Billionaire Rinat Akhmetov, owner of Ukrainian football club Shakhtar Donetsk, bid farewell to national football manager Mircea Lucescu on Thursday evening at the National Arena. Upon leaving, he said that his friend had taught him to drink wine, and in his turn he had taught the former coach to sing karaoke.

'I'm here today to bid goodbye to my friend. While we worked together, we shared both pain and joy. That's how we became great friends. He is a very important man in my life. I have always respected Mircea's vision and philosophy in football. He had a happy life. He couldn't live without work, without football... and now he has left us, still from the football pitch. I cannot say what my most beautiful memory is, not even in an hour. We lived many things together. He taught me to drink wine. Until I met him, I didn't touch wine. Then, after matches, we would sit and chat over a glass of wine. He would tell me that if I got so emotional during the match, I should drink a little white wine so that I wouldn't die during the match. And I, in turn, taught Mircea to sing karaoke. Neither I nor he could do it right, but we sang anyway,' Akhmetov said.

'It's an unexpected departure, a great tragedy for the fans of the Shakhtar Donetsk team, for football lovers in Ukraine, Romania and around the world. Mircea Lucescu was my friend, together we won 22 trophies. I remember when we won the UEFA Cup how happy Mircea was and how he held the Romanian flag on his shoulders. That is why I think you should be proud that Mircea Lucescu is Romanian,' added the Ukrainian billionaire.

He recalled that Lucescu suffered a heart attack in Donetsk 17 years ago: 'I brought surgeons from Kyiv and that night they operated on him. I spent the whole night worrying and wandering around the hospital. When he came back to life I visited him, it was a memorable moment. I also came here when the 2012 tram accident happened.'

Akhmetov, who remained very close to the Lucescu family, also expressed his joy that Razvan Lucescu is following in his father's footsteps.

'I have now conveyed to Mrs. Neli (Mircea Lucescu's wife - Ed. note) that my soul and heart are with the Lucescu family. They are very close to me, they are my dear ones. I have spent a lot of time with Mrs. Neli and Mircea. I have met Razvan less often, but it is clear that he is on the right path in football. I was telling him that he has one more trophy than his father had at the same age. So Razvan is a very good coach. I remember that he beat us 1 - 0 when he was at Rapid, even though Shakhtar was the better team. We reminisced about that episode, how he beat us in Donetsk. Razvan has taken the best qualities from Mircea and I am sure he will reach very high,' the businessman said.

Rinat Akhmetov was accompanied by former Shakhtar Donetsk captain Darijo Srna. Earlier in the day, another former Shakhtar player, Dmytro Chyhrynskyi, also came to pay his respects.

Mircea Lucescu's coffin was laid in state on Wednesday at the National Arena, where the public may pay their respects until 8:00 p.m. on Thursday.

According to the Romanian Football Federation, the three-day funeral ceremonies will conclude on Friday with a solemn service and Lucescu's burial at Bellu Cemetery. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Marius Tone; EN - writing by: Simona Klodnischi)