Lucescu heaps praise on unlucky Lilies
‘DUNDALK are the best team we have played.
‘They are organised and the spirit of this team has made an impression on me.’
Those were the words of Zenit coach Mircea Lucescu in the post-match press conference at the Petrovsky Stadium on Thursday night after his side had been given yet another scare by a Dundalk side who are the lowest ranked team in the Europa League.
The 71-year-old Lucescu, who won this competition with Shakthar Donetsk in 2008 and also managed major European heavyweights such as Inter Milan, Galatasaray and Besiktas, was not being condescending with his praise.
Dundalk had genuinely put his side to the test over two matches, where but for a couple of mistakes and the woodwork we could have been talking about one of the biggest shocks in the history of European club football.
Stephen Kenny’s side have gone beyond the point of searching for moral victories but it was an achievement of sorts that by the time the Dundalk team bus left the snow-covered stadium on Thursday night that they had gained the respect of 18,000 Zenit fans, the players, the officials and an ever-growing contingent back home and around the globe.
They had come a long way from being the side that Zenit had mocked with a Simpson’s parody of the Leprechaun O’Reilly trying to punch Homer Simpson on their Twitter account when the draw for Group D was made just 69 days earlier.
Ciaran Kilduff had perhaps summed it up best the previous Monday when he pointed out that Dundalk had changed the face of what was expected from an Irish side in Europe.
As locals we can only revel in this golden period but Dundalk’s exploits have the ability to change the face of Irish football as a whole.
This is a team established at the top level of European football, with a genuine chance of reaching the last 32 of the competition. The display they produced in the Petrovsky Stadium is no longer a surprise.
Indeed, as many of the small travelling contingent from Dundalk gathered in a pub called The Wild Duck the night before the game, the predictions were mainly positive. The pub is known for the duck who wanders around freely, providing additional entertainment to customers but no one was accusing the Dundalk fans of being quackers ‘I think we can do it,’ said one. ‘1-1 I reckon,’ piped in another.
Even a goal down to Giuliano’s strike at half-time, Gerry King was predicting 2-1. He was right but unfortunately not in the way he had hoped.
The belief Stephen Kenny long ago instilled in the players is now firmly there amongst the fans too.
It’s a cliche at this stage but it wasn’t lost on the fans in The Wild Duck that the eve of the game was the fourth anniversary of Dundalk’s 2-0 play-off victory away to Waterford Utd in the RSC.
Dundalk might not have claimed a point in either game against Zenit but they deserve huge plaudits for their efforts in both, where with a bit more luck with chances that came back off the post they could have been celebrating a huge win.
To go from a point of almost going out of existence to going toe-to-toe with a side ranked the 16th best in Europe by UEFA is a story akin to The Mighty Ducks.
And it’s easy to see why more and more people are getting into a flap about this great side.
They have no right to be achieving the performances and results that they have been doing. While Zenit’s players earn money that most of us can only dream of and live in luxurious apartments and mansions, Dundalk’s reality is very different.
Many of this side car pool to training from Dublin, many more work outside of football to supplement their income while at least five of the side live together in a house like students.
The dedication to their craft is to be admired though. They
are a team in the truest sense of the word.
The standards they have set themselves means that they will have returned to Ireland on Friday genuinely downhearted. The silver lining, however, is that they are still in pole position for a place in the last 32 and continuing this fabulous adventure, with a Champions League spot in the bag for next season to try to replicate it or perhaps even take it to the next level. That’s for the future. After the full-time whistle the fans returned to The Wild Duck for the post match post mortem. There was no criticism or downheartedness. Even the disappointment had eased.
The major sense was one of proud pride. Pride in the town, pride in its team and pride of being from Dundalk.
The few brave souls who made the trip to Russia might have had to endure freezing temperatures throughout the game but the performance of the team undoubtedly warmed their hearts.
Dundalk have gained respect throughout Europe. They might have left Russia without a point but they’ll learn lessons from it and be even better as a result.
To still be in with a chance of reaching the latter stages with two games to spare is something quite extraordinary.
Keeping this incredible story going is not beyond this side though. They can do it.
Lucescu believes it and, crucially, so too does the whole of Dundalk - players and fans alike.
If by some chance you’re ever in St Petersburg, be sure to drop by The Wild Duck where Dundalk memorabilia now hangs and to see the bird that provided an interesting side-note to a memorable trip.
He is sure to be there, having had his wings clipped some time ago.
The Lilywhites might have left Russia without a point but they’re a side soaring in the rankings and in people’s hearts.
The best side Zenit have faced. They’re now also undoubtedly the best side Irish football has ever produced.
And they are ours.