Mircea Lucescu: “I couldn't retire. It would make me an idiot"

Dynamo head coach Mircea Lucescu commented on the Mailplus.co.uk portal and spoke about the preparation of the team for the new season.

“How could I resign in such a situation? So it was when I was at Shakhtar, and in the last decade there was a conflict in Donbass. Maybe you have the opportunity to leave immediately, but you stay because at times like this you have to give everything you have. I couldn't retire. It would make me an idiot.

My experience of football and life can help these young people a lot. I can use what I've learned to help people who are scared and haven't faced similar situations before. I have to stand on my own two feet, set an example, not give up. I take on this responsibility. This is the biggest experience in my career. I cannot imagine that in the future I will have to go through something like this again.

We wanted to give people hope, to show them that life can go on. Under such conditions, it was not easy to prepare for the competition.

Look at the Fenerbahce roster with players who played in England, France, Germany and Italy. But my football players feel responsible for those who are still in Ukraine, for their family members and those who participate in the war. They have great enthusiasm for these games, but also great motivation. They are preparing for these games away from their families, and it is difficult, but still we have hope. It is difficult, but it will help the players a lot in their life experience.

We play our European matches in Łódź in Poland, and then on August 23, the domestic season starts in Ukraine. It is important to life that we continue. Ukraine is the country of these players. Even if they are a little scared, the players must understand that they are an example for the entire population. During the pandemic, cinemas closed, theaters closed, but after a certain period, football resumed, and people could watch it on TV. It's the same in Ukraine - people love football, and at some point it should resume," Lucescu said.