"I declined an offer from the USA — I wanted to return to Russia"

Lucas Vera was supposed to join Loko back in the summer, but on his way to Moscow he accepted an offer from Al—Wahda and boarded a plane to Abu Dhabi. Three months later, he terminated his contract and remained without playing practice all this time.

In January, Lokomotiv completed the deal on the second attempt. At the presentation, the Argentine trolled himself, saying that in the summer he simply "got the wrong plane." And at the training camp, he became the hero of a new meme — footage from a training session in which Lucas was overweight was so much hyped that the club made a mini-series out of this story, in which he monitored how the Argentine was getting in shape, and also held a couple of relevant contests.

In an interview with Izvestia and Sport-Express, Vera told what had happened to him in the last six months.

"When I saw the photo from the wrong angle, I thought: am I that fat?!"

— Lukas, your photos with your belly during one of the first training sessions were blown up by the Russian sports media. How did you gain so much weight?

— I was without a club for 4.5 months, I was in Argentina. When you're not playing, it's difficult to keep fit and work with the same intensity and motivation. Although I tried! But again, it's one thing when you realize that you have a match on the weekend and you need to be on your toes. It's completely different when there are no games. In addition, the way of life in Argentina is slightly different from that in other countries. It's also so delicious... Do you understand?

But when Lokomotiv came to me, I started to work on myself thoroughly. We signed a contract in December, and I've already been training with more dedication. When I arrived at the training camp, I managed to throw something off. It's clear that not everything is, but I'm working on it.

— What was the record weight?

— In December, when I had a medical examination, the scales showed more than 69 kg. I quickly dropped to 67 at the training camp. Now (the conversation took place on December 29. — Ed.) — 66.2. Minus four kilograms! There's still a bit left, as my playing weight is 64-65 kg.

— How did you react when your form began to be actively discussed in the media and social networks?

— With humor. There will always be something written on the Internet - I've read it all, I've seen it. There were some really funny things. But many people just don't know the inner kitchen: my real shape and optimal weight. I do not deny that I arrived with extra pounds. They make fun of me both in the team and in the family. I perceive it normally, no problems.

— What's the funniest thing you've read about yourself?

— When I saw the photo from the wrong angle, I thought: am I that fat?! But I'm not like that! It affected my body structure and especially the way I run — I'm always slightly bent forward. It makes me feel like I have a belly...

— How did you lose weight? Refused some food?

— No, there were no severe dietary restrictions. It's just that it's balanced here. The key is training. With the team, you are always in the mode, there are always classes going on. We train six out of seven days. And in Argentina, for example, I only trained for four days. And, of course, the intensity was lower — it affected. At training camps, the weight melts.

— Have you already adapted to the team?

— Yes, I was very well received by the players, the staff, and everyone at the club. I'm glad to be back working with the team, I haven't played football in a long time. As I said, you need to catch up and get in top shape.

"Before joining Dynamo, I consulted with Artur."

Blue and white football player David Ricardo — about the fear of frosty weather, the choice in favor of the capital's club and the difference between the RPL and the Brazilian championship

"I like the Russian Championship"

— Many people say that Mikhail Galaktionov has heavy training camps. Are you coping?

— The requirements are normal and absolutely understandable. Moreover, I knew about them in advance, even when we talked with Lokomotiv about the transfer in the past. Such demands are not a surprise to me. This is a normal preparation to approach the resumption of the season.

— Has there been any conversation with Galaktionov yet?

— Yes, now the main requirements are in terms of physical condition and form. I haven't played for a long time, I need to get into optimal condition. Next, we will focus on other qualities.

— You have already mentioned the previous attempts of Loko to carry out the transfer, which failed. Can you explain why this happened?

— Oh... It's a long and complicated story. Let's call it that. It wasn't nice for Lokomotiv in the summer, I don't deny it. And the first contacts took place when I was still in Orenburg. But even then it didn't work out. Although I openly told my club: "I want to leave." As a result, I ended up not at Lokomotiv, but at Khimki.

— And what happened in the summer?

— At that moment, many things no longer depended on me. I agreed to the transfer [to Loko] and wanted to transfer, but other people joined in... I'll explain everything now: As I said, I agreed to transfer to Lokomotiv and boarded the plane. But there has not been an agreed contract with the club yet. That is, we have agreed, but not definitively. And while I was flying, the Arab club (Al-Wahda. — Ed.) made a fuss and sent a specific offer. As a result, the situation is: I have my consent with Lokomotiv, but there is no contract. There is a clear contract with Al-Wahda with agreed terms. My representatives chose the option that was on hand. And now, of course, I regret this situation.

— Were you surprised that after that, Lokomotiv came at you again?

— I was very glad! When this happened, I was already negotiating with another Russian club. But after the call from Loko, we decided everything very quickly and closed the deal.

— Were there any offers only from Russia?

- no. When I was in Argentina, different clubs were interested in me, from Mexico and the USA. From the same Argentina. But I decided to take a break because I wanted to return to Russia.

— Why did you reject the option from the USA? After all, MLS, the World Cup in the summer...

— I like the Russian championship, I wanted to play in a top club. It was great at Khimki, but the team was still fighting for survival. And here I am in a top team that I like. That's why I rejected offers from the same MLS, although the conditions there were better.

— In one of the interviews you said that you want to get to Europe through the RPL. Is this goal still relevant?

— Yes, nothing has changed. I used to play in Orenburg and Khimki — I progressed, gained experience, and grew up as a football player. If I were invited to Europe from there, it would be a small club that is fighting for survival.

Now I'm at the Locomotive. This is a club with ambitions, fighting for trophies, medals, and wants to win. And if I prove myself, show my best qualities, then there will be interest in me from European clubs of a different level.

— Usually the main motivation of legionnaires in the RPL is money.

— It's not about me. For example, if Khimki hadn't gone bankrupt, I wouldn't have left. I had one year left on my contract, and I would have worked it out in peace. Next, my goal was to be at Lokomotiv.

Dynamo Bureau: how the blue and white started the preseason

The team is holding a winter training camp in the Emirates and has played its first matches under the new coaching staff.

"My personal friend called me to Dynamo

— Did Khimki pay you off? Have you paid off any of your debts?

— Not a ruble! And it wasn't just me who wasn't paid. As soon as I got there, salary delays started immediately. But we kept playing, we had such a team... And we were just fed promises all season. At some point, we were already playing not for money, but for our name. For the reputation. For keeping the club in the RPL.

At first, I was shocked by all this. In Argentina, for example, this does not happen — they pay less, but on time. And here, even the guys in the team told me: you just came at an unfortunate time — this is not uncommon in Russia, it just hasn't happened here for a long time.

— Did you communicate with Tufan Sadygov?

— Of course, both as a team and personally. Many times! He promised that he would pay and everything would be fine. He calmed me down. But at some point I said to myself, that's enough. I'm just tired of the endless promises.

— After the bankruptcy of Khimki, Sadygov was banned from football activities.

"It doesn't concern me anymore. He was at the head of the club, and people who trusted him worked with him. But what happened happened. Why is this so, it's better to ask the league or the federation.

— Now about Al-Wahda: What happened in the Emirates? Why didn't you play and leave so quickly?

— I signed a contract, went through training camps, and played in friendly matches... We had a Portuguese coach, Jose Morais, and we had a good relationship with him. Nothing foreshadowed any problems. But a couple of days before the start of the championship, I was called to the management and told: "We are terminating the contract."

It turned out that the club wanted to make room for another foreign player. At 10 a.m., I signed the agreement to terminate the agreement, and at 5 p.m. they already announced the name of the new player.

— Was it legally possible? Maybe it was worth suing?

— No, no, everything was fair. We reached a mutual agreement, and they paid the penalty. At the same time, one of the points of the agreement was a ban on performances in another club until January 1, 2026. Therefore, the clubs that approached me at that moment understood all the nuances. So I signed a three-year contract, but I only spent two months there.

— I played in Khimki, but I didn't get a salary. They paid at Al-Wahda, but I didn't play.

— Ha! It just happened. In fact, after a while, I realized what had happened at Al-Wahda. It's just that the people who relied on me didn't have full control over the management's decisions. We signed the contract, but we couldn't influence the situation.

— I would have joined Loko from Orenburg, there would have been no debts from Khimki or Al-Wahda...

— At that moment, Marcel Lichka was also joining Dynamo, inviting me to join the team. But the management of Orenburg did not want to let me go — they said that I needed to play for at least another six months. Then Lokomotiv came at me — I wanted to cross over, but they wouldn't let me go again. As a result, I ended up in Khimki. I remember Frank Artiga called me and personally invited me to the club. Everything seemed to be going well, but...

I got into the Locomotive on the third attempt. So fate decreed it. Two years have passed between the first conversation with Galaktionov and the transition! But I am glad that the transfer has finally taken place. Loko is a big club that I've wanted to join for a long time.