"It will happen anyway": Lucescu calls for friendly matches between Ukraine and Russia

The former head coach of Dynamo Kyiv and Shakhtar Donetsk, Mircea Lucescu, expressed confidence that Ukrainian and Russian teams should start playing friendly matches again. The 78-year-old Romanian specialist noted that sooner or later, Russian representatives will be returned to international tournaments.

Lucescu said this in an interview with Football.ua. The former Zenit St. Petersburg coach recalled his experience in the aggressor country and added that Russian players can play in European competitions only if there is peace in Ukraine.

"I remember the period when Russian and Ukrainian teams played friendly tournaments, it was a great time and we should return to it. I love Ukraine and the period of my work in this country, but I also worked in Russia, and I had normal relations there. But it's just not possible to continue like this. Russian teams can return to European tournaments, but everything has to be right. It will happen eventually anyway. Of course, they will be under a lot of pressure and will be able to return only after peace is achieved in Ukraine. Of course, on Ukraine's terms," Lucescu said.

Earlier, the Romanian coach made an emotional statement in an interview with Russian propagandists with the words "this is a lie". The media revealed the real reasons why Mircea Lucescu decided to stop working with Dynamo Kyiv.

As OBOZ.UA reported, Mircea Lucescu called Russia a source of terrorism, death and pain. He also spoke about the traitor of Ukraine Anatoliy Tymoshchuk.

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