Ukraine keen to appoint Lucescu
Reuters - Friday 27 November 2009, 16:25
KIEV - Ukraine's Football Association
wants to offer the job of national coach to Romanian Mircea
Lucescu, the current coach of UEFA Cup winners Shakhtar Donetsk.
Hryhory Surkis, president of the Ukrainian FA, said he would
have to consult with Shakhtar billionaire owner Rinat Akhmetov
whether Lucescu could combine the two posts and replace
Ukrainian Olexiy Mykhaylychenko.
Mykhaylychenko's two-year contract finishes at the end of
this year. Under him, Ukraine failed to qualify for the 2010
World Cup in South Africa after defeat by Greece in the
play-offs last week.
"I have considered everything, weighed all the pros and cons
and decided to talk to the president of Shakhtar Rinat Akhmetov
about the possibility of Mirca Lucescu combining his work at the
club and for the national team," Surkis told reporters.
"I will recommend his candidature to the congress of the
football federation on December 18," he said.
Lucescu became Shakhtar's coach in 2004 during which time he
has led the club to three Ukrainian championship titles and the
UEFA Cup.