SOCCER: Former Romania coach Lucescu dies at 80

Mircea Lucescu, the veteran coach who led Shakhtar Donetsk to European glory and managed Romania across two separate eras, has died at the age of 80, the Romanian Football Federation (FRF) announced on Tuesday.

Lucescu was hospitalized late last month after falling ill during a meeting before a training session with Romania, forcing him to miss a friendly match in Slovakia on March 31.

The FRF confirmed his departure as head coach on Thursday and said it had suspended the search for a replacement indefinitely.

Lucescu enjoyed his most notable success during a 12-year tenure at Shakhtar Donetsk, where he guided the team to eight Ukrainian league titles and the 2009 UEFA Cup.

He also won championships in Turkey with rivals Galatasaray and Besiktas, and spent time in Italy with Inter Milan and Brescia.

A former national team captain who led Romania to Euro 1984 as a young coach, Lucescu is widely credited with modernizing the country’s football infrastructure.

His second stint as Romania manager, which ended with a loss to Turkey in the 2026 World Cup playoff semi-finals on March 26, proved to be his final role in football.

“It is a black day for Romania and for world football. A man who lived through and for football in every second of his existence has left us,” the FRF said in a statement. “He was a man who loved this sport more than anything in life, and his impact on our football is immeasurable.”

Known for his tactical discipline and talent development, Lucescu leaves behind a legacy as one of Europe’s most successful club coaches in terms of trophies won.

-Reporting by Tommy Lund in Gdansk; Editing by Ken Ferris/Reuters