AUGUST 7
***Shevchenko scored two goals in Milan's game with Bayern Leverkusen en route to Milan's
3-2 victory.

***Suker signed with Arsenal and will play alongside Oleg Luzhniy who also joined the English
club recently.

AUGUST 6
***For 6 months the Shevchenko intrigue was on the minds of soccer fans in the former
USSR.  Grigory Surkis stirred the water, as usual; Valeriy Lobonovskiy was quiet; the
journalists were going through the motions of being confused.  But in December of
last year Europe found out that the decision about the sale of Shevchenko was already
made, and the transfer sum - $25 million - already determined.  It was said that Milan,
one of the many conteders for Shevchenko, won the heart of the Ukrainian with a $60,000
weekly salary.  Had Dynamo not made it out of the group stage of the Champions' League,
Shevchenko would have been in Milan at the end of January.
   But Lobonovskiy went another way.  Kiev reached the semifinal, and the sale of the
forward was announced only in the beginning of July.  Just a month later Andrey walked on
to the Paris field to play his former club's nemesis - Bayern Munich.  He came out to prove
the evident - there would be no miracle.  The language spoken (in the tactical sense) by
Alberto Dzakkeroni, like Italian, cannot be learned in a year.  "He was burning with desire to
score, and that is why he was constantly making mistakes in his solo raids.  Everything is
just starting; he just needs to calm down" - that is how the Italian Gazetta dello Sport characterized Shevchenko's play.
   "The Ukrainian did not read any of the attacking schemes, so that explains his attempts to
realize individual moves," - say the witnesses of the debut.  These moves are familiar to us
from Valeriy Lobanovskiy's team.  Being in an envious athletic shape, the Kiev Ronaldo was
ready to make a run from the middle of the field, waiting for a moment to get Rebrov's precise
pass and go one-on-one with the hapless goalie.  He usually scored, and then ran towards
the stands under the accompaniment of the public's ovation.
   There are many masters of the ''precise'' pass in Milan, as well.  It can be made by the Croatian playmaker Boban, one of the best defenders in the world - Maldini, the laureate
of the golden ball in the EURO 96 - Liberian Weah, the experienced Albertini, a left flank
player - the Argentinian Gulelminpietro, the right halfback from Denmark - Helveg - everyone
a player of his respective national team.  The problem is that in the Italian Serie A there is
neither Shakter nor Kryvbass whose feeble defenses Shevchenko easily passed.
   In the Paris game against Bayern we again saw Bierhoff heading the ball out of his penalty
area, Weah taking the ball away from a forward (Janker), the sprinty Ba, whose soul raced
forward, but whose mind commanded the feet to return, helping out the defenders - the thought it took Dzakkeroni a whole year to dril into him.  Only Andrey viewed the whole thing
from the central circle.
   One more principal of Dzakkeroni's trident is the immaculate communication and universality of the three forwards.  Bierhoff's golden head at center, Weah and Shevchenko on the flanks - this is what the coach has in mind for next season.  Milan's play in Paris proves that the harmony is still far ahead.  It is like Shevchenko doesn't see Weah or Bierhoff - and the couple of times he went one on one with the goalie, he tricked himself and was not able to score.
The fact that Shevchenko was allowed to kick the penalty earned by Bierhoff after Andrey's
move should be seen as a friendly sign in the locker room, not as a mirror of his achievements.
   "Andrey is a real champion.  His purchase is a great achievement of the club - Vieri cost Inter
twice as much.  Shevchenko is  forward with speed, having perfect control of tackle and passing technique.  And, most importantly, he has fathomless ability to get better," - says
Dzakkeroni in an interview.  But he warns immediately: ''In order to see him in better shape,
we will have to wait.  Six months - and he'll take off."                        RUSSIAN IZVESTIA

***Shevchenko scored his first goal for Milan as the Italians beat Bayern Munich, 2-0, in a tour-
nament in Europe.

JULY 30, 1999
***Milan lost a friendly, 0-1, to a team from the Italian third league.  According to Milan's coach, Andrey Shevchenko plays well in the open field and when an opening is created.  In this game, however, his partners didn't supply him the ball where he wanted it, so Andrey wasn't able to create any dangerous moments.

***There were reports a few days ago that the Croatian forward Davor Suker, having broken all ties with Real Madrid and becoming a free agent, expressed his desire to try it out at Dynamo
Kiev and called Valeriy Lobanovsky.  Yesterday, however, the daily AS (Spain) reported the 
opposite.  In fact, Suker wants to stay in Madrid because of his girlfriend, Anna Obregon, who
works at a local television station.  That is why he decided to transfer to "Rayo Valyekano" which won a place in the premier division.  According to reports, the club has made Suker an offer of 600,000 dollars.   The Croatian spurned the invitations from other clubs, such as Convetry, West Ham, and Olympiakos, on the very grounds of not wanting to leave Spain.  Suker was the best goalscorer in the World Cup last summer.  Dynamo, according to rumors, are willing to pay him $30 mil.
***KIEV, July 28  - Croatian international striker Davor Suker wants to join Dynamo Kiev, the club said on Wednesday.  "We're in a process of negotiation," Dynamo president Hrigory Surkis said, adding that it was Suker who intiated the talks with the Ukrainian champions.  "...Suker called Dynamo coach Valery Lobanovsky and offered his services," said Surkis.  "However, the fact that we have talks (with Suker) doesn't necessarily mean that he will play for us. In any case, our coach will have the final say."  Suker, who won the Golden Boot award at the 1998 World Cup finals with six goals, was released by Real Madrid in May after falling out with coach John Toshack.  He had been suspended by the club without pay two weeks earlier following his criticism of Toshack.  Ukrainian media said they expected Suker to travel to Kiev next week.  Dynamo, European Cup semifinalists last season, were beginning this season's
European campaign on Wednesday with a home game against Lithuania's Zalgiris Vilnius in the second qualifying round of the Champions League. 

***Davor Suker, a Croatian free agent released last season by Real Madrid, is allegedly interested in playing for Dynamo Kiev.  He will come for an audition some time in August.

***Lately, there had been rumors about the Locomotive Moscow haflback Aleksey Smertin transferring to Kiev for a price of 4-5 mln.  Today, however, Locomotive coach vehemently denied the rumors, stating that they arose due to "a lack of news during the summer."  Dynamo Kiev, with the injuries to Belkevich and Hatskevich, which will take at least three months to heal, need to fortify this  position, but the Locomotive officials say that it would be stupid to sell Smertin with one and a half years left on his contract and his price going up as he assumes leadership in the Russian National Team.

***The great Dynamo forward Oleg Blohin left the head choaching position of AEK Athens even  though his team finished in second place last year and got an opportunity to start the Eurocups
from the 3rd qualifying round of the Champions' League.

***In an exhibition match between Milan A and Milan B, Andrey Shevchenko didn't play even  though his name was annonced as a member of the B squad.  Rumors are that he sustained
a microinjury and will be back soon.

***Dynamo Kiev bought a Baltica Kaliningrad talent Maxim Shatskih who promises to be a star in the future.

***It has been rumored that Dynamo Kiev striker Serhiy Rebrov received a $17 mln offer from the Greek Panathinaiakos.  This would explain why Dynamo is actively looking for a forward.  European teams must turn in their lineups for European Cups by July 23.

***Facts about Andriy Shevchenko:
   1976:  Born, Kiev, September 29
   1984:  Joined Dynamo Kiev youth summer school
   1993:  Signed as professional by Dynamo Kiev
   1994:  November 8, scored a goal in his professional debut in the Ukrainian premier division
             against Shakhtar Donetsk (Dynamo won 3-1)
   1995:  March 25, made his professional debut for Ukraine against Croatia in a European 
             championship qualifier (0-4 loss)
   1999:  July 1, transfered to AC Milan for $25 mil, 5-year contract
***Dynamo has lost one of its best players of all time, Andrey Shevchenko, to Milan (Italy).  He has signed a contract good for 5 years and worth $25 million.  Congratulations to Andrey.  DK have also lost Oleg Luzhniy to Newcastle United.  Among the promising newcomers are Serebrenikov and Kormiltzev.