Former Dynamo head coach Mircea Lucescu has explained his recent comments that he might continue his coaching career in Russia after leaving the Kyiv club. The expert tried to explain his words.
Mircea Lucescu. Photo: Gettyimages- Mr Lucescu, we would like to ask you a few questions about your recent interview...
- I already gave an explanation, I only said that footballers can help achieve peace, that's all.
- How can they help?
- People can do a lot.
- But Russian footballers don't say anything about the war at all. They only support it, like Dzyuba. For two years they have done nothing, and you say you respect Russia. How can you respect Russia when it is killing Ukrainians?
- Please, let's not do this. Football is a different side, it's not about war. It is very difficult to continue playing football when the bombing continues, when missiles fall, when matches are cancelled. It is impossible to continue like that. It is very important to achieve peace and return to normal life. I continued to live in Ukraine for all these two years in this situation, and I never said I would return to the aggressor country. Never.
I remember the period when Russian and Ukrainian teams played friendly tournaments, it was a great time and we have to return to it. We have to do something to bring it back. And only by working together can we achieve this. I love Ukraine and the period I worked in this country, but I also worked in Russia, and I had normal relations there. But it's just not possible to go on like this.
- But the publication you were interviewed by did not write or say anything about the war.
- I read the article. Yes, it says nothing about what is happening. For them it is normal, for us it is not. I worked there and I cannot be against them just because they are supposedly stupid people who think about war and destruction. We need to communicate and do something to stop this. We are losing a lot.
It is very difficult to play without fans, because they create the atmosphere and give emotions. Football is the other side, it's not about war. Footballers create positive emotions. Ukrainian football cannot continue like this.
- What do you think about the disqualification of Russian teams from European tournaments and their possible return?
- Russian teams can return to European tournaments, but everything has to be right. It's going to happen eventually anyway. Of course, they will be under a lot of pressure and will be able to return only after peace is achieved in Ukraine. Of course, on Ukraine's terms.
- But why have they been doing nothing for two years?
- You know very well why. Because they cannot. Not because they don't want to, but because they can't.
Yevhen Muzika
