Oleksandr Ryabokon (Ukrainian: Олександр Дмитрович Рябоконь; born 21 February 1964) is a former Ukrainian football defender, and recently, until 2022, the head-coach of FC Desna Chernihiv in the Ukrainian Premier League.[1] He is known for transforming a third tier team into a solid top-flight participant. He is also a combat veteran of the Russo-Ukrainian War.

Oleksandr Ryabokon
Personal information
Full name Oleksandr Dmytrovych Ryabokon
Date of birth (1964-02-21) 21 February 1964 (age 60)
Place of birth Kyiv, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union
Height 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Position(s) Defender
Youth career
Dynamo Kyiv
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1982 Desna Chernigov 6 (0)
1983 SKA Kiev
1984 Dnepr Cherkassy 16 (0)
1985 Zvezda Kirovograd 31 (0)
1987 Vorskla Poltava 44 (1)
1988 Gomselmash Gomel 8 (0)
1988–1989 Spartak Anapa 24 (6)
1990 Lori Kirovakan 37 (0)
1991 Zvezda Kirovograd 43 (5)
1992 Dnipro Cherkasy 22 (1)
1992 Meliorator Kakhovka 4 (1)
1993–1994 Sirius Kryvyi Rih 43 (9)
1995 Torpedo Mogilev 12 (0)
1995 Systema-Boreks Borodianka 2 (0)
1995 Torpedo Mogilev 8 (1)
1996–1997 Nerafa Slavutych 30 (4)
1997 Shanghai Pudong
1998 Veres Rivne 16 (1)
Managerial career
1998–1999 Borysfen Boryspil (assistant)
1999–2000 Prykarpattia Ivano-Frankivsk (assistant)
2000–2001 Borysfen Boryspil
2001–2002 Ukraine U19
2002–2004 Borysfen Boryspil
2005 Obolon Kyiv
2005–2006 Dinamo Minsk
2006 Borysfen Boryspil
2007–2008 Dnipro Cherkasy
2008–2009 Desna Chernihiv
2009–2010 Desna Chernihiv
2010–2011 Lviv
2011 Sevastopol
2012–2022 Desna Chernihiv
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Career edit

Footballer edit

A product of the Dynamo Kyiv football academy (specialized sports school of Olympic reserve), Ryabokon started his professional career in FC Desna Chernihiv in 1982. During the Soviet period he changed clubs every season playing mostly at the Soviet third tier. In late 1980s he managed to play for some Caucasus region clubs from Circassian Anapa and Armenian Vanadzor. Following dissolution of the Soviet Union, he soon gained squad stability playing for Sirius Zhovti Vody, a former Soviet third tier team, after which he finally signed up with a top-flight club from Belarus, FC Torpedo Mogilev. After a season in Belarus, Ryabokon returned to Ukraine where he continued to play at the third tier switching clubs every season.

Coach edit

After he retired from playing football, he was invited to work as an assistant coach in 1998. In 2000, Ryabokon became the head coach of the FC Borysfen Boryspil and two years later got the team promoted to the Ukrainian Premier League.[2] At the end of June 2010, Ryabokon became the new head coach of FC Lviv in the Ukrainian First League.[3]

Desna Chernihiv edit

In 2012 he signed for Desna Chernihiv.[4][5] he managed to promoted the team in Ukrainian First League after a great season 2012–13 of the Ukrainian Second League. In the season 2016–17 he has been elected Best Coach in the round 21,[6] Round 23,[7] Round 25,[8] Round 29[9] and at the end of the season he has been elected even the best coach of the Ukrainian First League in the season 2016–17[10] and he next season with the club of Chernihiv won the Ukrainian First League in the season 2017–18.

In the season 2018–19 season he led the team to stay in Ukrainian Premier League without been relegated and he was elected Best Coach in Round 2,[11] Round 6,[12] Round 13[13] and Round 24.[14]

In the 2019–20 season of the Ukrainian Premier League has been elected Best Coach in September 2019,[15] in March 2020[16] and in June 2020.[17]

He managed to bring the club at the 4th place in Ukrainian Premier League in the 2019–20 season and to qualify for the Europa League third qualifying round, for the first time in the history of the Club since 1960. Oleksandr Ryabokon won the Best Coach, 9 times in the 2019–20 season being the most winning coach in 32 rounds.[18][19][20]

In the 2020-21 season of the Ukrainian Premier League was elected Best Coach of the round 1.[21]

On 24 September 2020 Ryabokon was the coach that provided line up of the team of Desna Chernihiv against VfL Wolfsburg for the Europa League third qualifying round at the AOK Stadion.[22]

On 9 March 2021 he has been elected Best Coach of the Round 17 of the Ukrainian Premier League in the 2020-21 season.[23] On 12 April 2021 he was elected coach of the Round 21 in the season 2020-21 of Ukrainian Premier League[24]

After the 2020-21 season, the club failed to qualify for the cups and Oleksandr Ryabokon with president of the club Volodymyr Levin let some players leave the club and adding new ones also with experience like Yevhen Selin who played in the Ukraine national football team.[25][26][27] They worked also to rejuvenate the team, develop the academy in Chernihiv adding some players from Desna 3 Chernihiv and Desna 2 Chernihiv like Yevheniy Belych.[28] In december 2021, the Desna Chernihiv's president Volodymyr Levin defined Ryabokon one of the best UPL of Ukrainian Premier League.[29]

In 2022 due to the Russian full-scale invasion, Ryabokon soon after his birthday signed up for the Ukrainian Territorial Defense Forces in Chernihiv Oblast and participated in liberation of the region from the Russian occupational forces that were forced to flee.

Honours edit

Player edit

Torpedo Mogilev

Coach edit

Individual edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Desna". Ukrainian Premier League. Retrieved 13 December 2020.
  2. ^ "Резкий старт и стремительный упадок Борисфена. Рябоконь еще раньше приходил в УПЛ со своими идеями". www.www.ua-football.com. 13 April 2020. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
  3. ^ Олександр Рябоконь – головний тренер "Львова" [Oleksandr Ryabokon is the head coach of "L'vov"]. ua-football.com (in Ukrainian). 24 June 2010. Retrieved 31 March 2011.
  4. ^ "Oleksandr Ryabokon | Referee report". www.desna.football. Retrieved 6 July 2020.
  5. ^ "Рябоконь Александр Дмитриевич". www.footballfacts.ru. Retrieved 25 December 2020.
  6. ^ "Тренерський ракурс. Рябоконь і Богатир - найкращі тренери в 21-му турі".
  7. ^ "Тренерський ракурс. Рябоконь і Мостовий - найкращі тренери в 23-му турі".
  8. ^ "Тренерський ракурс. Рябоконь і Ященко - найкращі тренери 25-го туру".
  9. ^ "Тренерський ракурс. Рябоконь і Горілий - найкращі тренери 29-го туру".
  10. ^ "Oleksandr Ryabokon has been elected Best Coach of Ukrainian First League in the season 2017–18 | Referee report". www.metalist1925.com. Retrieved 6 July 2020.
  11. ^ "Олександр Рябоконь – найкращий тренер 2 туру Чемпіонату УПЛ!". upl.ua.
  12. ^ "Всеукраїнське об'єднання тренерів з футболу | Тренерський ракурс. Олександр Рябоконь – найкращий тренер 6-го туру УПЛ". Archived from the original on 29 August 2018. Retrieved 29 August 2018.
  13. ^ "Денис Безбородько – найкращий гравець 13 туру Чемпіонату УПЛ!". upl.ua.
  14. ^ "Олександр Рябоконь – найкращий тренер 24 туру Чемпіонату УПЛ!". upl.ua.
  15. ^ "Михайліченко і Рябоконь – найкращі гравець і тренер вересня Favbet Ліги!".
  16. ^ "Михайліченко і Рябоконь – найкращі гравець і тренер місяця Favbet Ліги!".
  17. ^ "Буяльський і Рябоконь – найкращі гравець і тренер місяця Favbet Ліги!".
  18. ^ "Oleksandr Ryabokon won the Best Coach 9 times in 32 rounds in Ukrainian Premier League". Ukrainian Premier League. Retrieved 20 July 2020.
  19. ^ "FC Desna Chernihiv qualified for the Europa League". thetimeshub.in. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
  20. ^ "FC Desna Chernihiv 4th in Ukrainian Premier League". Ukrainian Premier League. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
  21. ^ "Олександр Рябоконь – найкращий тренер 1-го туру Favbet Ліги".
  22. ^ "Wolfsburg (GER) 2-0 Desna (UKR)". www.uefa.com. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
  23. ^ "Олександр Рябоконь – найкращий тренер 17-го туру Favbet Ліги".
  24. ^ "Олександр Рябоконь – найкращий тренер 21-го туру Favbet Ліги". Ukrainian Premier League. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
  25. ^ "Євген Селін – гравець ФК Десна". www.chesport.cn.ua. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
  26. ^ "Селін – гравець ФК Десна". www.desna.football. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
  27. ^ "ДЕСНА» ОБЪЯВИЛА О ПЕРЕХОДЕ СЕЛИНА". Retrieved 15 July 2021.
  28. ^ "Обновления у новичков, свежий старт новых тренеров. Все трансферы Второй лиги". www.sportarena.com. 24 June 2021. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
  29. ^ "Президент Десны: Рябоконь - один из лучших тренреров УПЛ, как можно ему не доверять?". www.ua-football.com. 17 December 2021. Retrieved 19 December 2021.
  30. ^ "Belarus 1994/95". www.rsssf.org. Retrieved 6 April 2023.

External links edit