Mircea Lucescu, a celebrated Romanian soccer player and coach, has died at age 80. The Bucharest University Emergency Hospital confirmed his death on Tuesday, following hospitalization after a reported heart attack on Friday.
Lucescu’s career included captaining Romania at the 1970 World Cup and later leading the national team to its first European Championship qualification in 1984. He recently stepped down as Romania’s head coach last Thursday after becoming ill during training.
A highly decorated manager, Lucescu also achieved success with Shakhtar Donetsk and various clubs across Europe, winning multiple titles. He had returned to coach Romania after a 38-year gap, aiming to qualify for the World Cup, but the team recently lost a playoff to Turkey.
The Romanian Football Federation also confirmed his passing on Tuesday, recognizing his significant contributions to the sport across two periods with the national team.