Just one day after resignation
©IMAGO
Mircea Lucescu’s health has deteriorated rapidly just a day after resigning as Romania national coach. As Romanian media report, citing a statement from the University Hospital in Bucharest, the 80-year-old suffered a heart attack before his planned discharge on Good Friday.
“In the morning, the patient suffered an acute myocardial infarction. He was taken to the emergency room and immediately received the necessary medical and therapeutic measures in accordance with current protocols. His condition is currently stable and he is being carefully monitored by specialists,” Libertatea newspaper quoted the hospital statement as saying.
The patient is in the cardiology department and is receiving appropriate medical care there. “His condition is stable, he is conscious and cooperating with the medical staff,” the newspaper “Adevarul” quoted the clinic’s director, Catalin Cirstoiu.
Lucescu has been hospitalized at the University Hospital since last Sunday after he collapsed during training. Severe cardiac arrhythmias were diagnosed in the hospital. According to “Libertatea” he had a pacemaker inserted last Tuesday.
Romanian national team: Advice on possible successor
It was only on Thursday that the Romanian Football Association (FRF) announced that Lucescu was giving up his position as national coach. However, the contract expired on March 31st anyway. Former world-class player Gheorghe Hagi and ex-selection coach Edward Iordanescu are being discussed as successors. The association announced that corresponding proposals will be presented to the FRF Executive Committee next Wednesday.
With his resignation, Lucescu had previously ended his second term as Romania’s selection coach. He had already coached the Romanian national team from 1981 to 1986 and led them to the European Championship in 1984.
This was followed by positions as a coach at Inter Milan, Galatasaray Istanbul, Shakhtar Donetsk, Besiktas Istanbul, Zenit St. Petersburg and Dynamo Kyiv, among others. In the summer of 2024 he took over the national team again. Under his leadership, there were eleven wins and one draw and six defeats.
