Dynamo head coach Mircea Lucescu gave an interview for the official UEFA Champions League magazine Champions Journal, in which he spoke about the special situation that arose after the start of the war in Ukraine.
“If I were 30 or 40 years old, I would say that this is a challenge. But now I'm 77! I am where I am needed. I want to help others and do my best to support them. I cannot believe such disasters happen. I don't understand why this is happening.
Football was vital during the pandemic, it also helped people to live on. Now he can raise the morale of those who suffer greatly in Ukraine. Football means hope and we should use it to show that we care, to help, to make life more normal for those affected.
When I left Donetsk, I did not think that I would not return. I left so many memories there. I miss the evenings at the Donbass Arena, one of the most beautiful stadiums in Europe. Football helped the whole region, and Donetsk flourished.
People need their teams in their country. So I feel like life is somehow returning to normal. If they were not, it would complicate the lives of many. We want people to feel close to us. We identify with them and their suffering. And at the same time, we can bring a touch of normality into their lives.
Some must take the initiative and help others. I want to bring as much joy as possible with my team. I want to see the smiling Ukrainian people again, to hear the laughter of children. It would make my heart happy,” Lucescu is quoted by Fanatik.ro.