Oleh Valeriyovych Protasov (Ukrainian:Олег Валерійович Протасов; born 4 February 1964) is aUkrainian andSoviet formerfootballer who played as astriker. He was a key member of theSoviet Union national team throughout the 1980s; his 29[1][2] goals for the Soviet Union are second in the team's history, behindOleg Blokhin's 42. Protasov also holds the record for the number of goals per season by scoring 35 goals.[4] It should be considered that his first name is often spelled asOleg on most international rosters, particularly during his playing career (Russification of Ukraine).
Oleh Protasov started playing football at the age of 8 years old in his hometown ofDnipropetrovsk inDnipro Dnipropetrovsk, where he played until 1987. His father, who was an engineer atYuzhmash, brought him to theMeteor Stadium. Later, Protasov enrolled in the Dnipro-75 sports school led by Igor Vetrogonov.[5][6] In1983, he was on the champion's roster of Dnipro, which gained its first domestic title. While playing for Dnipro during the1985 season, he became the top goalscorer of the season with 35, which became the record of goals scored in a single season.[4] For this achievement, on 13 November 1986, he was awarded the European Silver Shoe during the annual award ceremony held atLe Lido.[4] The award was handed to him by former French international footballerRoger Piantoni.[4]
Following the fall of the Soviet Union, Oleh Protasov got a chance to play abroad. In 1990, he joined Greek sideOlympiacos Piraeus that was coached byOleh Blokhin.[4] Leaving Olympiacos in 1994, he played inGamba Osaka,Veria FC, and finallyProodeftiki FC, from where he retired in 1999.
After retiring as a player, Protasov went into coaching, and ledOlympiacos to the Greek title in 2003. In 2005, he coached Romanian teamSteaua București.
In December 2005, Oleh Protasov returned in Ukraine to coach his hometown team,Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk, after an impressiveUEFA Cup performance withSteaua București. Protasov left by his own choice and was on very good terms with the entire team and owners of the club.[8]
In his first2005–06 season as Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk's coach, Oleh Protasov led the team to a 6th-place finish in theUkrainian Premier League. In the next,2006–07 season, Protasov improved on this, finishing 4th in the league.
In the2007–08 season his side unexpectedly led the title race ahead of the winter break, before a poor second half left his side in 4th once again. Dnipro sacked him on 29 August 2008 after an embarrassing defeat fromAC Bellinzona in UEFA cup qualification match.[9]
After that, Protasov took overFC Kuban Krasnodar in the nearby region of Russia. Kuban had been recently relegated to theRussian First League. Under Protasov's leadership, the club finished 2nd in theleague, with an 8-point lead over their nearest competitors. This finish earned them right to be promoted to theRussian Premier League.
However FC Kuban was affected by the2008 financial crisis, which greatly decreased the club's budget. In a mutual agreement with the club, Protasov left the club on 19 November 2008.[10]
Then, he signed a two-year deal worth 400,000 euro per year withIraklis, starting from the summer of 2009. On 30 October, it was announced by Iraklis the termination of their contract, after 5 continual defeats in Super League and Greek Cup.
Protasov agreed on a three years contract withAris, though Arvanitidis expulsion as head of the football department of the club, led to amateur Aris to terminate the deal after 15 minutes of its announcement.[13]
Protasov is married to Natalia (née – Lemeshko), a daughter ofYevhen Lemeshko.[14][4] They met through a post letter exchange. She wrote him a letter after reading his interview in "Nedelya".[4] He is a naturalised citizen ofGreece and can speakGreek, alongsideEnglish,Russian and his nativeUkrainian.[15][16]
