The former head coach of “Dynamo” Mircea Lucescu, who currently leads the Romanian national team, shared his work principles in an interview with GSP.RO, recalling his coaching period in Ukraine.
Mircea Lucescu— Were you in Ukraine during the war, with the country being bombed? Were you scared?
— I can’t say that I wasn’t afraid. I have no problems with planes, dentistry, surgeries, but in this situation, I tried to analyze, I tried to think about the consequences. Of course, it was not easy, especially for the young. We experienced many difficult situations.
— Have you ever felt lonely even in moments of glory?
— Yes! You are constantly lonely. After a match, a coach has very little time to think about the game, to enjoy the result. Then there’s worry about the next match. Players, perhaps a day or two before the start of the game, begin to focus on preparation. So, you are alone. When you start analyzing, seeing, and preparing what you will do next, you are by yourself. But the worst part is that the price of success is envy, and the price of failure is loneliness! When you lose, you are alone.
Football is the work of one person. There are many advisors, assistants, you listen to everyone, but then when you have to make a decision — you have to make it alone. The decision is yours.
— Do you consider yourself a vulnerable person?
— No, I am not vulnerable. If I were vulnerable, I wouldn’t have had the career I have now. No match or person has influenced me. In whichever club I worked, I didn’t bring people with me, but worked with those who were there. I have never liked to kick people out; I have never done that. It was the same everywhere, including the national team or “Dynamo” and “Shakhtar”.
— Did club owners interfere in your affairs?
— Never! They were involved in transfers. Business people, people who can assess the value of a player. So there were no problems. We discussed many things, but we never argued. No one ever called me and told me what to do.
Translation and stylistic adaptation — Dynamo.kiev.ua, when using the material hyperlink is mandatory!
