12.02.2025 US
1085 day since the barbaric invasion of Ukraine

Lucescu spoke out against Kazakhstan's participation in Euro-2024

Mircea Lucescu Criticizes UEFA for Allowing Kazakhstan into Euro-2024, Considering it Unjustified

Oleksandr Budariev
Mircea Lucescu
Mircea Lucescu / Aleksandr Osipov, CC BY-SA 2.0 DEED

Famed Romanian football coach Mircea Lucescu expressed surprise and dissatisfaction with UEFA's decision to allow Kazakhstan to participate in Euro-2024. He considers it unusual, given that Kazakhstan is geographically located in Central Asia, not Europe.

Euro-2024 is the upcoming 17th edition of this tournament, organized by UEFA. The tournament is scheduled for the summer of 2024 and will take place in Germany. This will be the second time Germany hosts the Euro; the country first hosted the tournament in 1988.

Recently, Slovenia, the Czech Republic, and Italy secured tickets to the final Euro tournament in Germany, with Slovenia defeating Kazakhstan with a score of 2-1. Although Kazakhstan did not qualify directly, it still has a chance through the Nations League playoffs.

Lucescu also noted changes in the qualification format, mentioning that fewer teams participated in the Euro in the past, and now even small countries have a chance to qualify.

Kazakhstan, being so close to participating in a major European tournament for the first time, showed good results, scoring 18 points in a tough group and defeating teams that participated in previous Euros. They will now play in the playoffs against Greece, and if successful, will meet the winner of the Georgia - Luxembourg pair.

Kazakhstan's National Team Qualification for Euro-2024

On November 23, the draw for the UEFA Nations League playoffs took place in Nyon, Switzerland. To qualify for Euro-2024, Kazakhstan will need to win two away matches in the playoffs. They are set to first meet Greece on March 21, 2024.

If Kazakhstan wins, they will play in the final on March 26 against the winner of the Georgia – Luxembourg pair, with the final match taking place on the opponent's territory.

Mircea Lucescu — A Brief Profile

Mircea Lucescu is a renowned Romanian football coach and former professional player. Born on July 29, 1945, in Romania, Lucescu distinguished himself as a player for Dynamo Bucharest and the Romanian national team. After ending his playing career, he transitioned to coaching, achieving significant success.

Lucescu is known for his work with several European clubs, including teams like Shakhtar Donetsk (Ukraine). He gained fame for his ability to develop talented players and build strong teams capable of performing successfully both nationally and internationally.

One of Lucescu's most significant coaching achievements is his tenure at Shakhtar, where he won several Ukrainian championships and the UEFA Cup in 2009. His successes in club football have earned him international recognition and respect in the football world.