Buryak ready for Ukraine challenge

More glory sought
Buryak, who was appointed on 15 December, was born in the Black Sea port of Odessa, and was in the first team of local FC Chornomorets Odessa by the age of 15. Five years later, he ended up where most talented Ukrainians go - at Dynamo. Two years later, in 1975, the Dynamo squad with Buryak won the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup and UEFA Super Cup. In 14 years with Dinamo, Buryak won five USSR titles and 4 USSR cups. At the dusk of his career, he played for FC Torpedo Moskva and FC Metalist Kharkiv. Then he left his country to seek more glory abroad as a coach.

Best coach twice
After two years in Finland and a stay in the United States, Buryak returned to Ukraine, as coach of FC Nyva Ternopil. In 1994, he returned to Chornomorets, this time as coach. His early days were characterised by big victories and great disappointments. In 1995 and 1996, Chornomorets won silver medals, and showed a lack of respect towards permanent champions Dynamo, beating them both home and away. Twice in his first three years in Odessa, Buryak was voted best coach in the country. But there was to be a decline.

Financial crisis
Chornomorets suffered from a financial crisis, and were thrown out of the top flight in Ukraine. Buryak fell out with club’s administration, but stayed at the club, declaring his desire to stay with the team despite the miserable situation.

Play-off woe
He was an assistant to Joszef Szabo with the national team from 1995 until 2000, and then was an aide to Lobanovskiy during the following two years. He has been a part of Ukraine joys and woes in recent campaigns where they have reached the play-offs three times only to lose on each occasion.

Lobanovskiy's lessons
Buryak admits that a good part of his coaching experience is drawn from Lobanovskiy, who coached him at Dynamo. He calls Lobanovskiy’s lessons 'priceless', but reserves a right for his own opinion. "I am a coach for a long time now, and I know what a team needs', he said. “But when I was a player, I was responsible only for myself. Now I am responsible for 30 Ukrainians, who need to be guided to the new level."

Traditional vision
Intelligent, elegant, and respected - this is how Ukrainians perceive Buryak. Diplomatic is perhaps the only quality they would never name. The new national coach is always willing to talk openly about problems and point them out straight away. His vision of football is very similar to the traditional Ukrainian school, created, of course, by Lobanovkiy. Fitness, speed and teamwork are all important along with a quality Buryak has repeatedly proved, the ability to bring out the talent in any player.