The former goalkeeper for Dynamo Kiev FC and the Ukrainian national team has completed the postgraduate program in Football Management at the Johan Cruyff Institute
Vitaliy Reva has taken care of the goal for the Ukrainian national team and great teams such as CSKA and Dynamo Kiev FC during the best years of his professional career, which came to an end in 2013 after 20 years of active competition. The easiest way out would have been to become a goalkeeping coach, a position in which he had earned important prestige in the Ukraine and internationally.
But Vitaliy wanted more, so he chose to exchange his gloves for books. The Ukrainian has spent the last eight months studying a postgraduate program in Football Management the Johan Cruyff Institute. Because off the playing field, he doesn’t want a goal scored on him either.
After a successful career in the Ukrainian national football team and great clubs such as Dynamo Kiev, there comes a day when you realize that you have to move on and live sport in a different way. How did you decide to start studying Football Management?
When I was finishing my career, I was thinking about my future. I received a lot of offers to train goalkeepers. But I felt that this job is not for me. I was ready for something bigger. I was looking for my own way. And then from an interview with Andrii Rusol I found out that he was studying at the Johan Cruyff Institute. I called him immediately, we met and he shared his impressions. That’s when I understood that it was for me.
What interested you the most about the program?
I liked that at the Institute they pay a lot of attention to each student’s personal development. Also I liked the organization and its leadership.
Do you think athletes like you can contribute to professionalize football in your country?
Yes, I think that in the near future the knowledge that I received at the Institute will help me increase the professional level of football in the Ukraine.
Johan’s philosophy is: ‘Understanding the sport is crucial to work in sports management. Who could be a better manager than a sportsman who has been on the field his whole life? Do you agree with that?
I agree, but this athlete has to be a wholesome person, he mustn’t stop and he has to continue his education all the time.
What is your project, how would you like to be involved in the football industry?
My project is about the rebirth of a football club in the Ukraine. In the near future, I want to work as a manager in the Ukrainian football industry.
Did you tell your team colleagues that you were studying? What did they think about it?
I told my colleagues about it as well as in different interviews. They supported me and told me that I was doing the right thing. Change your thoughts and you will change the world.
