Mircea Lucescu: I’ve always been in love with Brazilian football

19-01-15 01:55:02

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Head coach of Shakhtar summed up the encounter with Flamengo during his post-match communication with the press.

- Very good game. The atmosphere was fantastic. Great atmosphere both on the field and in the stands. Some dangerous chances were created near both sides’ goals. Unfortunately, no one scored a goal. But I am completely satisfied with the performance of my players. It was not easy to train and prepare for this friendly match because of the heat, but everything ran smoothly.

- How much important is Shakhtar’s preparation in the matches against such rivals in Brazil?
- During the winter break, it is very important to play against the teams of a different level. Against the teams who show different football. Through this we are preparing for the next games of the championship and the Champions League duels. For example, we have a meeting against Bayern ahead, who play a very different football. Therefore, this training is very important to us.

- Why Brazil? Is it because Shakhtar has so many Brazilians and the club decided to make this gift to them?
- Because I love Brazil, I love the local football, the players who perform here. 47 years ago, it was a personal success for me to play for Romania national team against such teams as Flamengo and Vasco da Gama. I was named Man of the Match, so I still have the fondest memories of it. There were a lot of good games. And now I am very happy that we came here, that we play and show our football. I can remember that when I captained Romania national team, the president of Fluminense sent me an invitation to play here, in Brazil. Back then, Romania was a socialist country, it was very difficult to go abroad. I still keep this invitation at home. I’ve always been in love with this country and with Brazilian football.

FC Shakhtar
Press Office