Volodymyr Vasylyovych Bezsonov (, also spelled Vladimir Vasilijević Bessonov from , born 5 March 1958) is a Ukrainian football manager and former player who played for the former Soviet Union national team. The most recent team he was managing was FC Dnipro in the Ukrainian Premier League.
Club career Bezsonov is a graduate student of the Kharkiv State College of Physical Culture 1 where he began his football career. In 1975 he joined Metalist Kharkiv, but only played for its reserve team.
In 1976 Bezsonov joined Dynamo Kyiv. There, he spent most of his career, except for a short one-season stint in Israeli club Maccabi Haifa in 1990–91. He was well known as a lightning quick full-back with a powerful shot. Bezsonov was attack-minded and scored a good return for a defender. He ended with 27 goals in the 377 games that he played for Dynamo.
International career Bezsonov won 79 caps and scored 4 goals for the Soviet Union national team from 1977 to 1990 and was included in three FIFA World Cup squads. He also holds the record for the fifth most appearances for the team. In the 1990 World Cup, he was sent off against Argentina. His team ended up losing the game 2–0 which eventually became his farewell match for the Soviet national team.
In 1979, Bezsonov played a couple of matches for the Ukrainian SSR at the Spartakiad of the Peoples of the USSR where Ukraine placed third.
In 1980, Bezsonov was on the Soviet squad for the 1980 Summer Olympics where the Soviet Union placed third.
Managerial career Most recently, Bezsonov was the head coach of FC Dnipro in the Ukrainian Premier League, but was sacked in September 2010 following the team's elimination from the UEFA Europa League and a number of poor results domestically.
Personal life Bezsonov is married to Viktoria Serykh, a former two-time world champion in rhythmic gymnastics. Together they have a daughter, Anna Bessonova, who also competed internationally in rhythmic gymnastics and became world champion in 2007, as well as winning an Olympic bronze in 2004 and 2008.
In February 2022, a photo of Bezsonov on the frontline during the Russian invasion of Ukraine was posted on social media by his daughter.
Career statistics Club + Appearances and goals by club, season and competitionClubSeasonLeagueCupEuropeOtherTotalDivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsDynamo Kyiv1976 (s)Soviet Top League90–––901976 (a)20–––20197716110201020119782338240–35519792424051–33319803456220–42719812527251103851982184–31–215198311110––121198420261––26319852502070–34019861613050102511987110202010160198819020––21019891754142–25819907110––81Career total277274783954036740
The statistics in USSR Cups and Europe is made under the scheme "autumn-spring" and enlisted in a year of start of tournaments
International + Appearances and goals by national team and yearVolodymyr Bezsonov . www.rusteam.permian.ru (5 November 1952). Retrieved 2 January 2011.National teamYearAppsGoalsSoviet Union19774019781021979501980811981401982701983501984301985201986110198740198890198930199041Total794
Scores and results list Soviet Union's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Bezsonov goal.
+ List of international goals scored by Volodymyr BezsonovNo.DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition1 20 September 1978 Hrazdan Stadium, Yerevan, Soviet Union 2–0 UEFA Euro 1980 qualifying2 26 November 1978 Nagai Stadium, Osaka, Japan 3–0 Friendly3 15 October 1980 Teddy Stadium, Jerusalem, Israel 5–0 1982 WC qualification4 24 February 1990 Stanford Stadium, Stanford, California, United States 3–1 Friendly
Honours Dynamo Kyiv Soviet Top League: 1977, 1980, 1981, 1985, 1986, 1990 Soviet Cup: 1978, 1982, 1984–85, 1986–87, 1989–90 Soviet Super Cup: 1980, 1985, 1986; runner-up 1977 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup: 1986 UEFA Super Cup runner-up: 1986
Soviet Union Summer Olympics bronze: 1980 UEFA Euro runner-up: 1988
Individual FIFA World Youth Championship Golden Ball: 1977 The best 33 football players of the Soviet Union (11): No. 1 (1978-1982, 1985-1987, 1989); No. 2 (1977); No. 3 (1988) Ukrainian Footballer of the Year: 1989; second place: 1988; third place: 1986 Voted in the Soviet Union's "All-time World Cup team" on planetworldcup.com above other great full-backs, such as Igor Netto and Vasiliy Rats.
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