Andriy Biba

Andriy Biba
Personal information
Full name	Andriy Andriyovych Biba
Date of birth	10 August 1937 (age 87)
Place of birth	Kyiv, Ukrainian SSR
Position(s)	Midfielder
Youth career
	FShM Kyiv
Senior career*
Years	Team
1957–1967	Dynamo Kyiv
1968–1969	Dnipro
1970	Desna Chernihiv
International career
1965	USSR
Managerial career
1972–1973	Dynamo Kyiv (assistant)
1975–1976	Tavriya Simferopol (assistant)
1977–1978	Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk (assistant)
1980	Spartak Zhytomyr
1981	Vuhlyk Horlivka
1983	Podillya Khmelnytskyi
1986–1989	Naftovyk Okhtyrka
1993–1994	Naftovyk Okhtyrka
1994–1995	Naftovyk Okhtyrka
1995–1996	Khimik Zhytomyr
1997–present	Dynamo Kyiv (scout)
	*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Andriy Andriyovych (or Andrei Andreyevich) Biba (Russian: Андрей Андреевич Биба; Ukrainian: Андрій Андрійович Біба; born 10 August 1937) is a retired Ukrainian football player and coach.^[1]^[2]^[3]

Career

Biba's first team was Kiev's Iskra, coached by Vladimir Balakin. Soon FSHM opened in Kyiv, where Balakin went and took a number of Iskra players with him. In 1957, Oleg Oshenkov took him to Dynamo Kyiv. Soon Biba made his debut for the main team - went to the match against "Zenith" in Leningrad (2: 2) and scored a goal. He played for Dynamo Kyiv (1957-1967), Dnipro (1968-1969), and Desna Chernihiv (1970). He played 246 matches in the Soviet Top League and scored 69 goals. Scored the first goal of Soviet clubs in European Cups (Cup Winners' Cup) "Coleraine" (Northern Ireland) - "Dynamo" (Kiev) - 1: 6. In 1967, after reaching the age of 30, he was forced to leave Dynamo Kyiv. At first he thought he would be a coach, but soon realized that he still had the strength to play. He spent two seasons at Dnipro. In 1970 he moved to Desna Chernihiv in Football Championship of the Ukrainian SSR.^[4]

International career

Biba played his only game for the USSR on 4 July 1965 in a friendly against Brazil starring Pelé. Biba appeared on the field only in the 2nd half and played 30 minutes.^[5]

After retirement

From 1972 he worked in the coaching staff of Kiev "Dynamo". Among his merits is the invitation to Kiev of Viktor Kolotov from Rubin. In different years he worked in the coaching staff of such clubs as "Tavria" (Simferopol), "Dnepr" (Dnepropetrovsk). He coached "Spartak" (Zhytomyr), "Ugolek" (Gorlovka), "Podolye" (Khmelnytsky), "Neftyanik" (Akhtyrka), "Khimik" (Zhytomyr). Senior coach of the Football Federation of Ukraine - 1982, 1984-1986 (June), 1990-1993, June. He was the head of the team of veterans "Dynamo" (Kiev). Currently coach-coach of Kiev "Dynamo", president of the Ukrainian club "Leather Ball".

Playmaker

Biba is acknowledged as one of the greatest attacking midfielders Eastern Europe has ever produced. As Guardian journalist Jonathan Wilson explains, he functioned as 'Bobby Charlton did in Alf Ramsey's England side'^[6] as an advanced attacking midfielder moving the ball around the attacking third with a howitzer shot. He enjoyed a starring role in the Dynamo Kyiv team of Victor Maslov.

Honours

Soviet Top League winner: 1961, 1966, 1967.
Soviet Cup winner: 1964, 1966.
Soviet Footballer of the Year: 1966.

References

^ "Биба Андрей Андреевич". www.footballfacts.ru. Retrieved 31 October 2021.
^ "Andrey Biba". www.worldfootball.net. Retrieved 31 October 2021.
^ "Biba, Andrei". www.national-football-teams.com. Retrieved 31 October 2021.
^ "Состав команды "Десна" Чернигов в сезоне 1970". www.footballfacts.ru. Retrieved 31 October 2021.
^ "USSR - Brazil". www.worldfootball.net. Retrieved 31 October 2021.
^ Jonathan Wilson, Inverting the Pyramid (2008/Orion)