Valentin Hodykin Inter head coach Country: Ukraine

Biography of Valentin Khodukin

Valentin Khodukin is a former Soviet football player and Ukrainian football coach, best known for his work with Lviv's "Karpaty", Krivoy Rog's "Krivbass", Baku's "Inter", and several other clubs. He obtained a candidate of pedagogical sciences degree in 1989.

Early Life and Career
Khodukin was born in Kharkiv into a family of football player Mikhail Khodukin, who moved to Lviv in the late 1940s. Khodukin's entire playing career was associated with western Ukraine. In 1961, he played for the Drohobych-based "Nefteyik", and in 1962, he joined Lviv's "Selmash", led by Vasily Solomonko. That year, Lviv's team won the regional championship, and from the following season, "Sil'mash" transformed into Lviv's "Karpaty", effectively making Valentin Khodukin one of the founding members of the legendary club. However, he never had the opportunity to play for "Karpaty" as he joined Ternopil's "Avangard" in 1963, which was then competing in the second league of the USSR championship. After two years in Ternopil, Khodukin returned to Lviv and played for the amateur club "Sokol". During his time with this club, he suffered a severe injury that continued to bother him even in his old age. Realizing that he would not become a high-level player, Valentin Mikhailovich enrolled in Lviv Institute of Physical Education, specializing in football. He later worked for many years in Vasily Solomonko's comprehensive scientific group operating at "Karpaty" and taught at the football department of Lviv Institute of Physical Education. In 1989, he defended his dissertation and obtained the title of candidate of pedagogical sciences. Overall, he worked at the institute until 1996, rising from a regular teacher to the head of the football department.

Coaching Career
However, Valentin Mikhailovich's thirst for practical work persisted. In 1991, he became the head coach of Stryi's "Skala", where future famous football players such as Bohdan Strontsitsky, Yuriy Virt, Vasyl Kardash, Andriy Pokladok, and others played. The following year, Khodukin joined Miron Markevych's coaching staff at "Karpaty", where he worked until 1996. Through a transit via Mykolaiv's "Tsementnyk-Khorda", Valentin Mikhailovich found himself at Uzhhorod's "Verkhovyna", which, unfortunately, he could not save from relegation to the second league. From 1999 to 2002, he led Lviv's "Dynamo". In 2002, Khodukin returned to "Karpaty", initially heading the comprehensive scientific and methodological group and then serving as the interim head coach for three months. In December 2003, Valentin Mikhailovich took charge of Krivoy Rog's "Krivbass", but left the club after six months. His next challenge was to bring "Karpaty" back to the top league, but the start of the championship proved to be too unsuccessful, and in September, Valentin Mikhailovich was replaced by Yuri Dyachuk-Stavitsky as the head coach.

Later Career
After his unsuccessful tenure at "Karpaty", Khodukin went to Azerbaijan, where he started working in the scientific and methodological group of Baku's "Inter", which was then led by Anatoly Konkov. In 2006, after Konkov's resignation, Valentin Mikhailovich took over the team, which became the country's champion and finalist in the national cup the following season. The 2008/09 season was less successful - "Inter" narrowly missed victory in both major tournaments in Azerbaijan. At the end of the season, Khodukin left the team's coaching staff and became the head of the youth academy of the Baku club.

Family
His father, Mikhail Fedorovich Khodukin, was a Soviet football player and coach, honored coach of the Ukrainian SSR. His brother, Viktor Mikhailovich Khodukin, is a former Soviet football player and Ukrainian football coach.