According to media reports, Romania’s national soccer coach Mircea Lucescu has suffered a collapse and is being treated at Bucharest University Hospital for a serious cardiac arrhythmia.
The 80-year-old will therefore not be on the sidelines when Romania plays a friendly match against Slovakia in Bratislava next Tuesday, the Romanian Football Federation (FRF) announced in Bucharest.
Lucescu felt unwell during the last training session before leaving for Slovakia, the statement continued. Ambulance teams present provided first aid and ensured that he was taken to hospital in a stable condition. The Bucharest University Hospital announced that the coach was diagnosed with a severe cardiac arrhythmia. He is being treated as an inpatient.
No game cancellation
According to its own statements, the football association tried to cancel the game in Bratislava. However, this did not prove to be feasible. Assistant coach Ionel Gare, a former selection player, is now taking care of the team.
Lucescu was appointed coach of the national team in the summer of 2024. He had already coached the Romanian team from 1981 to 1986 and led them to the European Championships in 1984. This was followed by positions as a coach at Inter Milan, Galatasaray Istanbul, Shakhtar Donetsk, Besiktas Istanbul, Zenit St. Petersburg and Dynamo Kiev.
