“Do I want to stay at Real Madrid?” - Andriy Lunin addresses future after Euro 2024 horror show with Ukraine during opening game loss to Romania
Ukraine goalkeeper Andriy Lunin has stated that he wants to stay at Real Madrid but admitted he is unsure what the future holds for him. His comments came after he had a poor outing in Ukraine's shock 0-3 loss to Romania at Euro 2024 on Monday, June 17.
Real Madrid signed Lunin from FC Zorya Luhansk in 2018 but the 25-year-old had to wait until January 2021 to make his first-team debut. Thibaut Courtois' ACL injury in August 2023 and Kepa Arrizabalaga's adductor injury in November enabled Lunin to make his mark at the Santiago Bernabeu this season.
Lunin was trusted as Los Blancos' first-choice goalkeeper for most of the season. He repaid their faith, keeping 12 clean sheets in 31 appearances across all competitions. The Ukrainian also won three trophies - the La Liga title, UEFA Champions League, and Supercopa de Espana. Despite winning fans over, he was notably benched in favor of Courtois in the UCL final against Borussia Dortmund.
This led to many speculating that Lunin would favor a move away from Real Madrid to be a starter at another top European club. However, following Ukraine's loss to Romania at Euro 2024, he said (via Tiempo de Juego h/t Madrid Xtra):
“Do I want to stay at Real Madrid? Let’s see, in life you never know, but obviously yes. All I can say is sorry and lift my head up for the next one.”
Lunin is likely to be behind Thibaut Courtois in the pecking order next season for Los Blancos after the latter shone in their 1-0 win against Dortmund in the UCL final.
How did Real Madrid's Andriy Lunin fare in Ukraine's 3-0 loss to Romania at Euro 2024?
Real Madrid shot-stopper Andriy Lunin's future may currently be up in the air but he did himself no favors with a below-par performance against Romania. Ukraine were defeated 0-3, sending them to the bottom of Group E after one game at Euro 2024.
Andriy Lunin was given a rating of just 4.3 by FotMob, who made just two saves. He made a notable error which led to a goal after his clearance from a backpass fell straight to Dennis Man. The latter found Nicolae Stanciu who unleashed a stunning strike to break the deadlock in the 29th minute.
Razvan Marin doubled Romania's advantage in the 53rd minute after his powerful shot crept under Lunin. Despite Ukraine's determination, Denis Dragus ensured there would be no comeback with a simple finish from close range four minutes later.