the miners work and appreciated their labour. And when those same miners, after coming up to the surface, filled the stadium and crowded the waste heap, it was symbolic and pleasant for us. And we played just for them, for our people. That is why they liked us and cheered for us.
- How do you like the current Shakhtar? Have you followed the matches in this and past seasons?
- When I went for inspection, I attended matches in Mariupol and Kyiv. Now I don’t have this kind of possibility. But when Shakhtar play, I go online and always watch it. Of course, I’m happy with victories and saddened by defeats. This is football, and those two things, as you know, go side by side in football. The level of the league, of course, has dropped now, but that’s what the situation is like. We hope that all this will be over and, God grant, Shakhtar will play in their hometown, at the Donbass Arena.
- How is the team changing? Who is the leader of the current Shakhtar?
- I like the whole team. Previously, Fernandinho, Taison, Teixeira and others set the pace globally, but now it’s difficult to name a clear leader. I like Solomon, I like the other young guys who came. Change of generations, the timely infusion of young blood - all this should be present. And when rebuilding is underway, and the young people still inexperienced, it’s good that the team has its veterans who can set an example as role models.
Volodymyr Pianykh marks the milestone date at home, in his home city of Donetsk. We talked to the birthday man on behalf of all the fans, thanked him for the years he spent at Shakhtar and wished him good health, energy, well-being and happiness.
- Volodymyr, what year or moment at Shakhtar is the most memorable for you?
- All of them! We won silver medals in the league twice, once claimed the bronze ones, raised two Cups ... This is life. We were inseparable: Shakhtar and I are one whole. My friend Misha Sokolovskiy and I often recall those years and our successes. Our team was very good. While many teams in the Soviet Union league were select teams of the republics, Shakhtar Donetsk was mostly represented by the guys from Donetsk and the Donetsk region. The province, but we weren’t afraid of anyone, on the contrary - they feared and respected us. And we respected our opponents, but we were stronger than them. We embodied our coal-mining spirit on the football field. We went on a tour down to the coal face, we saw the miners work and appreciated their labour. And when those same miners, after coming up to the surface, filled the stadium and crowded the waste heap, it was symbolic and pleasant for us. And we played just for them, for our people. That is why they liked us and cheered for us.
- How do you like the current Shakhtar? Have you followed the matches in this and past seasons?
- When I went for inspection, I attended matches in Mariupol and Kyiv. Now I don’t have this kind of possibility. But when Shakhtar play, I go online and always watch it. Of course, I’m happy with victories and saddened by defeats. This is football, and those two things, as you know, go side by side in football. The level of the league, of course, has dropped now, but that’s what the situation is like. We hope that all this will be over and, God grant, Shakhtar will play in their hometown, at the Donbass Arena.
- How is the team changing? Who is the leader of the current Shakhtar?
- I like the whole team. Previously, Fernandinho, Taison, Teixeira and others set the pace globally, but now it’s difficult to name a clear leader. I like Solomon, I like the other young guys who came. Change of generations, the timely infusion of young blood - all this should be present. And when rebuilding is underway, and the young people still inexperienced, it’s good that the team has its veterans who can set an example as role models.