BUCAREST (ROMANIA) (ITALPRESS) – Mircea Lucescu did not make it. The former ct of Romania died at 80 years after a heart attack that struck him on April 2 at a technical meeting of his national. The former coach of Pisa, Brescia, Reggiana and Inter had been hospitalized in Bucharest and was struck by a second heart attack while he was on the verge of leaving the facility.
He would have wanted to close his career by leading his Romania to the next World Cup, but the Turkey of Vincenzo Montella denied him the last goal and ultimately his heart betrayed him. The world of football cries Mircea Lucescu, 80 years of which over half spent on benches around the world, with trophies avalanches but also some important flops. In August 2024 he returned to the bench of the Romanian national team, with the aim of achieving the World Cup qualifying in America, a dream interrupted in the semi-finals of European play-offs to which Lucescu had presented himself despite the precarious health conditions. That they worsened a few days later, with the malore as he prepared the friendly with Slovakia: from there hospital shelter and, on the day when he had to be discharged, the heart attack that caused things to fall. There goes a coach capable of conquering 37 trophies with eight different teams in four different nations.
A real head coach, who already in his first experience at Corvinul Hunedoara (where he alternated between bench and field: he was an attacker) deserved the nickname “Mago” for a third position in the top Romanian championship and the qualification to the Uefa Cup. Afterwards he will lead the Romanian national team, also taking the satisfaction of defeating Italy world champion in the qualifyings for the Europeans of 1984, while the first trophies arrive at Dinamo Bucharest, with two Romania Cups and a Romanian championship.
At this point, in 1990 he opened his parentheses in Italy, starting from Pisa and passing through the Brescia di Corioni (which already looked for him when he was president of Bologna). Two experiences not quite positive, but Lucescu, however, stands out to introduce the first concepts of one of the principles figures of today’s football, that is the match analyst. After another failure, this time at Reggiana, he returns home and wins another Cup of Romania with Rapid Bucharest, before landing at Inter. An adventure lasts not even half season and closed with another flop. He will find new fortune in Turkey, winning two consecutive championships, first with the Galatasaray and then with the Besiktas. This is the launch ramp to the experience that most characterized the career of Lucescu, that is to Donetsk with the Shakhtar. Twelve years when orangers become absolute protagonists in Europe (also winning the Uefa Cup in 2008/2009) but above all eight championships, seven national cups and six supercopies.
He will return to Ukraine four years later (in the middle will be ct of Turkey) to Dinamo Kiev, winning the skepticism of the fans (who had also led him to resignation then withdrawn thanks to the mediation of President Surkis) conquering championship and cup. He resigned in 2023, announcing that would be his last coaching experience. Despite this, he returned to work again taking the lead of Romania. The Federation was also ready to keep it in another capacity, to treasure his experience, but the heart of Mircea Lucescu did not stand: a great coach goes away but his legacy cannot be erased.
– Photo IPA Agency –
(ITALPRESS).
