Head coach of Dynamo Kyiv Mircea Lucescu answered journalists' questions before the match with Greek Aris in the 3rd qualifying round of the Conference League, which will take place tomorrow in Thessaloniki.
Mircea Lucescu- I am very familiar with Greek football. I have visited your country both as a player and as a coach. I understand that tomorrow there will be an incredible atmosphere, the fans will passionately support their players, as they are well able to do, but everything will be decided on the pitch.
Aris has a good team, with experienced players whose average age is 28-29 years old. They have managed to create a strong competitive team. Our foreign players have left because of the war, and we cannot invite players from the Ukrainian championship, so we rely on the pupils of our own Academy. In terms of the number of such pupils, we are among the best clubs in Europe. This is good, but, on the other hand, our players do not have enough experience of playing at a high level.
- In the last two matches, you were unhappy with the actions of the goalkeeper and defenders at your own goal. What are your expectations for tomorrow's game?
- I just want them not to make mistakes (smiles). But we have a completely different tournament ahead of us. For example, our defence played very well against Al Hilal, we won that match 1-0. I think if we draw 0-0 tomorrow, it will be a good result for us.
- The upcoming clash must be special for you, as your son Razvan has only recently been working in Greece. Have you been in touch with him?
- There was no need for that. I have enough experience not to ask him about such matters, and he is also an experienced coach, so we don't discuss such things. We are professional coaches, and what we see with our own eyes is enough for us.
- What can you say about Aris? What strong qualities do you see in your opponent?
- I will be able to answer this question tomorrow after the match.
- For which opponent - Dynamo or Aris - is it more important to reach the next round? We all understand that Dynamo is an experienced European Cup fighter, with many achievements in the international arena...
- This is not the same team as before. We are playing football in a time of war, and it is very different from what it was in peacetime. Serhiy Sydorchuk is sitting here, and he can confirm that we spent 13 hours on the train to Chernivtsi, 4 hours on the bus to Suceava, and then another 2.5 hours flying to Thessaloniki. What kind of condition do you think the players are in after such a long journey?
It was the same last season. We played in Krakow, returned to Ukraine for the domestic league matches, then went back to Krakow again, spending nine hours on the bus twice a week. Now we have decided to play in Bucharest because it is easier to get there, and in the league we will play our home games in Odesa.
So we can't compare previous years with the current time. But I hope that we will be able to put up a fight against our opponents and show a good performance in tomorrow's match.
- How will the hot weather affect your team?
- It will affect both teams and it will be difficult for everyone.
- Do you agree that Aris players will play more relaxed in tomorrow's match?
- Aris will be playing at home, they will be more confident in their abilities, and we have to build our game in such a way to try to win. This is a normal situation for our team, because Dynamo is a brand, and in every match we have to fight for the maximum result. At the same time, we understand that we will have to defend most of the time, so we need to make the most of the chances we have at the other team's goal. We won't have 20 of them, but we will make every effort to win tomorrow. Aris will also make every effort to win.
I am sure that a large number of Greek fans will come to Bucharest for the return leg, so we need the support of our fans - both Ukrainians and Romanians.
