"I'm going to have a heart attack during the national team meeting. End it."' Romania in sorrow after '80 years old' of master Lucchescu's death

*This content was translated by AI.

Romania's national soccer team coach Mircea Lucecu, who collapsed shortly after failing to advance to the 2026 2026 FIFA North and Central America World Cup finals, finally passed away. He was 80.

Citing the official announcement of the Romanian Football Association on the 8th (Korea Standard Time), foreign media such as the BBC reported that Coach Lucchescu died around 8:30 p.m. local time on the 7th.

Coach Lucescu collapsed due to a heart attack during a pre-training meeting for the national team on the 29th of last month. It was shortly after the team failed to advance to the finals after losing 0-1 to Turkey in the semi-finals of Group C of the 2026 FIFA 2026 FIFA North and Central America World Cup European Qualification Playoff (PO) held on the 27th. In 2009, he had a history of angina surgery and was rushed to Bucharest University Hospital for treatment, but he failed to recover his health.

The Romanian Football Association expressed deep condolences, saying, "We have lost a national symbol and a pioneer who led Romanian football to the top."

Lucescu is an iconic figure representing Romanian football. In 1964, he made his professional debut as a striker for Dynamo Bucharest, where he played 294 games in 12 seasons and scored 72 goals, leading him to seven regular league championships. He also scored nine goals in 64 A matches for the national team.

After retiring from active duty in 1979, he became a leader and rose to the rank of master. He has led several prestigious European clubs, including Inter Milan (Italy), Galatasaray, Besiktashi (Turkiye), and Zenit (Russia). In particular, he enjoyed his heyday by winning eight regular league titles and the UEFA Cup under Shakhtar Donetsk (Ukraine).

He led the Romanian national team from 1981 to 1986 and took the helm of the national team again in August last year with the goal of advancing to the World Cup finals for the first time in 28 years. However, after missing his last mission to North Korea, China, and the U.S., he sadly left for heaven.

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*This content was translated by AI.