Myron Markevych Remembers Mircea Lucescu: Impact on Ukrainian Football and Friendship

Myron Bohdanovych Markevych, a prominent Ukrainian football coach, recently reflected on the life and legacy of the legendary Romanian coach Mircea Lucescu, who left this world on April 7. In his conversation, Markevych highlighted Lucescu's profound impact on Ukrainian football, stating that his professionalism and commitment to the game established him as one of the most important figures in the history of Ukrainian football.

"If I had to sum it up in one word, he was a Professional. I believe that after Valeriy Lobanovskyi, he left the most noticeable mark as a coach in Ukrainian football," Markevych remarked. He recalled that it was under Lucescu's leadership that FC Shakhtar Donetsk broke the long-standing dominance of FC Dynamo Kyiv, and when Lucescu himself took charge of the capital team, the miners were forced to relinquish their throne.

Markevych also spoke about the rivalry between his team, FC Metalist, and Shakhtar, which he believes was crucial for the development of Ukrainian football. "This is football. At that time, Shakhtar was indeed very strong, and they were respected on the international stage. But our rivalry was beneficial for Ukrainian football," he emphasized. According to the coach, matches between Metalist and Shakhtar always drew full stadiums, which contributed to the popularity of football in Ukraine and helped the teams progress.

He further noted that Lucescu always treated his team with great respect. "Ultimately, it was at his initiative that my former players Tyson, Marlos, Oleksandr Kuchер, and Marko Devic continued their careers at Shakhtar. Most of them made significant contributions while defending the honor of the Ukrainian national team," he added.

In addition, Myron Bohdanovych spoke about the friendly relationship he had with Lucescu. "What kind of relationship did we have? Friendly. Metalist often held training camps in the UAE, where Shakhtar was also preparing. Moreover, we usually trained on neighboring fields. After training sessions, we would exchange thoughts without any secrets between us," Markevych said, emphasizing the openness and mutual respect between the coaches.

Markevych compared Mircea Lucescu to Valeriy Lobanovskyi, noting that both coaches were devoted to football and held it close to their hearts. "Lobanovskyi and Lucescu deserved that a great number of renowned footballers consider them their teachers," he highlighted in a comment for Sport.ua.

In conclusion, it is worth noting that earlier, Serhiy Rebrov also emotionally reacted to Lucescu's death, recalling the competition in Ukrainian football, which further confirms this coach's immense influence on the development of the game in Ukraine.