Former Ukraine youth national team striker Egor Lugachev, who now works as a hairdresser in Canada, recalled how Dynamo Kyiv and Spartak Moscow fought for him.
Egor Lugachev- You started your football career in your native Sumy.
- Yes, I did. It was the Children's and Youth Sports School No. 3. The stadium was called "KRZ". By the way, six guys from Sumy play with me in our amateur team in Vancouver. I started playing football with two of them when we were 6-7 years old. So I've known these people for 28 years.
- When you were 10, you came to Kyiv. How did it go?
- There was a New Year's mini-football tournament in Sumy, which was attended by Kyiv's CYSS No. 15. After the tournament, the coach offered to go to them. I said: "Come on, let's go". I had already finished the fifth grade in Kyiv.
- At the age of 16, you joined Spartak Moscow, although Dynamo Kyiv was also interested in you at the time. What was the story behind that?
- I'll start with the fact that when I was 12-13 years old, I was at a viewing at Dynamo's academy. At that time, it was like space for me. I had the impression that I was in Real Madrid. The coolest footballers from all over Ukraine were recruited there. However, I was personally told that I was not the kind of footballer to talk about at all. Like not the level of the academy, etc.
Then I showed myself well in the U-16 national team of Ukraine under the leadership of Igor Zhabchenko. He found an approach to me, believed in me and gave me a chance, which I took 100% advantage of. Several clubs were interested in me, among which Dynamo and Spartak were the closest.
- So what was in Spartak's favour?
- To be honest, I didn't decide anything at the time. I had a conversation with the director of the academy, Stanislav Oleksandrovych Kochubynskyi. He explained that my prospects in Kyiv were with Dynamo-3. And Spartak were ready to take me straight to the double, which was under the first team.
- Did Spartak offer you a bigger sum?
- Yes, they did. As far as I know, it was 50 thousand dollars.
- What was your salary at Spartak?
- I arrived on a salary of $500. There was also a situation where they couldn't register me for six months. Firstly, I was a legionnaire, and secondly, I was underage. They kept telling me: "Two weeks, and we'll get it done". And so it went on for six months, maybe more. I packed my things and said: "Fuck you". And they gave me a $1,000 salary to stay.
- One of the most resonant topics around your name during your time playing for Spartak was the story of your alleged acceptance of Russian citizenship. Did you take out a Russian passport then?
- Due to the lack of prospects, I wanted to leave Spartak and told the management about it. Then they offered me the option of taking a Russian passport so that I would not be considered a legionnaire and would have a better chance of playing in the team.
At first I agreed because I thought it would be like dual citizenship. However, when the process began, I was told that I had to write a letter of renunciation of my Ukrainian passport. I refused to do that. That was the end of it.
Dmytro Venkov
