Ukraine football great Oleg Blokhin dealt a blow to his country's World Cup qualifying campaign on Tuesday as he announced he would be stepping down after October's two qualifiers to coach Dynamo Kiev.
The 59-year-old - the 1975 European footballer of the year - has according to Dynamo agreed a four year contract and will replace Yury Semin, who was dismissed on Monday.
Semin paid the price for a humiliating defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in their opening Champions League group match last week and a sluggish start to the domestic season that has seen the club slip to third.
Blokhin - who played in two World Cups as a player - was in his second spell as Ukraine coach having guided them to the 2006 World Cup finals and then returned to coach them when they co-hosted this year's Euro finals.
Although they went out in the first round Ukraine had made a solid start to their World Cup qualifying campaign and drawing 1-1 away with England at Wembley.
Blokhin will be in charge for the two October friendlies against Moldova on October 12 and Montenegro on October 16 before assuming his new post full time.
Source: AFP
