Vyacheslav Koloskov, who served as chairman of the Soviet Football Federation from 1990 to 1991 and became the first president of the Russian Football Union (RFS) from 1992 to 2005, has responded to recent claims made by former Dynamo Kyiv player and coach Oleksiy Mykhaylychenko.
Mykhaylychenko stated in an interview that Koloskov had allegedly not only invited him to join the Russian national team but also offered him the role of its first captain, along with promises of housing and financial incentives.
Speaking to Sport24 correspondent Sergey Kozlov, Koloskov confirmed he had wanted Mykhaylychenko in the Russian squad but stressed that he never pressured him. “Selecting the captain is the prerogative of the head coach. I never got involved in that. I think there’s been a misunderstanding or mistake here. My position was clear: the team chooses its captain. In some cases, like with Lobanovsky, the coach picked the captain himself; in others, like with Beskov, they used special lists. I never interfered,” he said.
Koloskov also denied the claims about offering housing or money. “That’s pure fantasy. I never did such things. Financial conditions were fixed in the contract; there were no individual bonuses or promises made to specific players. Mykhaylychenko may have exaggerated a bit,” he added.
For context, Mykhaylychenko is an Olympic champion with the Soviet Union from the 1988 Games, a silver medalist at the 1988 European Championship, and the only player to compete in both tournaments. At club level, he played for Dynamo Kyiv, Italian side Sampdoria, and Scottish club Rangers. He is a distinguished Ukrainian coach and has managed both Dynamo Kyiv and the Ukrainian national team. He is now 63 years old.