Roberto De Zerbi and former Serie A coach Mircea Lucescu are in Kyiv while Russian troops are invading Ukraine: ‘I won’t leave, I am not a coward,’ said the ex Inter and Brescia boss.
Vladimir Putin announced a “special military operation” and Russian forces unleashed an attack on Ukraine this morning.
Former Sassuolo coach Roberto De Zerbi is one of the Italians in the country and returned to Kyiv only a few days ago, after the end of Shakhtar’s training retreat in Turkey.
The Italian tactician didn’t answer questions from Italian media over the last few days and he reportedly stocked on food and water following advice from the Italian embassy. His staff and he are at a hotel in Kyiv with some of their players. They heard explosions nearby their place at 5 am this morning and they can’t return home as Ukraine has closed its airspace to civilian flights.
De Zerbi stocks up on food and water amid Russia-Ukraine crisis
The Ukraine league should have resumed after the winter break next weekend but has now been suspended, as confirmed by former Serie A coach Mircea Lucescu, who is currently in charge of Dinamo Kyiv.
“All the sporting activity in Ukraine have been suspended for 30 days,” he said, as quoted by Calciomercato.com.
“I won’t leave Kyiv to return to Romania. I am not a coward. I hope these brainless big people will stop the war, I didn’t think it was possible.”
#Ucraina, terribile: è guerra. De Zerbi aspetta in casa lo stop al campionato, Lucescu già parla di un mese https://t.co/cUi9ZCCLa7 pic.twitter.com/gLfiUifQS4
— calciomercato.com (@cmdotcom) February 24, 2022
#RussiaUkraineConflict De Zerbi e il suo staff sono chiusi in hotel con gran parte dei calciatori. In strada ci sono milioni di persone dirette in Polonia. Alle 5 lo staff italiano ha sentito due forti esplosioni nella zona dell’hotel. Pessima gestione della Federazione russa
— Michele Criscitiello (@MCriscitiello) February 24, 2022
just leave the country, it is better being called coward rather than die