"Dynamo" coach Mircea Lucescu told World Soccer in an interview why he did not want to leave the capital club at the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Mircea Lucescu. Photo: shakhtar.com“When I saw that everyone was leaving, I decided to stay. I couldn't leave the club like that. After the first bombings, I immediately tried to help. We organized bus transportation of players' families to Romania. We have made efforts to get the players out of the country so they can send a strong message of peace. I tried to convince the authorities, the UAF, to let football players play abroad, and to convey the message of unity, solidarity and peace.
Everyone was scared, no one knew what would happen next. I went to Romania a few days after the invasion, and thanks to some great people I was able to arrange this for the players' families. They went to Romania for a while, trained there, then we traveled around Europe. It was difficult to get consent for this tour, but in the end, everyone understood that it was a vital thing.
The national team of Ukraine needed to prepare for the matches against Scotland and Wales in the play-offs of the World Cup, and this had to be taken into account. We made a request, Shakhtar immediately agreed with us. The tour was big with lots of matches including against Borussia D, Everton and Lyon. It would have been easy to leave, but someone had to rally this team. I could not leave, my heart was failing. I felt that I had to bring the boys together, and I decided to be that person. I wanted the players to be with someone they trusted. I sat and hoped that the war would stop. I couldn't imagine what times were waiting for our team.
The peace tour went well. The Champions League qualification was okay, we won against Fenerbahce and Sturm, but then Benfica beat us. Here I felt that we were weaker. I was constantly on a bus for seven to eight hours every day, then on a plane to Poland to play in the Europa League, then again on a bus to Ukraine. If you look at the goals conceded... we passed to the opponents and let them score. This only happens when your brain isn't thinking about the game. And who can blame the players? It was very difficult for them.
We started the championship very badly. I had a lot of problems with long bus rides. When we settled in Ukraine and the European Cup matches ended, we started to rise in the rating. It's hard for anyone to understand what this team has been through. And the players... I can't even imagine. They played well every game and deserve respect. But those moments that we experienced can spoil everything on the field. Then we returned to the training base in Kyiv and the results were better. Sometimes there were air alarms during the exercises. The players gathered in the bomb shelter and waited. I stopped a few workouts. It also happened during matches. We had to stop for an hour. Thanks to my guys for what they did last year. I think we are ready to recover and hope for the best.
I'm not scared when I hear the alarms. I've been through a lot in my life. In 2014, when the conflict in Donbas began, I was at Shakhtar. The team was in fantastic shape, the city was developing. We played in a new, five-star stadium. I lived in a plane, I was constantly on the road. Now we live in a bus. It would be easy for me to say "goodbye", but it's not my style to leave things unfinished.
We are trying to save football in Ukraine, because football means life. When they are with me, they try to concentrate. But after training, they immediately read about what is happening in the war. I understand them completely. The only chance not to fall into depression is to go forward, perform on the field as best as possible.
Any upset will drag them back. We try to keep them at a decent level. I'm trying to find out what's going on with each of them and their families. Some are going through hard times, others have pregnant wives. They are not together and it is not easy. Not all players were able to return their families to Ukraine. Even our captain Sydorchuk has a family in Warsaw, four children. The last of them was born in Bucharest last year. The only concern of the players is the protection of their families. The difference between their behavior before and after the start of the war is huge. Now they are focused on surviving, playing as well as possible.
I live at the team's training facility. I have been there since three years ago when I headed Dynamo Kyiv. I don't know when the war will end, it's something out of our control. We simply suffer the consequences of other people's decisions. During the peace tour, I tried to draw the world's attention to what is happening in Ukraine. But almost a year has passed, news about the war is no longer watched abroad, as it was a year ago. But the situation in Ukraine is unchanged, the psychological impact is increasing. My players are young. They have aspirations, goals. And it is slowly disappearing, now they have questions about survival.
The worst thing is to stop believing and lose hope. Maybe that's why I'm here: to show them that I have hope and believe in the future, despite my age. I decided to be next to them, to lead them, because I believe in them. I want to show them that life goes on. We wanted the matches of the charity tour to be held in large stadiums where refugees from Ukraine could participate. I didn't want them to feel abandoned, I wanted all Ukrainians in Europe to be together, to feel united and valuable.
Watching the news doesn't help me at all. Of course, I am informed about important things. The media shows how dirty, hateful and disgusting this war is. Images of atrocities committed at the front lead to depression. And this is what I want to avoid in my players: depression. In Ukraine, football means hope. There are many high-value players that Ukrainians look up to. Football is the way Ukraine is discovered by the world. Even now, players wear flags on their shoulders before matches. The atmosphere of unity is to their advantage. Even if the matches are played without fans in the stands, discussions about football still take place. There is a show, people are still interested in the results.
Love, excitement, hope, disappointment, hate... all that football offers is life. Part of normal. If football dies, it will be even harder for people. I want my team to fight for the title this season. If you don't want to rank high, why don't you stop playing? You can't talk about the result without considering the situation off the field. Conditions are not normal. Matches must be completed by sunset and may be interrupted by alarms. We're trying to keep football and the competition alive, we want people to be interested in football and feel connected to the teams and the players when it's over. I knew the rules before the start of the season, I knew what was going to happen," Lucescu said.
