Oleg Blokhin is returning to Dynamo Kiev, the club at which he made a name for himself as a player in the 1970s and 1980s, as its new head coach. Dynamo became the first team in the Champions League group stage to replace its coach when it fired Yuri Semin on Monday.

The 59-year-old Blokhin, who coached co-host Ukraine at Euro 2012, will remain in charge of Ukraine for World Cup qualifiers against Moldova and Montenegro before concentrating on club duties. He has coached four clubs in Greece and one each in Russia and Ukraine, but this is the first time he has coached Dynamo, where he spent 20 years as a player (1969-88).

"Last night I had almost no sleep as [Dynamo president ] Igor [Surkis] called me very late and I had to think about everything," Blokhin told the team's website. "It's a major responsibility. You need to be here every day, and sometimes working around the clock, to restore Dynamo to their former glory."

Dynamo has suffered four losses in its last five matches in all competitions, including a 4-1 loss to Paris St. Germain in their Champions League opener.