Former goalkeeper and now famous Ukrainian coach Yuriy Virt, who recently took charge of Zvyagel, spoke about the strong qualities of the Ukrainian goalkeeper of Real Madrid Andriy Lunin, and also assessed his future prospects.
Yuri Wirth- I don't know Lunin personally, and in general, our paths crossed with him only once, when in 2018, the Veres team I managed met with Zorya, whose goal was defended by Andriy. The match ended in a 1-1 draw, but in one of the game episodes Lunin saved the Luhansk side from an imminent goal in a fantastic jump. At that time I thought: "This guy will go far".
- Recently Andriy has been in the limelight, but not so long ago his career in the national team of Ukraine and in Real Madrid, where he moved from Zorya, did not look promising.
- Indeed, Lunin was not the number one in both the main Ukrainian team and Real Madrid. But his promotion is evidence of an indestructible character, of confidence in his abilities. That is why he made his rivals step aside.
- And in terms of play, what do you like about Lunin?
- He plays well on the line, on "you" with the ball, which is very important when playing at the initial stage. You can feel that he studies his opponents, knows their strengths. This helps the Ukrainian to anticipate their moves.
- What else do you need to work on?
- It would be incorrect of me to point out any weaknesses in his preparation. Nevertheless, this is a goalkeeper of a very high level. I would only wish Andriy to be more confident on the exits.
- There are no specifics yet on the issue of Lunin's contract extension with Real Madrid. What would you advise him?
- I think that Andriy decided for himself a long time ago. He will stay at Real Madrid. Only great players defend the colours of this famous club. And Lunin is already one of them.
- Then lastly, how do you assess Lunin's future in the national team of Ukraine, which will play in the final part of the European Championship in Germany in summer?
- I think that Andriy will be one of the leaders of the Ukrainian national team, which can become one of the discoveries of the continental football forum.
Mykola Stepanyuk
