Ali NAJAFKHANLI:
legendary football player of Azerbaijan
Anatoli Banishevsky - 80

Azerbaijan's legendary football player
The name of Anatoly Banishevsky, who was the captain of the "Neftchi" football team, never left our tongues when we were children. We all considered him an idol. In 1966, he won 2 "bronze" medals for his "strikes" on the green fields. One was in the USSR championship as part of "Neftchi", and the other was in the World Cup competitions with the national team.
Although 60 years have passed, we still talk about Banishevsky's achievements with the same admiration. Although our representative was recently recruited to the national team, he soon shone and even scored a hat-trick in one game. In 1972, he was among those who received the silver medals of the European Championship. In general, in 50 matches played by the USSR national team, our striker forced the opponents to start the game from the center 19 times. He went down in history as the first Soviet football player to score against the Brazilian national team, where Pele also played in the famous "Maracana" stadium.
... In our neighborhood team, each of us imitated a player from "Neftchi". I wore Tuayev's "7", Farhad Markarov's "10", and Firuz wore Banishevsky's "9". At that time, we also looked at the "Volga" car of the manager of the "Goyarchin" grocery store in our neighborhood as a miracle. Because, according to what is said, that car was Banishevsky's when it was new. It was a great joy for us to touch the car he was driving.
Anatoly Banishevsky was born on February 23, 1946 in Baku, in a Ukrainian family of Polish origin. He started playing football in the "Lokomotiv" club of Baku. Once there was a match between "Lokomotiv" and "Spartak" juniors at the stadium in Razin. The head coach of "Neftchi" Boris Arkadyev and Alakbar Mammadov also watched the game and detained promising players. Although "Lokomotiv" won with the score of 4:3, Banishevsky scored all the goals in the opponent's goal. It was after that game that the young talent made the jump to big football. His debut in the "black and white" was at the age of 16 and he played only in this team for 15 years.
Banishevski, called Tolik-Rijyy-Banish for short, was chosen as the best football player of 50 years in Azerbaijan according to UEFA's version. When he got a little older, he coached the youth team of Burkina Faso (1987-1988). He was also the playing coach of "Neftchi", "Avtomobilchi", "Kepaz" and "Polad". In order to be selected as a member of the famous "Fedotov club" as the first Azerbaijani football player, he played 1 part and tried to increase the number of goals to 100. By the way, I remembered that Banishevsky scored a total of 136 goals, including 81 goals in the USSR championship team, 40 in the first league, and 15 in national cups. It's a great result! His headers from the "2nd floor" were especially irresistible.
The famous football player married a woman named Irina when he was 20 years old. They have daughters Milena and Marina. After his 30-year-old family broke up due to alcohol addiction, Banishevskichat, who was also a diabetic, was saved from the situation by his old acquaintance and admirer, Saida Khanum. The couple got married. Ali Babayev, the grandson of the legendary football player, also gave his heart to this popular sport and for some time played in the "Neftchi U-16" team in the number "9" uniform like his grandfather.
...On a summer day in 1995, Banishevsky went to Astaraya as part of the veteran team of "Neftchi" for a friendly match with "Dinamo" competing in the 2nd league, which was created due to the initiative and efforts of the then police chief Alovsat Aliyev. I was also among those who watched the game as a regional correspondent of AzTV. One of the guests at the evening party - the world-famous football player, Honored sports master Alakbar Mammadov, who has just received the Order of Glory, boasted:
- I was the USSR champion 4 times. I set a record by scoring 4 goals in one game against the Italian team "Milan" at the "San Siro" stadium.

Banishevski answered his colleague 16 years older in an ethical and soft way:
- You did this while playing in Moscow "Dynamo". But whatever I did, I did in "Neftchi" team. Although many offers came, I never left Azerbaijan and I am proud of it.
Indeed, clubs from Russia, Ukraine, and even England wanted to see the talented football star in their teams, but he did not leave, rejecting "fat promises". Here he received the honorary titles of International Class and Honored Master of Sports.

In the documentary film "Player No. 9" produced by the director Elnur Janiyev, based on the script of the well-known sports commentator, Honored journalist Fikret Adigozelli, Banishevsky is spoken about with love and the memories of his friends are mentioned. Spectators once again witness the most beautiful praises being said about him. Football writer Rasim Movsumzade's research book "History of a Goal" talks about the goal scored by the pride of our football in the 1966 World Cup against Portugal in the 3rd place match against Portugal, but written in someone else's name. Perhaps, there is no football star in the world who would have a separate book published about a goal he scored, but which was not written in his name. It's only Banishevsky.
Anatoly Banishevski, the son of the patriot of Azerbaijan, about whom legends circulate, was awarded the Order of "Glory" at the age of 50. In the congratulatory letter addressed to him by the great leader Heydar Aliyev, it was written: "The high professionalism and great skill you have demonstrated in the world and European championships has elevated the sports honor of Azerbaijan. Hundreds of thousands of fans cheered you on the fields of England, Brazil, Germany and other countries and admired your incomparable mastery. You have become a true sacrificer of Azerbaijani football, and your help and skill in the most difficult moments of our team. You have spared no effort. Your activity in the development of Azerbaijani sports and in the field of training and education of young people deserves high praise".
Anatoly Banishevsky died in Baku on December 10, 1997, 1 year after that award, and was buried in the II Honorary Hall.
Ali NAJAFKHANLI
XQ