‘An era is closing’: The most famous coach in Bandy history dies

“The Russian Bandy Federation mourns and expresses its deepest condolences to the family and friends of Vladimir Vladimirovich. This is the departure of an entire era and an irreplaceable loss for Russian hockey and all domestic sports,” he said.

The President of the Russian Bandy Federation, Boris Skrynnik, expressed his personal condolences for Yanko’s death and talked about what caused the 73-year-old specialist’s death.

“Vladimir Yanko died today from the effects of the coronavirus, which he suffered about two months ago. He left a great professional. I worked with him a lot in Arkhangelsk, Moscow, the national team. I express my sincere condolences, Skrynnik told Match TV.

The head of the federation also said that Yanko will be buried in Moscow. “The date will be announced later. Now it’s important to see him well on his last journey. We will certainly honor the memory of a great coach and person,” he said.

Honorable coach of Russia, Sergey Myaus, drew attention to Yanko’s cheerful and cheerful character and shared his memories and emphasized that a whole era has ended with his death.

“An era is passing. That’s great and a great coach was Janko who has the most titles in our non-Olympic sport. I managed to work with him in Sweden, I was his assistant.

He’s a crooked body – played by himself, coached, maxed out. He was always cheerful, positive, he taught me not to be sad when you lost, to show it.

And today we grieve and remember,” Myaus told Match TV.

Yanko’s career began in Kuntsevo in the children’s team of the weaving factory No. 14, then ended in Dynamo Moscow, where most of his career as a player and coach will depend. The hockey player for the masters team began to play in 1966. He played for Dynamo until 1979, during which time he spent three seasons with Zorkom, from 1968 to 1971. As part of the capital club, Yanko five times became the champion of the USSR ((1972, 1973, 1975, 1976 and 1978) and together with the team three more medals of different rank (1968, 1974, 1977) 1972, 1973, 1975- 1979 – seven times included in the list of the best hockey players with the ball of the USSR.

He also won the European Cup three times with Dynamo, and as part of the USSR national team won gold medals at the world championships four times (1973, 1975, 1977 and 1979).

Janko began his coaching career immediately after the end of the game – in 1979 he became the coach of Tekstilshchik, where he worked until 1981. Then, at the age of 32, he became the head coach of Stroitel from Syktyvkar. Under his leadership, the team achieved an important goal – it got into the Major League.

In 1987, Yanko moved to a similar position on the Yenisey, where he worked for three years. During this time, the team won the USSR championship twice, in 1988 and 1989, and also twice received gold medals at the European Champions Cup in 1987 and 1988.

From 1991 to 1995 the specialist worked in Finland, coached the Veitera club, and then headed Vodnik. With him, Yanko won the Russian Championship seven times (1996-2000, 2004 and 2005), as well as the Russian Cup (1996, 2000 and 2005 (spring), the European Champions Cup (2004 and 2005), the World Cup ( 2003 and 2004) headed coach Zorkiy in 2001, but returned in 2003 to Vodnik, where he worked again until 2005.

In the same year, Yanko headed the club – Dynamo Moscow, where he spent most of his playing career. He led the team to the Russian championship in 2006 and 2007, won the Russian Cup twice (2005 (autumn) and 2006), and also won the European Cup and the World Cup. From 2008 to 2010, the specialist coached Kuzbass, but did not find great success with the team and moved from Kazan to another Dynamo. He worked at the club twice – from 2010 to 2012 and from 2013 to 2014. He won the national championship in 2011, the World Cup in 2010 and the National Cup in 2013.

Thus, Yanko became the only coach to lead four different teams to victory in the national championships (Yenisei, Vodnik, Dinamo (Moscow), Dinamo-Kazan).

He also became the only coach in bandy history to lead his team to victory in six world championships. Janko first led the national team in 1987 and took the gold of the world championships with his wards in 1989, 1991, 1999, 2001, 2006 and 2008.

After her coaching career, she worked as the sports director of Rodina (2012-2013), Dinamo Moscow (2014-2016, 2018-2021), Baykal-Enerji (2016-2018). The last place of his work was a similar position in Kazan “Ak Bars-Dynamo” (from November 2021 to May 2022).