It was rainy, as usual Razvan Lucescu. In an interview with Romanian Media, his coach PAOK made it clear that there is no question of his leaving the technical leadership of the team. He admitted that the season was a failure, but without that being a surprise because of the conditions that existed in the team.
However, he spoke of intentional mistakes by referees, while although he said that AEK deserved this year’s double, he brought back the talk of… 2018 about a stolen championship.
The interview in detail:
– You had a turbulent season in Greece which ended with a defeat in the Cup final against AEK. You would have a more peaceful holiday…
Of course, it would be nice to end the season with a trophy and go on vacation with a feeling of victory. Unfortunately, we lost. I know very well the taste of victory and that of defeat. It is difficult, it is painful, but football gives us the opportunity to learn to overcome disappointments. As I have criticized abnormal situations in the past, I now say that AEK fully deserved to win the league and cup this season. In the final we had chances, we conceded a goal in a stupid phase for 1-0, but AEK showed superior mental strength and deservedly prevailed…
– Is exhaustion the right word for this year?
It’s a bit complicated, because we had a difficult start from the end of the previous season. Many players changed, some arrived when we had already started training. We lost the qualification with Levski and from there came the tensions and a completely negative atmosphere, translated by people’s lack of confidence in the possibilities of achieving something this season. It is important for me that we changed many players and started with a young team, 18-20-22 years old. Inexperience counts when you’re fighting for the top. We reached the final of the Cup, we fought for the title until one point in the season. It was a failed year in terms of expectations, but normal if we consider the actual situation.
– You also spent a lot of energy in public disputes with the Athenian groups. Where do you find so much strength?
It is my duty to protect my team. It may seem like an excuse for this season, but there have been times when we have been embarrassingly disadvantaged by refereeing. We lost points due to unimaginable VAR errors. They were deliberate mistakes, no doubt. The peculiarity of the Greek league is that we are talking about matches between teams, in which there are also political influences. In Greece it is not enough just to play on the field, so a team will suffer. It is a complete lack of fair play. We lost a title due to an unimaginable decision by some committees, who took away our points and gave the championship to another team.
– You mean the 2018 title, which went to AEK, right?
Exactly! Furthermore, we went into the next season with two penalty points, just to have a perfect year and make up for the handicap with a run of 26 wins and 4 draws. We won the championship undefeated. Then in last year’s cup final we lost again to Panathinaikos due to refereeing errors affected by VAR. Panathinaikos is a historic team, with big investments, but they pushed for the trophy because they had not won anything for a long time…
– Let’s clear up a topic circulating these days: There is interest from a team in Arabia. Is there any doubt as to whether you will continue in Thessaloniki?
No doubt. This came from a site. I generally don’t like to talk about work affairs, chances of leaving, offers. I prefer to stop here. I have one more year with PAOK, I am generally a loyal guy where I work. But nobody knows what will happen tomorrow, the day after tomorrow.
– I read in one of your interviews that you feel you are getting old. At 54?
Yes, I feel in every part of my body that I am becoming more and more different. Time passes. Experiences pile up on me. In a way, I gain a certain wisdom, I see things differently. I have more patience. But I still lose my enthusiasm. But I win in other areas. My back hurts, actually almost everything from my toes to the top of my head. Time as a player also left its mark on me. I still go to the gym, I still run on the treadmill, and that helps me stay positive.”
– Is your father giving up for good at the end of this season?
I never took this issue seriously with him. I still haven’t figured out what he’s going to do. I guess he still feels the need to be in action. He lives through football. I have a feeling that if he stops, he will start to age. And let’s stop here. As his son, I wouldn’t bother giving him any advice. He decides, he has experience, he knows better what he wants…
– Can you give us an example of a compromise you made in your career? I can’t imagine you would accept, for example, the boss coming in and dictating what you do…
It’s not about that. But have the strength to say “yes, he is right! I was wrong!” for example. It’s a kind of compromise. But then I mind my own business. Look, when I started my first term at PAOK, I stated that our dream was to fight for the title, which had not been won for 34 years. I found I was more motivated if I had a dream than an obligation. And the boss scolded me for it in a meeting. That it is an obligation to win the championship. Must! At that moment it seemed unfair, cruel. But I said to myself: “Stop! Be quiet! He’s right after all. I’m here to win something! If not, another one comes and that’s it! So do everything you can to win!’ And finally I won. It is an example that I lived and helped me take a step forward in my career.
– You returned to PAOK, although no one expected it…
Yes. Everyone advised me not to return, but I decided emotionally, because I felt great in Thessaloniki and I took this step without regrets. I went to many cities, but I saw nothing: only a hotel, a house, an airport, a coach, a stadium. I had no time for my wife. There are many friends who tell us that they have been there or beyond, they have seen unimaginable places. I don’t belong to them. Maybe in three or four years I will say “Done!” Who knows how I think then?
Source: Sport Fm
I am currently a news writer for News Bulletin247 where I mostly cover sports news. I have always been interested in writing and it is something I am very passionate about. In my spare time, I enjoy reading and spending time with my family and friends.
