Deep sorrow over the death of legendary coach Mircea Lucescu

Mircea Lucescu has died a few days after resigning as Romania's national football coach. The University Hospital in Bucharest, where the 80-year-old had been treated, announced his death.

April 08, 2026

From: dpa

Just at the end of March, Lucescu was still on the sidelines for Romania in the European World Cup play-offs. In the 0-1 defeat against Turkey, he became the oldest national team coach in history, surpassing the German Otto Pfister.

Shortly afterward, Lucescu developed severe heart rhythm problems. For this reason, he resigned from his post last Thursday, even though his contract was only valid until the end of March. Just one day after his resignation, he suffered a heart attack. His condition deteriorated rapidly. He ultimately had to be placed on a ventilator in the intensive care unit of the University Hospital in Bucharest.

Unforgettable in Italy

With his resignation, Lucescu's second term as Romanian national team coach, which had begun in the summer of 2024, came to an end. He had previously coached the national team from 1981 to 1986 and led them to the European Championship in 1984.

Mircea Lucescu coached several major clubs. © ANSA / Art Service 2 / STR

His long career included stints at renowned clubs such as Inter Milan, Brescia, Pisa, Reggiana, the Istanbul giants Galatasaray and Besiktas, Shakhtar Donetsk, Zenit St. Petersburg, and Dynamo Kyiv. His time at Shakhtar Donetsk is particularly memorable: in twelve years, he led the club to eight Ukrainian league titles.

Keywords Soccer Romania Mourning Tod Mircea Lucescu