Now former Dynamo Kyiv head coach Mircea Lucescu has commented on his decision to leave the Ukrainian club.
Mircea Lucescu. Photo - Y.Yuriev"I am not sure that this is the end of my coaching career. It was just the moment when I had to make a decision regarding my future exactly at Dynamo. I worked at this club for three years, but first there was a period of pandemic, and then the war started in general. Nevertheless, I stayed here, tried to build a new team - I had to do just that, because with the beginning of the full-scale invasion all our legionnaires left the team. We were not able to compensate for these losses, because the foreign players, who were in demand, did not want to go to the country where there is a war.
I have done a lot for Ukrainian football. It's time to give way to younger specialists - they are closer in age to the guys Dynamo is represented by now.
I made the decision to leave earlier. I admitted to myself that it was too hard for me from the sentimental point of view - I had no strength left to go through the minutes of silence in memory of those who died in the war before every match. It was very difficult to cope with that. But, of course, the recent results also had an impact. A month ago, we were ahead of Shakhtar in terms of points lost. What happened then, I do not know. But there came a moment when I felt it was time to resign, thus taking full responsibility for the recent failures. For a coach, especially with my experience, it is important to realise when to leave. I could have made this step earlier, but I still wanted to play the match against Shakhtar, and we had an agreement with the club president.
Unfortunately, the financial possibilities of Dynamo now are not the same as, for example, those of Shakhtar. In fact, only the pupils of the club academy play. At the same time, there was a lack of competition. In such a situation, we need to change either the players or the coach.
As for my future, if my health allows, I will continue coaching. I don`t see life without football. Dynamo did not expect that I would resign myself and everyone regrets that I made such a decision. Now I will take a break, understand how I feel and decide what to do next, whether to return to football. It all depends on my health. I try to think that it's not the end - I don't feel like an old man. Don't bury me yet!", - Digi Sport Special quoted Lucescu as saying.
