Fifty years ago, for the first time in Ukrainian history, a footballer was recognized as the best in Europe.

In 1975, Oleg Blokhin became the first Ukrainian to win the Golden Ball award.

Fifty years ago, for the first time in Ukrainian history, a footballer was recognized as the best in Europe.

30 December 1975, the world saw the New Year issue of France Football, which announced the results of the voting to determine the best European footballer. Oleg Blokhin from Kyiv Dynamo and the Soviet national team won the jubilee 20th poll with 122 points, decisively beating such football stars as German Franz Beckenbauer (42 points) and Dutch Johan Cruyff (27 points).

That year, Dynamo Kyiv under Valeriy Lobanovskyi won the Supercup in the competition for cup winners and became the holders of the UEFA Super Cup, twice beating the famous Munich Bayern.

Oleg Blokhin became the first Ukrainian footballer to win the «Golden Ball». Later his success was repeated by Igor Belanov (recognized as the best player of Europe in 1986) and Andriy Shevchenko (holder of the «Golden Ball» in 2004).