Romania's head coach Mircea Lucescu gives instructions during the 2026 World Cup playoff semifinal soccer match between Turkey and Romania, in Istanbul, Turkey, Thursday, March 26, 2026. (AP Photo)
Romanian soccer great Mircea Lucescu has died at age 80
Apr 7, 2026 | 11:17 AM
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BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — Mircea Lucescu, the Romanian soccer great who was a serial trophy winner as a player and a coach, has died. He was 80.
Lucescu’s death was confirmed by Bucharest University Emergency Hospital on Tuesday. He had been hospitalized 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 grew up with his image in their hearts, as a national symbol.”
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