BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) – Mircea Lucescu, the great Romanian soccer player who won consecutive trophies as both a player and a coach, has died. He was 80 years old.
Lucescu’s death was confirmed on Tuesday by the Bucharest University Emergency Hospital. He reportedly suffered a heart attack on Friday morning and was hospitalized.
“Mircea Lucescu is one of the most successful Romanian football coaches and players, leading the Romanian national team to qualify for the European Championship for the first time in 1984,” the hospital said in a statement. “Generations of Romanians have grown up with his image in their hearts as a national symbol.”
Lucescu has had a long coaching career and was in his second stint with the Romanian national team before resigning after falling ill during training last Thursday. Three days earlier, Romania had lost to Türkiye in the playoffs and missed out on qualifying for the World Cup.
As a player, Lucescu captained his national team at the 1970 World Cup. During his prolific coaching career, he led Romania to the European Championship and coached teams across Europe, winning multiple titles.
He returned to coach Romania for the first time in 38 years, aiming to qualify for the World Cup.
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