Today marks the anniversary of the passing of Anatoliy Banishevskiy, a true legend of Azerbaijani football.
Banishevskiy was born on February 23, 1946, in Baku to a Ukrainian family with Polish roots, Idman.biz reports.
His football journey began with the Lokomotiv team in the capital before he moved to what was then known as Neftyanik, now Neftchi. He made his debut for Neftchi in 1963 at the age of 17, and over his career, he played 288 games in the Soviet championship, scoring 121 goals. He also found the net 15 times in 30 national cup matches.
In 1966, Banishevskiy helped Neftchi win the bronze medal in the country’s championship, and that same year, he reached the semifinals of the World Cup with the Soviet Union team. In 1972, he earned a silver medal at the European Championship. With 49 appearances and 20 goals, he became the Soviet player with the most games played and goals scored for the national team. He also became the first Soviet player to score a goal at the Maracana Stadium in Brazil.
Despite receiving attractive offers from clubs in Russia and Ukraine, Banishevskiy chose to remain loyal to Baku and Neftchi. His outstanding performances with Neftchi led to his debut for the Soviet national team in a friendly against Brazil on July 4, 1965. Throughout his career at Neftchi, Banishevskiy scored 136 goals, making him the club's second-highest scorer, only behind Samir Alakbarov, who scored 142 goals.
A recipient of the Soviet Union’s honorary sports title and a member of the Grigory Fedotov club, Banishevskiy later moved into coaching after his playing career. He served as a coach for Neftchi (1981-1982), Avtomobilchi in Mingachevir (1984-1987), the youth team of Burkina Faso (1987-1988), and Kapaz (1988). During his time in Africa, he fell seriously ill and passed away on December 10, 1997, at the age of 51.
In recognition of his contributions to Azerbaijani football, Banishevskiy was awarded the Order of Glory a year before his death. The Masalli City Stadium, where Vilesh club held their home games, is named after this legendary footballer.
In 2004, UEFA named Banishevskiy the best Azerbaijani footballer of the last 50 years. In 2011, he was honored as the footballer of the century during Azerbaijan’s 100th anniversary of football.
The “Number 9” who never lost his loyalty to Neftchi will forever remain in the hearts of his fans.
Rest in peace, Banya! You will always live in our hearts!
Idman.biz
