Lunin Goes from Hero to Villain in One Month
After being a standout at Real Madrid for most of the season, Andriy Lunin's fortunes took a nosedive following a disastrous debut at the Euro Cup with Ukraine, coinciding with Thibaut Courtois' return. In less than a month, Lunin went from being applauded for his solid performances at Real Madrid to facing disappointment and criticism for his mistakes against Romania. He found himself overshadowed by Courtois and lamenting his errors.
Ukraine, led by Serhiy Rebrov and featuring talents like Mudryk, Dovbyk, Tsygankov, and Zinchenko, hoped to start the tournament strong against a team that had only won one Euro Cup match in its history (a 3-2 victory over England in 2000). Lunin was expected to be a key player, but his poor performance led to heavy criticism instead of praise. After the game, he immediately apologized to the fans.
Lunin Apologizes
“My mistake changed the game. I’ve already apologized. We need to step up in the next match. When a goalkeeper makes a mistake, it’s almost always a goal because it’s more noticeable. I accept that and understand. It’s happened to me before. I just feel very sorry for my teammates, who put in a great effort and my mistake made things difficult,” Lunin said.
Lunin’s error involved a pass that ended up with an opponent, who then set up Nicolae Stanciu for an unstoppable shot that opened the scoring for Romania. In the second half, Razvan Marin scored a second goal when Lunin made an ineffective dive at a seemingly easy shot from outside the box, sealing Ukraine's defeat.
These errors stood in stark contrast to Lunin’s crucial performances for Real Madrid in the Champions League this season. He made nine key saves against Leipzig in the Round of 16, followed by eight saves against Manchester City, including two penalty stops that secured Real Madrid’s agonizing progression to the semifinals. He capped off his decisive displays with a superb save against Harry Kane at the Bernabéu, preventing further damage to his team.
Triumphant Season at Real Madrid, Overshadowed by Courtois
Lunin's run of good fortune ended with Courtois' recovery, relegating him to the bench as the Belgian regained his competitive rhythm. Although unspoken at the club, it seemed Courtois was being prepped to start the Champions League final. Lunin was benched for matches against Granada and Alavés but played against Villarreal, with Courtois closing out the league against Betis.
As if there were any doubts about who would start in the final against Dortmund, an unexpected bout of flu relieved Carlo Ancelotti of making the decision: Courtois would be the goalkeeper. Lunin then joined the Ukrainian national team but missed the first friendly against Poland, returning for the second against Moldova.
Then came the match against Romania and his now well-known mistakes. In less than thirty days, from his saves against Bayern to his Euro Cup debut, Lunin went from being a hero at Real Madrid to a villain for Ukraine.
