On Thursday, 31 August, Dynamo Kyiv will play the return leg of the Conference League qualifying play-offs against local side Besiktas in Istanbul (the first meeting between the rivals ended in a 3-2 victory for the Turkish team). A day earlier, Kyiv head coach Mircea Lucescu held a pre-match press conference.
Mircea Lucescu- Mister, we are glad to see you here in Istanbul again. You know very well what kind of atmosphere always prevails in the stands of this stadium. How will you prepare the players for the game in such an atmosphere?
- The fans of Besiktas are wonderful, incredible. The atmosphere here is always fantastic. They not only push their team forward, but also put pressure on the opponents. They contribute to the team's success.
Perhaps we need to show our players what happened during Besiktas' match against Leipzig, when one player left the field because he could not continue playing with such a noise in the stands. We have a lot of young players who have not played at this level in such conditions. For the last two years, we have played in front of empty stands, so I would not want this atmosphere to be a surprise for them and affect their actions in tomorrow's game.
- Let me welcome you to Turkey! After the first match, you mentioned that your team consists mainly of academy players. Is this an advantage for your opponents? How is your team prepared for the return leg?
- We are well prepared for tomorrow's match. We showed a good performance in the first leg, despite the fact that Besiktas is a strong, good club. They have made quality transfers, created a strong European team, which consists not only of Turkish players. I repeat, we looked good in the first leg and lost only because of a few individual episodes, conceding after a penalty, a corner and a counterattack. At the same time, we created good chances to score more, so the result could have been different. I am confident that my team is well prepared for tomorrow's game.
Of course, I understand that the atmosphere, the pressure of the stands can greatly affect the performance of our players. The first 15 minutes will be the most difficult for us. But I believe that my players will play a good match tomorrow against a strong opponent.
- You know Turkish football very well. Who are your favourites in the Turkish Super League?
- The Turkish league has now become one of the most important, strongest European championships. Back when I worked here, the Turkish league was among the top six in Europe. Now experienced, strong players from the top championships are invited here. And this increases the importance of the championship, its quality, attracts a large number of fans to the stands and television.
But I also believe that Turkey should do more for the national team, because the top four clubs have a very small number of Turkish players. The Turkish national team should always be represented in the finals of major tournaments. But it is difficult to create a strong national team in such circumstances. I have the right to say that because I have been working here for six years.
