Legendary football coach Mircea Lucescu, Romania’s most successful coach of recent decades who won multiple trophies at home and abroad, died on Tuesday, the hospital where he was being treated said. He was 80.
Just over a week ago, he was still Romania’s national coach but was taken sick during a training session, three days after Romania had missed out on qualification to the World Cup after losing to Turkey in a playoff. He was taken to hospital where he suffered a series of heart attacks and medical crises and never recovered.
Lucescu who successfully coached clubs in Romania and abroad over a 62-year-career died at 8.30 p.m, the Bucharest University Emergency Hospital said in a press release.
“The Bucharest University Emergency Hospital informs that today, Tuesday, April 7, 2026, around 8:30 p.m., Mr. Mircea Lucescu died.”
He was ” was one of Romania’s most successful football coaches and players, the first to qualify the Romanian national team for a European Championship, in 1984,” the medical unit said.
“Entire generations of Romanians have grown up with him in their hearts, as a national symbol. May God rest him!”, the Hospital said.
Romania’s Football Federation said it was “a dark day for Romania and world football,” calling Lucescu “more than just a coach.”
La Gazzetta dello Sport called him “the Nikola Tesla of football. Ahead of his time.”
He won all seven of his titles with Dinamo Bucuresti and made 64 appearances for the Romania national team which he captained at the 1979 FIFA World Cup.
Lucescu coached various sides in Romania, Italy, Turkey, Ukraine and Russia. He was known for being in charge of Shakhtar Donetsk where during his 12 year-term he became the most successful coach in the club’s history by winning eight Ukrainian Premier League titles, six Ukrainian cups and seven Ukrainian Super Cups and the 2008-2009 UEFA Cup.
He also won trophies in Ukraine with Shakhtar’s rival Dynamo Kyiv, as well as Divizia A titles with Dinamo București and Rapid Bucuresti and Turkish Super Lig titles with Galatasary and Besiktas.
“We won’t forget you, Lucescu”, Galatasaray said on Facebook
He was named Romanian Coach of the Year in 2004, 2010, 2012, 2014 and 2021, and Ukraine Coach of the Year in 2006 and between 2008 and 2014
In 2015, he became the fifth person to coach in 100 UEFA Champions League matches, alongside Alex Ferguson, Carlo Ancelotti, Arsene Wenger and Jose Mourinho. He won 38 official trophies, and is ranked third.
Lucescu was hospitalized at the University Hospital on March 29, after falling sick at a training session of the national football team. He was due to be discharged on Friday but had a relapse.
On Sunday, the hospital said his condition worsened, and he was transferred to the Intensive Care Unit: “On Saturday, he had several medical episodes and on Sunday, they became severe and did not respond to treatment. The patient’s condition worsened, requiring transfer to the Anesthesia and Intensive Care Unit”
