Viktor Skrypnyk

Viktor Anatoliyovych Skrypnyk (Віктор Анатолійович Скрипник; born 19 November 1969) is a Ukrainian football manager and former player who manages Metalist 1925 Kharkiv. As a player, he played as a left-back and he helped Werder Bremen to the league and cup double in 2004.

Skrypnyk became the first Ukrainian head coach in Bundesliga.

Playing career
Before playing professionally, in 1987–88 Skrypnyk participated in the reserve competitions of the Soviet Top League for Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk playing some 46 games. In 1987 Skrypnyk also played one game for Dnipro in the Soviet Cup.

In 1989 Skrypnyk signed with the prime Zaporizhzhia club Metalurh that played at the Soviet First League (tier 2) and for which he started his professional career. His debut in the Soviet Top League (Vysshaya Liga), Skrypnyk made for FC Metalurh Zaporizhya (Metallurg) in 1991 along with the club's debut at the top level. He continued to play for the Zaporizhzhia team after dissolution of the Soviet Union when the Metalurh Zaporizhya was admitted to the Vyshcha Liha (Ukrainian Top League) in 1992–1994. In the mid 1990s Skrypnyk returned to his "home" club in Dnipro for couple of seasons. In 1995–1996 he played for FC Dnipro when it was coached by Bernd Stange who later recommended Skrypnyk to Werder that was coached by Hans-Jürgen Dörner. Around that time he was also called up to the Ukraine national football team for which Skrypnyk debuted in 1994. In 1996 he was sold for 1.5 million DM to the German side Werder Bremen with which he stayed for about 22 years (1996–2018). In 1999–2000 Skrypnyk was injured several times and even hospitalized, because of that he did not play neither for the club or the national team. At the end of 2002–03 season Skrypnyk again sustained a major injury and recovered only by the winter intermission of the 2003–04. After the 2003–04 season aged at 34, he decided to retire.

Coaching career
After retiring from playing career Skrypnyk stayed with Werder as a coach at the Werder's football academy. His coaching UEFA license "A" Skrypnyk received initially in Kyiv and supposedly it had to be good across whole Europe. But in Germany no one was acknowledging the license and he had to take the coaching courses again in Germany. At first it was the category "B" license which allowed Skrypnyk to train children. With time he received the top category license.

Skrypnyk became head coach of Werder Bremen II from 18 June 2013 until 25 October 2014 when he took over the first team of Werder Bremen. He finished with a record of 31 wins, seven draws, and nine losses for the reserve team. He made his debut against Chemnitzer FC in the DFB-Pokal on 28 October 2014. He was sacked on 18 September 2016 along with assistant coach Torsten Frings.

On 5 July 2018, he was appointed as the new manager of Latvian Higher League club Riga FC. On 5 February 2019 it was announced, that Skripnik had left the club.

On 10 June 2022 he was appointed as new manager of Vorskla Poltava.

Club
Note, according to the FIFA, Russia is the only successor of the Soviet Union (Ukraine or any other Union republics are not considered to any degree).

International goals

 * Scores and results list Ukraine's goal tally first.

As player
Werder Bremen
 * Bundesliga: 2003–04
 * DFB-Pokal: 1998–99, 2003–04

As manager
Riga FC
 * Latvian Higher League: 2018
 * Latvian Football Cup: 2018

Zorya Luhansk
 * Ukrainian Cup: Runner-Up 2020-21

Individual

 * Best Coach of Ukrainian Premier League: 2019–20


 * Ukrainian Premier League Manager of the Month: February 2021, September 2021, November 2021