Oleh Protasov

2.1. Youth Career

Protasov began his football journey at the age of eight in his hometown of Dnipropetrovsk, then part of the Ukrainian SSR. He trained and played in the youth system of Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk from 1972 until 1981, laying the foundation for his professional career.

2.2. Club Player Career

Protasov's professional club career saw him play for prominent teams in the Soviet Union before moving to international leagues after the collapse of the Soviet Union.

2.2.2. International Club Career

Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Oleh Protasov had the opportunity to play abroad. In 1990, he joined Greek club Olympiacos Piraeus. During his four-year spell with Olympiacos until 1994, he was instrumental in their Greek Cup victory in 1992 and the Greek Super Cup in the same year. He consistently scored, with 11 goals in his first season (1990-91), 15 goals in 1991-92, 14 goals in 1992-93, and 8 goals in just 9 appearances in the first half of the 1993-94 season.

After leaving Olympiacos, Protasov moved to Japan to play for Gamba Osaka in 1994. He quickly adapted, scoring his first J.League goal on March 19, 1994, against Nagoya Grampus Eight. On June 28, 1995, he achieved a hat-trick against Shimizu S-Pulse, becoming the first foreign player for Gamba Osaka to do so. Over two seasons, he scored 11 goals in 27 appearances in 1994 and 13 goals in 28 appearances in 1995 for Gamba Osaka.

Following his time in Japan, Protasov returned to Greece, playing for Veria FC from 1996 to 1998, where he made 62 appearances and scored 14 goals. He concluded his playing career with Proodeftiki FC, playing from 1998 to 1999, where he appeared in 28 matches and scored 5 goals before retiring.

2.3. International Player Career

Protasov represented the Soviet Union 68 times between 1984 and 1991, scoring 29 goals, which places him second in the team's history. He participated in the 1986 FIFA World Cup and the 1990 FIFA World Cup. He was also a key member of the Soviet team that reached the final of the UEFA Euro 1988, where he scored two goals. His goal in the semi-final against Italy helped the team secure a 2-0 victory, although they ultimately lost 0-2 to the Netherlands in the final, where he was heavily marked by Frank Rijkaard. In 1983, Protasov represented the Ukrainian SSR in the Summer Spartakiad of the Peoples of the USSR. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, he played one game for the Ukraine national team in 1994.

3.1. Club Coaching Career

Protasov's coaching career began in 2002 when he took charge of Olympiacos Piraeus, the Greek club he had previously played for. He led Olympiacos to the Greek title in the 2002-03 season, showcasing his immediate impact as a manager. He managed the team until 2004.

In 2004, Protasov moved to Cyprus to coach AEL Limassol, staying until 2005. He then took on the role of coach for Romanian team Steaua București in 2005. His tenure at Steaua București included an impressive performance in the UEFA Cup, which garnered significant attention. For his work in Romania, he was recognized as the Romania Coach of the Year in 2005.

In December 2005, Protasov returned to Ukraine to coach his hometown team, Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk. In his first full season, the 2005-06 season, he guided Dnipro to a 6th-place finish in the Ukrainian Premier League. He improved on this in the 2006-07 season, leading the team to a 4th-place finish. In the 2007-08 season, his side unexpectedly led the title race before the winter break, but a poor second half saw them finish 4th once again. Protasov left Dnipro by mutual agreement on very good terms with the team and owners in December 2005. However, he was later sacked on August 29, 2008, following an embarrassing defeat to AC Bellinzona in a UEFA Cup qualification match, despite a generally successful period.

After leaving Dnipro, Protasov took over FC Kuban Krasnodar in Russia. Kuban had recently been relegated to the Russian First League. Under Protasov's leadership, the club finished 2nd in the league, securing promotion back to the Russian Premier League with an 8-point lead over their nearest competitors. However, Kuban was severely impacted by the Global financial crisis of 2008-2009, which led to a significant decrease in the club's budget. Protasov left the club by mutual agreement on November 19, 2008.

In 2009, he signed a two-year deal with Iraklis Thessaloniki in Greece, reportedly worth 400.00 K EUR per year. However, his contract was terminated on October 30, after five consecutive defeats in the Super League and Greek Cup. He subsequently managed FC Rostov in Russia from 2010 to 2011, FC Astana in Kazakhstan in 2012, and FC Dinamo Minsk in Belarus from 2012 to 2013.

On October 13, 2014, Protasov was appointed manager of FC Astra Giurgiu in Romania. He was sacked on March 2, 2015. His most recent coaching role was with Aris Thessaloniki in 2015, where he agreed to a three-year contract. However, due to changes in the club's leadership, the deal was terminated only 15 minutes after its announcement, preventing him from taking charge of the amateur club.

5.1. Player Honors

5.2. Coaching Honors

• Olympiacos
  • Greek League: 2002-03

6.1. Club Statistics

6.2. International Statistics

Protasov scored 29 international goals for the Soviet Union national team:
Scores and results list the Soviet Union's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Protasov goal.