Dynamo Kiev Death Match

After defeating German side Flakelf 5-1 in 1943, their 8th win against Nazi soldiers in a row, FC Start's players were sent to a labour camp for being part of the Soviet Secret Police NKVD. Five of the Ukrainians were later executed at the camp, with only a few survivors left to tell the story of what became known as 'The Death Match'.

Dynamo Kiev, in the late 1930's, were one of the superpowers of USSR football, and Ukraine's best team. However, during the 1941 Russian season, Nazi Germany invaded their Eastern neighbours, and took hold of the city of Kiev. Those that had stayed behind to fight, including some of those from Dynamo, were taken into concentration camps as POWs.

During the war, they returned to Kiev to find work in the occupied city. Dymano's former 'keeper Trusevich found himself employed at a bakery, run by sports enthusiast Kordik. Soon, the bakery manager had the idea of creating a new football team, and so he and Trusevich began searching Kiev for former Dynamo players.

Not before long they had rediscovered players such as winger Goncharenko, striker Kuzmenko and Sviridovsky, as well as 3 footballers from Lokomotiv Kiev. In the summer of 1942, FC Start was born.

Their 1st game was a 7-2 rout, before they began to play teams consisting of Nazi soldiers. The Hungarian Garrison were defeated 6-2, then the Romanian Garrison 11-0, and then the Military Railroad Workers by 9 goals to 1.

After defeating MSG Wal. of Hungary twice in a row, their strongest Axis opposition to date, the Nazis became increasingly worried that FC Start's success would be demoralising the troops, and uplifting Ukrainian spirits. They decided to send their strongest team yet to attempt victory over Start, the undefeated Flakelf of the German Luftwaffe.

FC Start destroyed their opponents 5-1 in the first game, so the Nazis ordered a rematch that would turn out to be their final humiliation of German football.

An SS Officer was assigned as referee, who let flying lunges, high tackles, and scything chops from behind go, anything to ensure German victory. Flakelft did take the lead, however, FC Start were not about to give up and an inspiring comeback gave them a 5-3 victory. Little did they know of the consequences they were soon to face.

Shortly after another league match which Start won 8-0, Gestapo officers arrested the entire team on suspicion of working for the NKVD. Player Korotkykh was killed during torture, while the others were sent to the Siretz labour camp.

There are varying accounts of the tale from here on. Some say that 5 members of the squad were executed, others claim that a conflict within the camp led to the deaths of Kuzmenko, Klymenko and Trusevich. The fact remains that Ukrainian footballers were killed for their crime of defeating Nazi Germany's best football team.

The story was popularised by surviving winger Goncharenko, and inspired the film 1981 'Escape to Victory', starring Pele, Sly Stallone and Michael Caine.

So when Manchester United entertain this Eastern European club tonight in the Champions League tonight, it would be worthy for fans, coaches, players and pundits to remember that while Soviet and Allied soldiers shed their blood on the battlefield, Dynamo Kiev's predecessors gave their life for the beautiful game.

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