The plane tickets already purchased for today, the bombing at night, waking up and running to a hotel, knowing that you are now trapped.
And now the hope that the Italian government, through the embassy in Kiev, can provide the way out of Ukraine under attack from Russia.
That of Roberto De Zerbi and his eight Italian collaborators at the helm of Shakthar Donetsk is the story of an illusion that ended with a column of fire on the airport of the Ukrainian capital.
"The embassy here in Kiev had advised us several times to go home: now we are waiting to understand from them how we can leave Ukraine", admits De Zerbi, 42, from Brescia, former Sassuolo coach in Serie A. Italians at the helm of the Donbass club are not the only foreigners blocked.
"AND'
the worst day of my life, I pray just so that no more bombs fall ", said from Kiev Paulo Fonseca, ex of Shakhtar and Rome, married to a Ukrainian and in these days in Kiev." I would make the choice to stay again, not there 'we took to be called heroes - De Zerbi's necessary explanation - Football is our job: yesterday at 11pm the Ukrainian federation told us that 70% of the championship was going on, even if on Saturday we should have played in Kharkiv, 30 kilometers from Russia ... There was anxiety and fear, but we didn't feel like giving up everything.
The Italian embassy was close to us, we had to make ourselves heard more with the local football federation, the championship was suspended only this morning, once the bombings started.
Maybe someone had underestimated Putin's words. "
When "the plane tickets had already been booked for the 24th afternoon", as a precaution, as revealed by De Zerbi's deputy, Davide Possanzini.
"We expected something - his words - but not of this size."
