Valentin Elinskas Soviet and Ukrainian football player, goalkeeper, and later coach. Date of Birth: 15.08.1958 Country: Ukraine

1. Early Life and Career
2. Military Service and Professional Debut
3. Offers from Ukrainian Clubs
4. Arrival at Chornomorets
5. Transfer to Shakhtar Donetsk
6. Success with Shakhtar
7. Later Career

Early Life and Career

Valentin Yelinskhas was born in 1959 in Makeyevka, Ukraine, where he first played for the local club "Zarevo." He then attended the Voroshilovgrad sports boarding school, where he received training from coaches V. Fesenko and V. Pershin. Despite his talent, Yelinskhas did not receive any significant offers and went to study at the Ternopil Financial and Economic Institute.

Military Service and Professional Debut

During his time in Terniupol, he played for the local team "Burevestnik" before being drafted into the army. After serving in the KGB communications regiment, Yelinskhas joined the Lviv SKA, where he spent a short time. Shortly before demobilization, he was transferred to "Podillia" in Khmelnitsky, where he played for around two seasons under coach Vladimir Onisko.

Offers from Ukrainian Clubs

Yelinskhas' impressive performances caught the attention of several top Ukrainian clubs, including Dynamo Kyiv, Metalist Kharkiv, and Chornomorets Odessa. However, he only accepted the offer from Chornomorets in 1980 due to his belief that he would not be able to break into the starting lineup at Dynamo Kyiv.

Arrival at Chornomorets

At Chornomorets, Yelinskhas had to initially contend with Ivan Zekyuk for a starting spot. However, he eventually became the team's number one goalkeeper and was nominated as Chornomorets' Player of the Year in 1982.

Transfer to Shakhtar Donetsk

In 1983, Yelinskhas moved to Shakhtar Donetsk. His acquisition was facilitated by the team's coach, Viktor Nosov, who promised him a four-room apartment in an elite building. Yelinskhas made his Shakhtar debut in the Soviet Cup against Zalgiris Vilnius and quickly established himself as a key player.

Success with Shakhtar

During his time with Shakhtar, Yelinskhas won the Soviet Cup in 1983 and the Cup of the Soviet Season in the same year. He was also instrumental in the team's run to the quarter-finals of the 1983-84 European Cup Winners' Cup. In 1984-85, Shakhtar reached the final of the Soviet Cup, losing to Dynamo Kyiv.

Later Career

Yelinskhas remained with Shakhtar until 1987, playing 121 matches for the club in the Soviet championship. After retiring from playing, he worked as a coach for Shakhtar's youth academy. In 2010, Football.ua ranked Yelinskhas 38th in their list of Shakhtar's 50 greatest players.