Oleksandr Zavarov

Oleksandr Anatoliyovych Zavarov (; born 26 April 1961) is a Ukrainian football coach and former professional player. An attacking midfielder and playmaker, he was one of the leading Soviet footballers of the 1980s and was named Soviet Footballer of the Year in 1986. That year he also finished joint sixth in the 1986 Ballon d'Or vote.

Zavarov was a central member of Valeriy Lobanovskyi's Dynamo Kyiv side that won consecutive Soviet championships in 1985 and 1986 and the 1985–86 European Cup Winners' Cup. He scored the opening goal in Dynamo's 3–0 victory over Atlético Madrid in the final and finished as the competition's joint leading scorer with five goals.

He won 41 caps for the Soviet Union, scoring six goals, and represented the country at the 1986 FIFA World Cup, UEFA Euro 1988, where the Soviet Union finished runners-up, and the 1990 FIFA World Cup.

In 1988 Zavarov joined Juventus, becoming the first Soviet footballer to play in Serie A. He won the Coppa Italia and UEFA Cup with the club in 1989–90 before moving to newly promoted AS Nancy Lorraine, where he spent five seasons and made 134 league appearances. Since November 2025 he has worked as a consultant coach with Ukrainian Second League club SC Vilkhivtsi.

Early life

Zavarov was born in Luhansk in the Ukrainian SSR. He developed as a footballer in the youth system of his hometown club Zorya Voroshilovgrad, and broke into the senior side in 1979. He made 23 Soviet Top League appearances and scored seven goals during his first senior season. With SKA he won the Soviet Cup in 1981.

The 1986 season brought Zavarov his highest individual recognition. Soviet football journalists voted him Soviet Footballer of the Year ahead of club-mates Belanov and Blokhin.

Nevertheless, his second Juventus season ended with two major trophies. Under Dino Zoff, Juventus won the 1989–90 Coppa Italia and the 1989–90 UEFA Cup, defeating Fiorentina 3–1 on aggregate in the European final.

Nancy

Zavarov's move from Juventus to newly promoted AS Nancy Lorraine in June 1990 was not simply a transfer to a club without alternatives. Contemporary reports show that newly promoted Serie A club Parma had been pursuing him before Michel Platini intervened on Nancy's behalf. Le Monde likewise reported the following day that Zavarov had initially been expected to join Parma but had instead signed a three-year agreement with Nancy.

According to the contemporary L'Unità report, Platini used his relationship with Juventus to help arrange the move and personally accompanied Zavarov to Nancy. The arrangement provided for Zavarov to spend his first season in France on loan from Juventus, with Nancy subsequently dealing with the Soviet football authorities over the following years of the contract.

Zavarov immediately became an important first-team player. In 1990–91 he made 30 league appearances and scored seven goals as Nancy finished 17th and avoided relegation.

Nancy were relegated from Division 1 in 1991–92 after finishing 20th, but Zavarov remained with the club. He played 28 league matches and scored three goals that season, while Nancy reached the quarter-finals of the Coupe de France.

His most productive season after relegation was 1992–93. Zavarov scored nine goals in 28 Division 2 appearances as Nancy finished fourth, narrowly missing a promotion play-off place. He added 22 appearances and one goal in 1993–94, when a young Nancy side finished 12th, and 26 appearances and three goals in his final season, 1994–95. Under László Bölöni, Nancy finished seventh and again reached the Coupe de France quarter-finals.

Across his five seasons at Nancy, Zavarov made 134 league appearances and scored 23 goals.

In 1995 Zavarov left Nancy for nearby lower-division club Saint-Dizier, where he finished his playing career in 1998 and began the transition into coaching.

International career

Zavarov first represented the Soviet Union at youth level. He was part of the Soviet squad at the 1979 FIFA World Youth Championship in Japan, scoring in a 5–1 group-stage victory over Hungary. The Soviet Union reached the final before losing 3–1 to an Argentina side led by Diego Maradona.

He made his senior Soviet debut in 1985 and accumulated 41 international appearances and six goals through 1990. The Soviet Union lost the final 2–0 to the Netherlands in Munich.

Zavarov also appeared at the 1990 FIFA World Cup in Italy, scoring in the Soviet Union's 4–0 victory over Cameroon. The match proved to be his final appearance for the national team.

Style of play and reputation

Zavarov was principally an attacking midfielder or playmaker, although his role changed during his career. He recalled that he began as a more advanced attacker at Zorya, was moved permanently behind the forwards by German Zonin at SKA Rostov, and was at times used on the left by Dino Zoff at Juventus.

Later in 2005 Zavarov took charge of Arsenal Kyiv. He remained with the Kyiv club for more than four years before being dismissed in January 2010, when Arsenal stood ninth in the Ukrainian league.

In November 2012 Zavarov served as caretaker coach of the Ukraine national football team for a friendly against Bulgaria, which Ukraine won 1–0. It was his only match in charge of the senior national side.

He subsequently joined Mykhailo Fomenko's staff as an assistant coach. The Ukrainian football federation identified him in that role in March 2013. His contract was not renewed in February 2016, when Andriy Shevchenko replaced him on Fomenko's coaching staff.

Zavarov later worked as a scout for Dynamo Kyiv from 2018 until 2023. In November 2025 he returned to coaching as consultant coach of Second League club Vilkhivtsi. The club continued to identify him with the project during the 2026 season.

Career statistics

Soviet Union

Zavarov made 41 senior international appearances and scored six goals for the Soviet Union between 1985 and 1990.

+ International appearances and goals by year Year Apps Goals 1985 4 0 1986 11 1 1987 4 2 1988 12 2 1989 7 0 1990 3 1 Total 41 6

Scores and results list the Soviet Union's goal tally first. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition 1 9 June 1986 Estadio Sergio León Chávez, Irapuato, Mexico 2–0 2–0 1986 FIFA World Cup 2 29 April 1987 Republican Stadium, Kyiv, Soviet Union 1–0 2–0 UEFA Euro 1988 qualifying 3 3 June 1987 Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo, Norway 1–0 1–0 UEFA Euro 1988 qualifying 4 31 March 1988 Olympiastadion, West Berlin, West Germany 1–0 4–2 Four Nations Tournament 5 19 October 1988 Republican Stadium, Kyiv, Soviet Union 2–0 2–0 1990 FIFA World Cup qualification 6 18 June 1990 Stadio San Nicola, Bari, Italy 3–0 4–0 1990 FIFA World Cup

Honours

Club

SKA Rostov-on-Don Soviet Cup: 1981

Dynamo Kyiv Soviet Top League: 1985, 1986 Soviet Cup: 1985, 1987 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup: 1985–86

Juventus Coppa Italia: 1989–90 UEFA Cup: 1989–90

International

Soviet Union FIFA World Youth Championship runner-up: 1979 UEFA European Championship runner-up: 1988

Individual

Soviet Footballer of the Year: 1986 European Cup Winners' Cup joint top scorer: 1985–86 (5 goals) Ballon d'Or: joint sixth, 1986

State honours

Order of Merit (Ukraine), 3rd class: 2004; 2nd class: 2016