Mircea Lucescu: I give everyone the opportunity to play

09-07-15 16:46:22

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On July 9, Crans-Montana played host to a press conference by the head coaches of the clubs participating in the Valais Cup. We bring to your attention the statement by Mircea Lucescu.

- Mr. Lucescu, it’s not the first time you’ve taken part in this tournament. What is your impression of this Valais Cup edition?
- I am very pleased to be present here and play Sion again. We play friendly games with this team every year, and that’s a good preparation for us. Today, we are facing Basel, a very important game. It is a pity that this year the training camp is so short. Our players who defend their national teams’ colours, joined us later and had less time for training. Therefore the encounters with such teams are essential for them, because as early as July 14 we have a Super Cup match against Dynamo. Again, I am happy to be in such a beautiful place and train on such wonderful fields, and participate in this tournament. This is important for the image of each team – all the clubs here are well-known, big-name ones.

- What does Valais Cup mean to you? What do you expect from it?
- I consider the tournament as part of the training process. As I already mentioned, the internationals returned later, they need practice and time to rediscover their top form. I want to see everyone in action, so I give everyone the opportunity to play. For the players that’s a chance, especially for the young ones. Before the last match, I proposed Sion to play for 90 minutes with our starting line-ups, and then to play for another 30 minutes with the players who were fielded as subs in the second half. Unfortunately, Sion refused. Today I proposed the same thing to Basel. Let's see, we have a few hours left before the match.

Let us remind you that Basel vs Shakhtar kicks off at 20:00 on July 9.