Vladimir Bessonov playing for the U.S.S.R. (Russia) during their 3-1 win over
England at the 1988 European Football Championships in Germany.
1988 EUROPEAN FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP.
NETHERLANDS 0-1 SOVIET UNION [HT 0-0]
(Vasiliy Rats 53m) Cologne,
Müngersdorfer Stadion. 12/06/1988, Attendance: 60,584
SOVIET UNION:
Rinat Dasayev (C) (GK),
Vladimir Bessonov, Vagiz Khidiyatullin, Oleg Kuznetsov,
Anatoliy Demyanenko,
Vasiliy Rats, Alexei Mikhailichenko, Gennadiy Litovchenko, Alexandr Zavarov (Tengiz Sulakvelidze 90 min),
Oleg Protasov, Igor Belanov, 79' (Sergei Aleinikov 79 min).
NETHERLANDS:
Hans van Breukelen (GK), Ronald Koeman, Adri van Tiggelen, Frank Rijkaard,
Berry van Aerle,
Jan Wouters, Ruud Gullit (C), Arnold Mühren,
John van’t Schip, John Bosman,
Gerald Vanenburg (Marco van Basten 57 min).
SOVIET UNION 3-1 ENGLAND [HT 2-1] (Adams 15m, Aleinikov 3m, Mykhaylychenko 28m,
Pasulko 73m)
Frankfurt am Main, Waldstadion, 18/06/1988, Attendance 48,335.
SOVIET UNION:
Rinat Dasayev (GK) (C),
Vladimir Bessonov, Vagiz Khidiyatullin, Oleg Kuznetsov, Alexei Mikhailichenko,
Vasiliy Rats,
Sergei Aleinikov, Gennadiy Litovchenko,
Alexandr Zavarov (Sergei Gotsmanov 86 min),
Oleg Protasov,
Igor Belanov (Viktor Pasulko 45 min).
ENGLAND: Chris Woods, Gary Stevens, Kenny Sansom, Dave Watson, Tony Adams,
Bryan Robson [c],
Trevor Steven, Steve McMahon (Neil Webb 56 min),
Glenn Hoddle, John Barnes,
Gary Lineker (Mark Hateley 70 min).
SEMIFINAL
SOVIET UNION 2-0 ITALY [HT 0-0] (Litovchenko 61m, Protasov 63m). 22/06/1988, Stuttgart,
Neckarstadion, Attendance 61,606.
SOVIET UNION:
Rinat Dasayev (GK) (C), Vladimir Bessonov (Anatoliy Demyanenko 35min), Vagiz Khidiyatullin,
Oleg Kuznetsov,
Vasiliy Rats, Sergei Aleinikov, Gennadiy Litovchenko, Alexandr Zavarov, Oleg Protasov,
Alexei Mikhailichenko,
Sergei Gotsmanov.
ITALY:
Walter Zenga (GK), Giuseppe Bergomi (C), Riccardo Ferri, Franco Baresi,
Paolo Maldini (Luigi De Agostini 65 min)
Roberto Donadoni, Carlo Ancelotti,
Fernando De Napoli, Giuseppe Giannini,
Roberto Mancini (Alessandro Altobelli 46 min),
Gianluca Vialli.
CLUB CAREER:
1976–1990 Dynamo Kyiv 277 (27)
1990–1991 Maccabi Haifa 5 (0)
Total 282 Games (27 goals)
Managerial career:
1997–2000 CSKA Kyiv
2001 CSKA Kyiv
2002–2003 Turkmenistan
2004–2005 Nyva Vinnytsia
2006 Zorya Luhansk
2006–2008 FC Kharkiv
2008–2010 FC Dnipro.
Bezsonov is married to Viktoria Serkyh, a former two-time world champion in rhythmic gymnastics.
Together they have a daughter, Anna Bessonova, who also competed internationally in rhythmic
gymnastics and became world champion in 2007, as well as winning an Olympic bronze in 2004
and 2008.
In February 2022, a photo of Bezsonov on the frontline during the Russian invasion of
Ukraine was posted on social media by his daughter. Age 64.