Romanian football legend Mircea Lucescu – a serial trophy winner as a player and coach – died on Tuesday at the age of 80.
Lucescu’s death was confirmed by Bucharest University Emergency Hospital, where he had been admitted after reportedly suffering a heart attack on Friday morning.
«Mr. Mircea Lucescu was one of the most successful Romanian football coaches and players, the first to qualify the Romanian national team for a European championship, in 1984,» the hospital said in a statement. “Entire generations of Romanians have grown up with his image in their hearts, as a national symbol.”
Lucescu had a long coaching career and was in his second spell with the Romanian national team until he resigned last Thursday after falling ill during training. Three days earlier, Romania had missed qualifying for the World Cup after losing to Turkey in a play-off.
As a player, Lucescu captained his country at the 1970 World Cup.
Lucescu’s coaching career spanned almost half a century, from Romania in the late 1970s to 2026 World Cup qualifying, when Eastern European football was transformed by political and economic changes following the fall of communism, and later by the fallout from Russia’s actions in Ukraine.
Lucescu coached Shakhtar Donetsk for twelve years, where the backing of billionaire Rinat Akhmetov brought together a squad full of emerging Brazilian talent. Lucescu formed a team that became a regular in the Champions League and won the UEFA Cup in 2009.
Mircea Lucescu (second from right) celebrates winning the Ukrainian top division with Shakhtar Donetsk. He won eight top titles with the team.. | Photo credit: REUTERS
Mircea Lucescu (second from right) celebrates winning the Ukrainian top division with Shakhtar Donetsk. He won eight top titles with the team.. | Photo credit: REUTERS
By the time Lucescu left in 2016, Shakhtar had left its home city of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine following a takeover by Russian-backed separatists.
His subsequent moves to Russia’s Zenit St. Petersburg and to Shakhtar’s bitter Ukrainian rivals Dynamo Kiev were less well received by Shakhtar fans.
Internationally, Lucescu coached both Turkey and Romania. His second spell with Romania started in 2024, 38 years after he left the national team for the first time. His last match was the defeat against Turkey.
Lucescu coached Pisa, Brescia, Reggiana and Inter Milan in Italy and is fondly remembered in the north of the country, especially at Brescia – despite his tenure being marked by several ups and downs.
His team there was named Brescia Romeno after Lucescu signed four of his compatriots, including one of Romania’s greatest ever players, Gheorghe Hagi, between spells at Barcelona and Real Madrid.
Published on April 8, 2026
