Valery Lobanovsky made only two appearances for the Soviet national football team. While playing for Dynamo Kiev he scored 42 goals in 144 matches and won the national title. The player, who would later go on to become an outstanding coach, was famous for his corner kicks. His studies at the Odessa Polytechnic Institute helped him acquire this skill, since he first calculated the trajectory for his famous corner kicks before practicing them on the field.

When Valery Lobanovsky moved on to become a coach, he stayed true to his elaborate and meticulous vision of football. Many prominent football managers across the world, including Fabio Capello, learned their trade through his works.

In 2017, UEFA named Lobanovsky among the ten greatest coaches since the foundation of UEFA. He died on May 13, 2002. At the Champions League final between Bayern and Real in Glasgow two days later, UEFA held a minute of silence in his honor.