Romanian soccer legend Mircea Lucescu passed away on Tuesday. Bucharest University Emergency Hospital confirmed the news in a statement. Lucescu was considered one of the greatest coaches of the past decades, and managed teams such as Shakhtar Donetsk, Inter, Galatasaray, and Dynamo Kyiv before leading the Romanian national team from 2024 to 2026. He managed Romania until March 26 when they lost the World Cup playoff semifinal against Turkiye, the same national team he guided from 2017 to 2019.
The Bucharest University Emergency Hospital issued the following statement to the AP. “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. Entire generations of Romanians grew up with his image in their hearts, as a national symbol.”
During the 1990’s he coached four Serie A teams: Pisa, Brescia, Reggiana and Inter, but his spell at Shakhtar Donetsk became one of the most iconic of all time. He won a total of 22 trophies during his time at Shakhtar. These included eight Ukrainian Premier League titles, six Ukrainian Cups, seven Ukrainian Super Cups, and the UEFA Cup in 2009. Overall, his 12-year spell marked the most successful era in the club’s history.
He managed the Romanian national team in their first historical European qualification in 1984 when they were able to win in the qualification group against Italy, the 1982 World Cup champions. After that success, he embarked on his club coaching career, becoming one of the most successful managers of all time. He won 34 trophies, ranking third in history behind Sir Alex Ferguson (49) and Pep Guardiola (38).
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