Mikhail Ivanovich Fomenko is a Ukrainian and Soviet professional footballer and coach. He played the position of the central defender (sometimes a defensive midfielder) in such clubs as Spartak Sumy, Zarya Voroshilovgrad and Dynamo Kiev. He is a four-time champion of the USSR - three times in the Dynamo and once in the Dawn. Between 1972 and 1976 played in the national team of the Soviet Union. In 1975 he received the title "Honored Master of Sports of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics", and very soon, the master of sports of international class. In 1976 he became the bronze medalist of the Summer Olympic Games in Montreal as part of the USSR national team. Since 1979, he began to conduct coaching activities. From 2012 to 2016 was the head coach of the national football team of Ukraine. Received the title "Honored Coach and Worker of Physical Culture of Ukraine".
Biography
Mikhail Fomenko (photo above) was born on September 19, 1948 in the village of Malaya Rybitsa, Sumy Region, USSR. Since childhood, he began to play football. In 1962, he was admitted to the football school of Sumy “Spartak”. In 1966 he joined the core team and began his professional career. Over the course of three seasons, he steadily performed at Spartak - spent 48 matches and became the author of 8 goals. Mikhail Fomenko was distinguished by physical strength, mobility and courage. He perfectly performed the tackles and interceptions. His coolness and reliability ensured a high-quality positional game, which concreted the defensive line of the team. Fomenko strictly adhered to game discipline, constantly connected to attacks, where he was, as a rule, useful and effective, masterfully played with his head and scored from the standards. The legendary goalkeeper of Kiev Dynamo from the 70s, Yevgeny Rudakov, described Mikhail as a real fighter, going to the last battle, ready to give all his strength here and now to achieve the result.
Going to the Dawn
In 1970, Mikhail Fomenko joined the Dawn from Voroshilovgrad (now Lugansk), where he quickly adapted and began to play at the core. After spending one and a half seasons here, the defender appeared on the field 59 times and scored one goal. In the same season, Zarya became the champion of the USSR, ahead of the main favorite of the Dynamo Kiev tournament. Mikhail’s game was so high-quality and verified that large Soviet clubs could not ignore his candidacy.
Career at Dynamo Kyiv
The main applicant for Fomenko was Kiev Dynamo, which for the last six months has been trying to lure a football player into its composition. And soon it happened - in 1972, Mikhail Fomenko put on a white-blue T-shirt and made his debut in the main team. Here Fomenko plays the role of a free defender and performs his duties well. With each match, his level of play only increased, he reached the highest mutual understanding with partners, especially with goalkeeper Yevgeny Rudakov, who was already mentioned above. A bunch of Fomenko-Rudakov became a formidable force in the Soviet championship. Also in the “Dynamo” were such masters as Sergei Dotsenko and Vladimir Troshkin - the central defenders; Victor Matvienko - left lateral, possessed all the qualities of a classy defender - speed, dribbling, early canopies and positional selection; Stefan Reshko - another central defender, who was the best in the game on the “second floor” and in full-time martial arts.
Due to such a high-class tandem of defenders and traditionally strong attack players, Dynamo Kyiv confirmed its status in the 1973/74 season, becoming the USSR champion and the owner of the Cup of the country. The next season, the White and Blue again repeated their ascent to the champion's pedestal, and also became the winners of the Cup of Cup Winners and the UEFA Super Cup.
In 1975, all the players of the team became honored masters of sports of the USSR, and some of the international class, among whom was Mikhail Fomenko. In subsequent years, Fomenko repeatedly raised national cups over his head - a victory in the 1997 USSR Championship and a triumph in the tournament for the USSR Cup in 1978. Mikhail’s career as a player ended after a successful season in 1978. In total, for Kiev Dynamo Fomenko played 173 official matches.
Performances in the USSR national team
In 1972, Mikhail Fomenko held his first match for the national team against Finland as part of the qualifying stage for the World Cup. In subsequent years, he played in the matches for the selection for the European Championship, where in the final part of the tournament he displayed his team with a captain's armband in a match with Czechoslovakia and Switzerland. In 1976, he was a member of the USSR Olympic team in Montreal, where he became a bronze medalist. In total, he played 24 matches for the Soviet team, including 5 games in the 1976 USSR Olympic team.
Career coach
Mikhail Fomenko began coaching in 1979, his first club was Sumy Frunzenec, with whom he worked for one year. The next team was the Dynamo Kyiv home club, where Fomenko was a head coach for four seasons.
For the first time M. Fomenko became the head coach in 1985, when he took under his leadership the Chernigov Desna. In 1987, he trained Kryvyi Rih Krivbass, but soon left his post and came to patronage the Guria club from the city of Lanchkhuti, where he worked until 1989. With this team he entered the major league of the USSR championship. Mikhail could not continue to work at the club because Georgia gained independence, and, accordingly, all football teams began to play under the auspices of the Premier League of Georgia. In 1990, Fomenko coached at Baghdad Rashid and the Iraqi national team. In the season 1991/1992 he was the head coach of the Sumy "Motorist".
Career after the collapse of the USSR
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, he was the head coach of the following clubs and national teams: Dynamo Kiev from 1992 to 1993. (at that time the legendary victory of Kiev was won over the Catalan “Barcelona”), in 1994 “Veres Rivne” and the Guinean team, from 1994 to 1996 “CSKA-Borisfen” (Kiev). In 1996, Fomenko took up the post of head coach at Kharkov Metalist, where he spent the next three seasons and moved to Kiev CSKA, where he trained the main team for a year. After Mikhail returned for the 2001/02 season to Metalist, then he took up a post at Metallurg, and then again at Metalist. In the period from 2006 to 2008 he worked in the Simferopol "Tavria". In the 2010/11 season he was a coach of the Belgorod “Salute”.
In 2012, Mikhail Fomenko was elected as head coach of the national team of Ukraine. He was able to achieve second place in the qualifying group for the 2014 World Cup, but Ukraine lost to France in the playoffs. In 2016, he left his post due to the disastrous performance of the national team at Euro 2016.
Little is known about the personal life of our hero. He is married. A few years ago, the couple lost their only daughter, who died of cancer.