Overview
- Hospital officials in Bucharest confirmed Tuesday night that Mircea Lucescu died at age 80 after more than a week under care.
- Lucescu collapsed during Romania’s training on March 29, received a stent on April 2, then suffered cardiac events on April 3 that prompted an ICU transfer and an induced coma.
- Days before the collapse, he told The Guardian he would not leave the national team job and said he “cannot leave as a coward.”
- Mourners are paying respects at the National Arena in Bucharest, where a guard of honor is keeping vigil during three days of ceremonies before a Friday burial.
- His legacy includes taking Romania to its first European Championship in 1984 and winning the 2009 UEFA Cup with Shakhtar Donetsk along with multiple Ukrainian titles.