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.
— 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.