Mircea Lucescu: strength test

05-01-15 09:00:48

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The December edition of the Shakhtar magazine is out. We bring you one of the main materials of the issue - a detailed interview with the Pitmen’s head coach Mircea Lucescu.

The period, which Shakhtar are going through now, will have a special chapter in the club's history. However, it will be spoken of as an already accomplished fact. Thinking from aside is always easier. It’s much more difficult to go through this time, stand the test of... Shakhtar’s head coach on the team’s first part of the season.

Hunting for Shakhtar

- Mister, everything went wrong from the beginning of the season...
- Yes, we immediately had some problems. Some players just did not return. Therefore, we created a team for the Super Cup of those players who were at the time. These guys showed character and won. Then, the others returned. Naturally, the absence of preparatory component in them was felt. This became evident in the 9-14th rounds, when those who had not been in training camp with the team, felt and ran out of factor of safety. Now everyone is in good shape and with a great attitude. Last year's players began to take the leading roles in the team, they help the club maintain a high level on which it stood. Namely, Fred, Fernando, Bernard and recently Nem. Marlos adapted well, he needed time to figure out how we act. It is not easy to enter our training mode. Now everything is much better.

- How did you manage to convince the Brazilians to come back?
- I did so that there was a competition between all the Brazilians. There are a lot of them, each of them is of a good level, and everyone wants to play. It's not just that they have contracts. Their life is football. Everyone wants to go on the field. We have to look for options for everyone to have match practice. And, as usual: the training process, the analysis of matches. If you go back to what happened when our players were taken away at 2:00am, it was a very difficult moment. I do not want to talk about that again; everyone knows what happened. It also concerns a man who just wanted to steal our players! Back then, I realized straight away that he was going to take only two players. This whole thing was arranged for the sake of that. Of course, I was very angry. But I said to players: if someone does not want to return, they can do so. I will find an opportunity to create a new team! Those who want to leave can leave ... They came back, stayed with us and helped win the Super Cup. The players were younger, without experience. They were under the influence of a crook. A couple of day passed, and then everyone realized that he needed only two players! In the end, after two or three days Fred and Dentinho returned. The problem is not even that they were missing, and that did not come in time for a training camp and missed part of them! The most important step was made by the president of our club, when he decided that the team would be stationed in Kyiv. From that moment, the missing players had no alibi anymore. Everyone came back and started to work. Now seemingly they have come to senses. Let’s hope that such situations will not happen again.

- From the point of view of a coach’s psychology, is players’ return after leaving better than if they had stayed in the team, but would always had the idea of running away?
- They could think about quitting only until August 31, when the transfer period ends. Then it would have been impossible to leave. Perhaps, players could think about official offers that may have been! Unfortunately, the players were under the influence and made the wrong decision. I spoke to them. I requested, demanded, "You come back - and here, sort things out and solve your problems”. They are professionals who have to train. Training is the most important thing, it is their duty! And if they interrupt this process, they nullify their professionalism. Therefore it is good that they are back. They probably felt the pressure from me and Shakhtar. Later, they continued to discuss their fate at the club level. Although there were no specific proposals – there was only an offer regarding Ferreyra! But I think Facundo now regrets what he did. Because now he is not regarded there at a high level. The same may have happened with other players who were trying to leave. Now many of them thank me for us to insist on them coming back. They admit that they were wrong. Actually, that’s what I am here for. I know how the situation will develop! I have a lot of experience. And before they made the wrong move, I warned them. I said: ‘You will return any way, but you will lose time and won’t be in decent shape state”. Now all is well. Those who remained, understood the situation and helped us in that moment. Let’s not forget that we were winning in the first six rounds, even without those who left! And only then, when they began to employ players, who had been missing, results were negative. Because of that, we lost everything, unfortunately, - the team and they. And yet there are still 12 matches left. Hopefully, we eliminate the gap and will fight for the title.

- You said that they were provoked by the agent. Do they continue to work with him now? Can you anyhow make them stop this cooperation?
- They say that they have not in contacts with him. I honestly do not know. The fact is that this is not a licensed FIFA agent. He is, rather, a mafiosi! Mediator! A serious high-level agent would not have acted like that.

 President’s move

- Is it psychologically and physically painful to be torn between Kyiv and Lviv?
- Very hard. By and large, we now spend our whole life in hotels and airplanes. It is one thing to be at home, in your hometown, with their fans and base. And another thing is to try to adapt to the current difficult conditions. But I was most angered with the Federation's position, who did not approve formula of the championship, we were talking about. Playing 26 matches is a mini-league. The fate of the league can be decided in one game. Any refereeing mistake is of great importance - as it happened in the match with Dynamo. Quite another thing is a game with the playoffs, where the first four teams would meet each other twice. There would be four matches with each other in total during a championship. There could be errors in one game, but not four in a row! Even in such difficult conditions, in which we find ourselves, there would be more balance, and perhaps it would be more appropriate! A team that were simply stronger would have won. Let's not forget that our opponents have a significant advantage, spending almost all the matches at home. And they do not play at all on the fields of teams from Donbas. On the fields on which they lost points! Both in Luhansk with Zorya, and in Donetsk with Metalurh. Plus, it’s still unknown how they would have played with Olimpik. Now, by and large, they have already claimed those points. It would have been difficult for us to lose at home – there would have been a large number of fans behind our back. That is why I have repeatedly said that the current championship is abnormal. Let's hope that it will pass, and those who are responsible for it, will have a good think about how to hold the next one. Instead of taking a step forward, we, unfortunately, took a step back. Instead of a full stadium, sometimes  500 people come for the game. I have often talked about how important it is to play in groups, where teams are of approximately equal strength. The first four, the second four... The teams of about the same level. The title race as well as a battle against relegation would have been very right. And everything would have depended only on the level of the teams, and not some occasional moments.

- Given the conditions in which Shakhtar are now, do you think it is an achievement to reach the knockout stage of the Champions League?
- It is very important for us, for our club. Thus, we confirmed the high level in the international arena. Although if you go back to how we were refereed... Probably, the whole world saw a penalty in a match with Athletic. And in a duel with Porto, when the score was 2:1 in our favour, there should have been a clear penalty when Adriano was brought down, but the referee waved on, the opponents orchestrated a counterattack, after which they scored. All these moments, unfortunately, were interpreted in favour of only one team. When I'm in UEFA, I often say that the Eastern European clubs are refereed not as they should be. And I don’t mean only Shakhtar; other teams as well.

- To sum up, how did you remember 2014?
- Difficult moments through which we pass. The team demonstrated its potential. We confirmed the high level. And the most important thing - I want to thank the President for what he retained "Shakhtar"! It is not known what decision would take the other person in a situation in which the Donbass. We present our fans, the region and the city of Donetsk. I am sure that our positive results bring at least some measure of joy to our fans. I hope the team will continue to progress. Those players, who were young and hopeful a couple of years ago, have now become the main players that determine the team game. We will continue in the same spirit.

- Do you believe that Shakhtar will return to Donetsk?
- Unfortunately, it doesn’t depend on me. Not us, not on the team, and many other factors. It depends on the people who are responsible for what is happening now in the country. It depends on the world's leaders. We need only to believe that one day we will return to Donetsk and will play again at our Donbass Arena.

Secret talks

- You said that you held conversations with the players. If not a secret, what did you talk about?
- I talked to them even before the friendly game with Lyon. I felt that something wrong was going on. I phoned the players, talked to them, explained  what mistakes they were making. Then we played a game with Lyon, after which I had to come down to the hotel lobby, this so-called agent held a meeting... I had conversations with those who stayed here. But I do not want to reveal the secrets of those conversations.

- Why did you stay in the hotel rather than renting accommodation in Kyiv?
- Here, it is easier for me to control everything that happens.

- What was the best and worst match of Shakhtar in the first half of the season?
- The most unfortunate was, of course, the game with Zorya. And the game with Metalurh Donetsk. Unfortunately, I was not able to convey to the players that even though those teams had been inferior to us in almost all the matches until that moment, we had to gear up for those matches. In some way the players were relaxed. And when it was necessary to correct the situation, they were nervous, did not convert clear-cut chances. Opponents capitalised on our complacency and, unfortunately, altered the history of our matches with them. And the best games were in the end of the first half of the season - with Karpaty, Metalurh Zaporizhya, Hoverla. All three games were of good quality. Those were one of the most exciting games, and we looked like everyone was expecting from us.

- Who’s the best player of the first half of the season?
- I do not make such statements. Let the fans say that. I name the best player at the end of each match. But it would be wrong for me to name the best player based on the results of the firsthalf of the season. Someone had ups, someone had downs, someone was playing more consistently. But all my players are equally good for me.

- How do you feel, now the players are aware of whether they are experiencing a historic moment in the annals of the club?
- This period will be talked about. But I think the players are not aware of it yet.

FC Shakhtar
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