The world of soccer is mourning the tragic death of national team player Andriy Polunin, 55, who died after suffering a heart attack during a veterans’ match in Lutsk, Ukraine. Polunin played nine games for the Ukrainian national team in the 1990s, scoring one goal in a Euro 1996 qualifier against Italy at San Nicola.
Ukraine lost that match 1-3 and ultimately missed out on qualification. Polunin started his career in his native Ukraine, playing for defunct local team Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk.
He moved to Germany in search of more game time. During his time in Germany, Polunin played for 1.FC Nürnberg, FC St. Pauli and Rotweiss Essen.
Tributes have poured in for the former defender from his former clubs, including Metalist 1925, who released a statement saying: “Metalist 1925 sends its deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of Andriy Viktorovich. The club shares with you the pain of their loss.”
FC Karpaty Lviv also paid their respects, saying: “Everlasting memory of Andriy Polunin, sincere condolences to his family and friends.
A prominent Ukrainian Twitter account shared: “Rest in peace, Andriy Polunin. He fell ill after playing in a veterans’ match in Lutsk and passed away suddenly at the age of 54.”
He added: “The former midfielder was an icon of Dnipro in the 90s, and also played for CSKA Kiev, Karpaty, Cliff Bass, Nuremberg, St. Pauli and Rotweiss-Essen. From January 1, he has been the Metalist 1925 chief scout.”
One supporter reacted: “I’m very sad about this news. I met him briefly once, watched him play many times and commented on him many times. He’s a really underrated player for me.”
Polunin retired from football in 2004. Since then, he has worked in various fields as a scout and athletic director.
Between 2008 and 2012, he was with FC Navtovic Oktyrka, first as sporting director, then as president, before returning to the position of sporting director.
