The Ballon d'Or trophy awarded to Oleh Blokhin in 1975 marked him as the second Soviet player and the first Ukrainian to achieve such recognition. Throughout an extensive tenure at Dynamo Kyiv, he redefined the role of a forward through sheer pace, establishing enduring scoring records that defined the trajectory of Soviet football for nearly two decades.
Dominance at Dynamo Kyiv
Blokhin spent eighteen years at Dynamo Kyiv, where he accumulated 582 appearances and scored 266 goals. His domestic contributions included eight Soviet league titles and five national cups. On the European stage, he secured two UEFA Cup Winners' Cups, scoring in both the 1975 and 1986 finals. As a member of the Soviet national team, he holds the all-time record with 112 caps and 42 goals, participating in the 1972 and 1976 Olympic Games as well as the 1982 and 1986 FIFA World Cups.
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Post-retirement, Blokhin managed various Greek clubs including Olympiacos, where he won the Greek Cup and Greek Super Cup in 1992, before turning his attention to national duty. As head coach of Ukraine, he guided the team to the 2006 FIFA World Cup quarter-finals. After a stint at FC Moscow and another term with Ukraine for UEFA Euro 2012, he returned to manage Dynamo Kyiv in 2012. His tenure there concluded in 2014 following a period of unsatisfactory league results.
Parliamentary Service
Between 1998 and 2006, Blokhin held public office as a People's Deputy of Ukraine. He served two terms in the Verkhovna Rada, aligning with the Hromada party and later the United Social Democratic Party of Ukraine. During these years, he balanced his political responsibilities within the 3rd and 4th Verkhovna Rada alongside his developing career as a football manager.
Fast facts
- Born: 1952, Kyiv
- Citizenship: Ukraine and Soviet Union
- Ballon d'Or: 1975
- Parliamentary service: 1998-2006
- Primary club: Dynamo Kyiv
- Honours: Honoured Master of Sports of the USSR
- Languages: Ukrainian
Questions readers ask
What major honours did Blokhin receive?
He earned the Ballon d'Or in 1975 and received multiple state awards, including the Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise and the Order of Merit.
Which international tournaments did he manage?
Blokhin served as head coach for Ukraine at the 2006 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2012.
Achievements
- Ballon d'Or — 1975
- Order of Merit (Ukraine), 3rd class
- Order of Merit (Ukraine), 2nd class
- Order of Merit, 1st class
- Worked as association football player, association football coach and politician
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