Eduard Malofeyev


Eduard Vassilievich Malofeyev is a Soviet and Belarusian football coach and former international player of Russian origin.
Despite being born and grown in Russian SFSR, Malofeyev rose to prominence in Belarus, having scored over 100 goals in Soviet Top League for Dinamo Minsk. He is widely regarded as one of the best Belarusian coaches in history as he led Dinamo Minsk to the team's only Soviet champions title, and coached Belarus national football team in one of their most successful major competition qualifying campaigns.

Life and career

Malofeyev played for Avangard Kolomna, Spartak Moscow and Dinamo Minsk. In 1962, he won the Soviet championship with Spartak.
He was capped 40 times for the USSR national team in 1963–1968 and scored 6 goals. He participated in UEFA Euro 1964 and 1968 as well World Cup 1966
As a coach, Malofeyev led Dinamo Minsk to the championship in the Soviet Top League in 1982. In 1984–1986 he was the head coach for USSR. With Malofeyev at the helm, the Soviet national team qualified for the 1986 World Cup but he was fired shortly before the World Cup started in favor of Valeri Lobanovsky. He also coached the Belarus national football team from 2000 to 2003.
Malofeyev's trademark was what he called "sincere football," characterized by passion for the game and attacking style. It was in sharp contrast to the pragmatic, analytical approach favored by Valeri Lobanovsky.
Between 2004 and 2007 he worked in all three clubs associated with Vladimir Romanov's holding at various coaching and administrative positions.
In later years he had coached Dynamo St. Petersburg, Shakhtyor Soligorsk and Pskov-747.