FC Dynamo Kyiv head coach Mircea Lucescu answered journalists’ questions before the UEFA Europa League 3rd qualifying round second leg against Aris Thessaloniki FC:
- How do you feel about playing at home, that the stadium that is almost native to you?
- Last year we played in Poland and had logistics issues. The trips were longer. This year we decided that it’s a bit closer to Chisinau from where we can travel to Bucharest.
As for the sentimental side of the question, of course I’m glad to be home, to bring my team to Bucharest.
We really hope people will come to support us. We need their support. Last week we opposed not just Aris, but their fans too, who don’t respect “fair play” sometimes.
- Do you hope to see Rapid fans at the game tomorrow?
- I was at their match as a fan a few days ago and hoped they would win the derby. Unfortunately, Rapid lost, so their fans will be upset for 3-4 days. I guess we’ll see less of them than I expected. I mostly count on Ukrainians currently living in Bucharest. I would like to invite them to the game.
- Do you feel pressure from the club officials?
- Journalists always want to ask uncomfortable questions, but there’s a lot of things you don’t know, including the details of my contract with Dynamo and agreements with the president of the club.
Of course there is pressure. But one should remember our team is one of the few that has so many own trainees and has almost no foreign players. At first foreign players left the club due to pandemic that ruined our plans. Then the full-scale war broke off and many Ukrainian and foreign performers went abroad. Our youngsters need to gain experience, and they need to play to gain it. There’re certain issues, but I’m ready for that.
Yesterday we witnessed another Greek side – Panathinaikos – knock Marseille out in the Champions League qualification. EAK succeeded against Dinamo Zagreb. If you take a look at these teams, you will see only a few Greek players there. The same goes to Aris. They have players with significant international experience. To play on a certain level we need to be very disciplined and enthusiastic.
I want everyone to understand what it costs to support football throughout the war. It’s very difficult to play with no supporters, when teams need to look for emotions within themselves. It’s hard to start a game when before the whistle there’s a moment of silence commemorating the fallen. Before the trip to Thessaloniki, that took 23 hours, one of our players asked to let him go home to bury his brother who died at war. Two children have lost their father. It’s hard.
Players deserve special respect for doing that they do during these extremely tough times. Ukrainian warriors follow football which makes players work with double motivation. But everyone is hurting, everyone feels loss.
- What’s your lineup situation? Is everyone ready to play?
- Everyone is, beside Popov, who has health issues.
- Is it true that if Dynamo qualify for the next stage, the game against Chornomorets in Odesa will be postponed?
- There’s no such option. There’re no more dates available. On Friday we’ll have a session in Bucharest, then we’ll go to the airport, take a flight to Chisinau and depart to Odesa by bus.
