Viktors Nesterenko
Encyclopedia
Viktors Ņesterenko is a Latvia
n football
coach and former footballer.
and played football there with the reserves of FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk
. At the age of Ņesterenko was invited to move to Riga
, Latvia, for studies. In 1971, Ņesterenko joined Elektrons Rīga
and played for the youth squad of Daugava Rīga. He spent the entire 1972 season in the Latvian league with Elektrons, but in 1973 when Daugava Rīga was in a desperate need for a scoring forward, Ņesterenko was offered a position with Daugava. In the first season, he made 5 appearances and scored 5 goals. His best season with Daugava was in 1975 when the club qualified for the first Soviet league, but in 1976 Ņesterenko was injured for a big part of the season. Ņesterenko tried to secure a position in Kolos Nikopol but that didn't bring him much success. In 1978 and 1979 he played with Zvejnieks Liepāja, and for half a season he played with Spartak Kostroma.
Ņesterenko tried to return to Daugava Rīga more than once, but the club's head coach didn't believe that Ņesterenko could still be of any use to the club, so Ņesterenko settled with Celtnieks Rīga
where he soon switched from playing to coaching.
In 1988, Ņesterenko was offered a coaching position with the second team of RAF Jelgava (the first team played in the second Soviet division, the second team in the Latvian league). RAF won the Latvian league both seasons which Ņesterenko spent with the club. After the 1989 season the two RAF clubs merged and Ņesterenko became the head coach of a club playing in the lowest division of Soviet football. The club had many young talented players, including future Latvia national football team
players Vladimirs Babičevs
, Igors Troickis
and Dzintars Sproģis
. In his second season with RAF, Ņesterenko's coaching fell one extra point short of earning the club a promotion to a higher division, but the collapse of the Soviet Union
ended that dream. Ņesterenko left RAF in the middle of the 1992 Virslīga
season; the club went lost the gold medals to Skonto FC
in an extra game.
Ņesterenko signed a 1+1 year deal with Prykarpattya Ivano-Frankivsk
which had been just relegated to the Ukrainian Premier League
and was hoping to return there after one season. Under his management, the club finished 4th in out of 22 teams, which wasn't enough for Ņesterenko to keep his job with the club.
In 1994 Ņesterenko took up with his next club - DAG Rīga (former VEF). DAG had a good squad which included Andrejs Piedels
, Vits Rimkus
, Artūrs Zakreševskis
and Dzintars Sproģis
. In the Latvian league the club finished 3rd that year and reached the Latvian Cup final. After the season the club experienced financial difficulties, merged with Baltika Liepāja and relocated to Liepāja
. Almost all the players had left DAG, the club had no financial support the first half of the season, and the only money came in from the transfer of Dzintars Sproģis to Spartak Moscow
. The season was disappointing (especially the first half), however the club again reached the cup final. That season, DAG had young players like Viktors Dobrecovs
and veterans such as Jānis Intenbergs
and Ainārs Linards. After the season Ņesterenko was asked to leave Liepāja
.
In 1996 Ņesterenko returned to RAF which had relocated from Jelgava
to Riga. The season in Virslīga
wasn't especially successful, but Ņesterenko and his club earned his first trophy in independent Latvia - RAF won the Latvian Cup by beating Skonto FC
in overtime in a thrilling match. For the 1997 season, the club was renamed to Universitāte Rīga, but the change did not help - it finished sixth in the Latvian league, and after the season the club dissolved leaving Ņesterenko without a club again. In 1997 Ņesterenko was a candidate for head coach position with the newly-founded FK Ventspils
but Sergei Borovski from Belarus
was chosen instead.
After a brief stint of consulting work with Ranto/Miks, Ņesterenko signed for the 1998 season with Dinaburg FC
, the bronze medalists and cup finalists of 1997. His first season Ņesterenko was less successful - fourth place in the league and a cup exit in the quarter-finals. Ņesterenko left Dinaburg in the middle of the season and was replaced by Roman Grigorshuk whom Ņesterenko had coached as a player in Ivano-Frankivsk
.
The next stage in Ņesterenko's career was FK Rīga
for which he was an assistant coach under Jānis Gilis
and later under Georgijs Gusarenko
. In 2001, Ņesterenko was appointed head coach. His work with Rīga didn't bring great results - the club was stuck in mid table and lacked direction, and Ņesterenko had to leave the club after the 2003 season.
In 2004 he took up work with Dynamo Brest in Belarus
but as the team failed to impress he was fired rather speedily.
His last club to date was FK Venta Ventspils
, which went bankrupt in 2005. Ņesterenko started as a scouting coach, but when the club finances worsened took up the position of head coach.
In his work as club manager Ņesterenko has worked with Aleksandrs Dorofejevs in many clubs.
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
n football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
coach and former footballer.
Playing biography
Ņesterenko was born in UkraineUkraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
and played football there with the reserves of FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk
FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk
Football Club Dnipro is a Ukrainian professional football club from the city of Dnipropetrovsk.-BRIT:The club's franchise traces its history all the way back when the first team that was formed in 1918 by the Petrovsky factory and was called as BRIT . The team participated in the regional competition...
. At the age of Ņesterenko was invited to move to Riga
Riga
Riga is the capital and largest city of Latvia. With 702,891 inhabitants Riga is the largest city of the Baltic states, one of the largest cities in Northern Europe and home to more than one third of Latvia's population. The city is an important seaport and a major industrial, commercial,...
, Latvia, for studies. In 1971, Ņesterenko joined Elektrons Rīga
Elektrons Riga
Elektrons Rīga was a Latvian football club from Riga that was one of the leading clubs in the Latvian league in 1970s and 1980s.-History:...
and played for the youth squad of Daugava Rīga. He spent the entire 1972 season in the Latvian league with Elektrons, but in 1973 when Daugava Rīga was in a desperate need for a scoring forward, Ņesterenko was offered a position with Daugava. In the first season, he made 5 appearances and scored 5 goals. His best season with Daugava was in 1975 when the club qualified for the first Soviet league, but in 1976 Ņesterenko was injured for a big part of the season. Ņesterenko tried to secure a position in Kolos Nikopol but that didn't bring him much success. In 1978 and 1979 he played with Zvejnieks Liepāja, and for half a season he played with Spartak Kostroma.
Ņesterenko tried to return to Daugava Rīga more than once, but the club's head coach didn't believe that Ņesterenko could still be of any use to the club, so Ņesterenko settled with Celtnieks Rīga
Celtnieks Riga
Celtnieks Rīga was a Latvian football club that won the Latvian Cup 3 times.-History:Celtnieks made its debut in the Latvian league in 1978. In the 1980s it was one of the strongest clubs in the Latvian league as it finished second in the league in four seasons and for three years in a row it won...
where he soon switched from playing to coaching.
Coaching biography
With Ņesterenko as a playing coach, Celtnieks Rīga won the Latvian Cup three times in a row - from 1984 to 1986. The team also secured two second place finishes in the Latvian league.In 1988, Ņesterenko was offered a coaching position with the second team of RAF Jelgava (the first team played in the second Soviet division, the second team in the Latvian league). RAF won the Latvian league both seasons which Ņesterenko spent with the club. After the 1989 season the two RAF clubs merged and Ņesterenko became the head coach of a club playing in the lowest division of Soviet football. The club had many young talented players, including future Latvia national football team
Latvia national football team
The Latvian national football team is controlled by the Latvian Football Federation, the governing body for football in Latvia and represents the country in international football competitions, such as the World Cup and the European Championships. So far, they have never qualified for a FIFA World...
players Vladimirs Babičevs
Vladimirs Babicevs
Vladimirs Babičevs is a Latvian football manager and a former footballer. Babičevs played in a 51 international match for Latvia.-Club playing career:...
, Igors Troickis
Igors Troickis
Igors Troickis is a former football defender from Latvia. He obtained a total number of 41 caps for the Latvia national team between 1992 and 2001. His last club was FK Rīga. Troickis also played as a professional in Russia during his career.-Honours:* Baltic Cup :** 1993* Latvian Champion :*1993,...
and Dzintars Sproģis
Dzintars Sprogis
Dzintars Sproģis is a former Latvian football defender. Sproģis was recognized as the best defender in the first season of Virslīga.-Playing biography:...
. In his second season with RAF, Ņesterenko's coaching fell one extra point short of earning the club a promotion to a higher division, but the collapse of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
ended that dream. Ņesterenko left RAF in the middle of the 1992 Virslīga
Virsliga
-Past Virslīga winners:-Top scorers:-Riga football league winners:* 1910 Union Riga* 1911 British FC Riga* 1912 Union Riga* 1913 British FC Riga* 1914 British FC Riga* 1915 British FC Riga-Champions of Latvia before Virslīga:* 1922 Ķeizarmežs...
season; the club went lost the gold medals to Skonto FC
Skonto FC
Skonto FC is a Latvian football club, founded in 1991. The club plays at the Skonto Stadium in Riga. Skonto won the Virsliga in the first 14 seasons of the league's existence , and often provides the core of the Latvia national football team...
in an extra game.
Ņesterenko signed a 1+1 year deal with Prykarpattya Ivano-Frankivsk
FC Spartak Ivano-Frankivsk
FC Spartak Ivano-Frankivsk was a Ukrainian football team based in Ivano-Frankivsk, Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast, Ukraine, the unofficial capital of the Prykarpattia region. The club was founded in 1940 and was to play in the Druha Liha under the guidance of Mykola Prystay. The club has previously gone...
which had been just relegated to the Ukrainian Premier League
Ukrainian Premier League
The Ukrainian Premier League is the highest division of Ukrainian annual football championship. As the Supreme League it was founded in 1991 after the fold of the Soviet Union's Vysshaya Liga. In 2008 it was reformed into a more autonomous entity of the Football Federation of Ukraine and changed...
and was hoping to return there after one season. Under his management, the club finished 4th in out of 22 teams, which wasn't enough for Ņesterenko to keep his job with the club.
In 1994 Ņesterenko took up with his next club - DAG Rīga (former VEF). DAG had a good squad which included Andrejs Piedels
Andrejs Piedels
Andrejs Piedels is a former Latvian football goalkeeper and the current assistant coach for Olimps/RFS in the Latvian Higher League....
, Vits Rimkus
Vits Rimkus
Vīts Rimkus is a football striker from Latvia, currently playing for Finikas Ayias Marinas Chrisohus in Cypriot Fourth Division, after being released by FK Ekranas in Lithuania....
, Artūrs Zakreševskis
Arturs Zakreševskis
Artūrs Zakreševskis is a former football defender from Latvia and is currently the assistant of Latvia U-15 team. He is currently a member of Latvia national beach soccer team too....
and Dzintars Sproģis
Dzintars Sprogis
Dzintars Sproģis is a former Latvian football defender. Sproģis was recognized as the best defender in the first season of Virslīga.-Playing biography:...
. In the Latvian league the club finished 3rd that year and reached the Latvian Cup final. After the season the club experienced financial difficulties, merged with Baltika Liepāja and relocated to Liepāja
Liepaja
Liepāja ; ), is a republican city in western Latvia, located on the Baltic Sea directly at 21°E. It is the largest city in the Kurzeme Region of Latvia, the third largest city in Latvia after Riga and Daugavpils and an important ice-free port...
. Almost all the players had left DAG, the club had no financial support the first half of the season, and the only money came in from the transfer of Dzintars Sproģis to Spartak Moscow
FC Spartak Moscow
FC Spartak Moscow is a Russian football club from Moscow. Having won 12 Soviet championships and 9 of 19 Russian championships they are one of the country's most successful clubs. They have also won the Soviet Cup 10 times and the Russian Cup 3 times...
. The season was disappointing (especially the first half), however the club again reached the cup final. That season, DAG had young players like Viktors Dobrecovs
Viktors Dobrecovs
Viktors Dobrecovs is a football striker from Latvia. His current club is FK Liepājas Metalurgs. He is also the coach of Liepājas Metalurgs-2 - the reserve team of Liepājas Metalurgs.-References:**...
and veterans such as Jānis Intenbergs
Janis Intenbergs
Jānis Intenbergs is a Latvian football manager and a former football forward who played for the top Latvian clubs in 1980s.-Playing career:Intenbergs is considered one the all time greatest footballers from Liepāja...
and Ainārs Linards. After the season Ņesterenko was asked to leave Liepāja
Liepaja
Liepāja ; ), is a republican city in western Latvia, located on the Baltic Sea directly at 21°E. It is the largest city in the Kurzeme Region of Latvia, the third largest city in Latvia after Riga and Daugavpils and an important ice-free port...
.
In 1996 Ņesterenko returned to RAF which had relocated from Jelgava
Jelgava
-Sports:The city's main football team, FK Jelgava, plays in the Latvian Higher League and won the 2009/2010 Latvian Football Cup.- Notable people :*August Johann Gottfried Bielenstein - linguist, folklorist, ethnographer...
to Riga. The season in Virslīga
Virsliga
-Past Virslīga winners:-Top scorers:-Riga football league winners:* 1910 Union Riga* 1911 British FC Riga* 1912 Union Riga* 1913 British FC Riga* 1914 British FC Riga* 1915 British FC Riga-Champions of Latvia before Virslīga:* 1922 Ķeizarmežs...
wasn't especially successful, but Ņesterenko and his club earned his first trophy in independent Latvia - RAF won the Latvian Cup by beating Skonto FC
Skonto FC
Skonto FC is a Latvian football club, founded in 1991. The club plays at the Skonto Stadium in Riga. Skonto won the Virsliga in the first 14 seasons of the league's existence , and often provides the core of the Latvia national football team...
in overtime in a thrilling match. For the 1997 season, the club was renamed to Universitāte Rīga, but the change did not help - it finished sixth in the Latvian league, and after the season the club dissolved leaving Ņesterenko without a club again. In 1997 Ņesterenko was a candidate for head coach position with the newly-founded FK Ventspils
FK Ventspils
FK Ventspils is a Latvian football club, based at Ventspils Olimpiskais Stadions in Ventspils city and is one of the most popular football clubs in the country. FK Ventspils plays in the Latvian Virsliga. They are the current champions of the tournament....
but Sergei Borovski from Belarus
Belarus
Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
was chosen instead.
After a brief stint of consulting work with Ranto/Miks, Ņesterenko signed for the 1998 season with Dinaburg FC
Dinaburg FC
Dinaburg FC was a Latvian football club, playing in the city of Daugavpils. In 2009 it merged with FK Daugava. The club plays at the Daugava Stadium . In October 2009 the club was eliminated from Virsliga and also from The Baltic League, because of suspicion about totalizator playing at the club...
, the bronze medalists and cup finalists of 1997. His first season Ņesterenko was less successful - fourth place in the league and a cup exit in the quarter-finals. Ņesterenko left Dinaburg in the middle of the season and was replaced by Roman Grigorshuk whom Ņesterenko had coached as a player in Ivano-Frankivsk
Ivano-Frankivsk
Ivano-Frankivsk is a historic city located in the western Ukraine. It is the administrative centre of the Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast , and is designated as its own separate raion within the oblast, municipality....
.
The next stage in Ņesterenko's career was FK Rīga
FK Riga
FK Rīga was a Latvian football club based in Riga. They played in the Virslīga, the top division in Latvian football. They played their home games at Latvijas Universitates Stadions. In 1999, its first year of existence, the club won the Latvian Cup, beating Skonto at the final. The club also...
for which he was an assistant coach under Jānis Gilis
Janis Gilis
Jānis Gilis , was the first general manager of Latvia national football team after Latvia regained independence.-Playing career:...
and later under Georgijs Gusarenko
Georgijs Gusarenko
Georgijs Gusarenko is a Latvian football inspector and manager and former footballer.Gusarenko made his first steps in football in the sports school Daugava in Riga. In 1959 he played in the reserves squad of FC Dynamo Moscow. From 1960 to 1962 he played with Daugava Rīga in the Soviet Top League...
. In 2001, Ņesterenko was appointed head coach. His work with Rīga didn't bring great results - the club was stuck in mid table and lacked direction, and Ņesterenko had to leave the club after the 2003 season.
In 2004 he took up work with Dynamo Brest in Belarus
Belarus
Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
but as the team failed to impress he was fired rather speedily.
His last club to date was FK Venta Ventspils
FK Venta Ventspils
FK Venta was a Latvian football club based in Ventspils. They were established in 1964 and were named after the Venta River, in 1967, they won the Latvian cup. In 1969 they won the Latvian championship. In 2004 after earning promotion to Virslīga the club moved to Kuldīga...
, which went bankrupt in 2005. Ņesterenko started as a scouting coach, but when the club finances worsened took up the position of head coach.
In his work as club manager Ņesterenko has worked with Aleksandrs Dorofejevs in many clubs.