Vasil Ringov Passed Away

Former renowned striker, one of the greatest Macedonian footballers of all time and a dear member of our blue family, Vasil Ringov, passed away at the age of 71.

He arrived at Dinamo in the summer of 1983 as the star signing of the transfer window, and although he didn't stay long at Maksimir, he left a strong impression on his teammates and fans.

– I was deeply saddened by this news, I remember Ringov as a brilliant player and person. He was modest, calm, reserved, discreet, and a top technician on the field – emphasized Dinamo's honorary president Velimir Zajec, who was the captain of the first team at the time.

- This news hit me hard, Ringov was brilliant, a favorite among all of us. We played together and he remained in very nice memory for all of us, both as a person and as a player. He didn't stay long in Dinamo, but he became very attached to the club and the city of Zagreb - said Marko Mlinarić, then Dinamo's "number ten".

Ringov was the first big player to move from Skopje's Vardar to Dinamo. At that time, in Maksimir, alongside Zajec and Mlinarić, there were also Zlatko Kranjčar, Stjepan Deverić, Srećko Bogdan, Milivoj Bračun, Boro and Zvjezdan Cvetković, Ismet Hadžić... However, he arrived during a period of coaching changes. Just before the start of the season, Dinamo's bench was left by Miroslav Ćiro Blažević, the team was led until mid-September by Rudolf Belin, who was then succeeded by Vlatko Marković. Ringov played refined football with great technique, while coach Marković still preferred physically stronger players.

He played only the autumn half-season in a blue jersey, during which he stood out, for example, in a match against Porto in Maksimir in the first leg of the 1st round of the Cup Winners' Cup. He entered at the start of the second half with the score 1:1, first hit the crossbar, and then assisted Kranjčar for the winning goal. Dinamo's team was taken over by coach Marković before the return leg, Ringov did not play, Porto scored in the final stages for 1:0, advanced thanks to an away goal and reached the final where they were defeated by Juventus.

Ringov spent most of his career at Vardar. He took his first football steps at Belasica in his hometown of Strumica, after which he briefly played at Partizan and Teteks, and towards the end of his career also at German Eintracht from Braunschweig. He was distinguished by his recognizable thick mustache, elegant movements, and the number 11 on his back.

On this occasion, GNK Dinamo expresses deep and sincere condolences to the family and friends of our Vasil Ringov.