FC Dynamo Kyiv head coach Mircea Lucescu and defender Illia Zabarnyi answered media questions before the Champions League third qualifying round second leg against SK Sturm Graz.
- We hope we’ll win and go through to the next round, – said Illia.
After that journalists asked Mircea Lucescu questions.
- Game rhythm is a very important aspect your team is currently missing. How are you going to deal with this?
- It’s tough, but not only because we lack official games, but also because players are not with their families, who’re currently in Ukraine, Romania, Poland. They need to see their families, kids, spend time with them, but they can’t. That’s the hardest thing. Anyway, they must play as this is their job.
We don’t play at our home ground and lack support of Ukrainian fans. We practice at the same field as about 200 children. But we should smile as life goes on.
Besides, we practically can’t conduct transfers. Some players have left the team including Verbic, de Pena and Vitinho, so we count on Dynamo academy trainees. Our team consists of Ukrainians beside Tomasz Kedziora, whose wife is Ukrainian and decided to stay there which is good for us (smiling).
- The score is 1:0 after the first leg which means extra time is really possible in return match…
- I see the problem differently. We played the first leg against Fenerbahce at home ground (technically). The same happened as we faced Sturm and will happen if we oppose Benfica. That’s not fair. Our opponents can play for 120 minutes at home while we can’t. That’s another difficulty. Of course 1:0 is not a lot and Sturm can equalize, but I hope that won’t happen.
It’s not easy to play extra time away. For example, Fenerbahce fans were incredible and created astonishing atmosphere. Meanwhile we’re mostly supported by women and children, who moved to Poland, as we play our home games.
It’s important for players to feel fans supporting them. That’s another issue. Anyway, if we succeed the victory will be even more special.
* Photo – GEPA Pictures
