Former head coach of Kyiv’s “Dynamo” Mircea Lucescu, who currently leads the Romanian national team, said in an interview with Golazo.ro that he refused to come to Russia.
Mircea Lucescu— What news do you have from friends who stayed in Ukraine?
— I constantly communicate with my friends in Ukraine. I still have very good relationships, especially with Kyiv’s “Dynamo.” These are the team and players that I developed. It is normal to stay in touch with them.
— What do they tell you about the situation in the country?
— I remember that one of the reasons for my departure was that I could no longer endure that moment of silence before the matches in memory of the fallen. All the horrors of war and all the accumulated pain flashed before my eyes.
I saw destroyed buildings and asked myself: what is all this for? For what? They, of course, suffer, but they have dignity and they have decided to fight to the end.
— Is it true that you recently received an invitation to go to Russia for an event at “Zenit”?
— I don’t want to get involved in this. I told them I would come when peace is established. If there is no peace, I will not come.
— This was also a kind of sign of respect for Ukraine.
— Yes, of course. I understood that this would cause a great resonance.
