Mikhail Fomenko was on Wednesday preferred to former England coach Sven Goran Eriksson and charged with reviving Ukraine’s ailing 2014 World Cup finals qualifying campaign after a meeting of the national football federation FFU, Interfax news agency reported.
The FFU members unanimously voted for the 64-year-old, who has previously coached Ukrainian sides Dynamo Kiev, CSKA Kiev and Tavria Simferopol and also the Guinea national side.
The vastly-experienced Eriksson was the only other candidate for the post.
Fomenko, who enjoyed a successful playing career in which he won the 1975 European Cup Winners’ Cup and Super Cup with Dynamo Kiev, signed a one-year contract, which can be extended for another two years if Ukraine qualify for the 2014 World Cup finals.
Fomenko succeeds Ukrainian footballing icon Oleg Blokhin, who announced he was leaving the post to take over Dynamo Kiev in September.
Fomenko faces an almost impossible task to get Ukraine to Brazil in two years time.
Ukraine are presently fifth in their qualifying group with just two points from three matches, eight points behind the group leaders Montenegro, although the Ukrainians have a game in hand on them.
Fomenko preferred to Eriksson as Ukraine coach
