Romanian legendary manager Mircea Lucescu passes away aged 80 Romanian football legend Mircea Lucescu — a serial trophy winner as a player and a coach — passed away aged 80 on Tuesday.
Lucescu’s death was confirmed by Bucharest University Emergency Hospital, where he had been admitted after reportedly suffering a heart attack on Friday morning.
“Mr. Mircea Lucescu was one of the most successful Romanian football coaches and players, the first to qualify the Romanian national team for a European Championship, in 1984,” the hospital said in a statement. “Entire generations of Romanians grew up with his image in their hearts, as a national symbol.”
Lucescu had a lengthy coaching career and was in his second spell with the Romanian national team until stepping down last Thursday after falling ill during training. Three days earlier, Romania had missed out on qualification to the World Cup after losing to Turkey in a playoff.
As a player, Lucescu captained his country at the 1970 World Cup.
Lucescu’s coaching career spanned almost half a century, from late-1970s Romania to 2026 World Cup qualifying, as Eastern European football was transformed by political and economic changes after the fall of communism, and later by the effects of Russia’s actions in Ukraine.
Lucescu spent 12 years as coach of Shakhtar Donetsk, where billionaire Rinat Akhmetov’s backing assembled a squad filled with up-and-coming Brazilian talents. Lucescu forged a team that became a Champions League regular and won the UEFA Cup in 2009.
Mircea Lucescu (second from right) celebrates winning the Ukrainian top division with Shakhtar Donetsk. He won eight top flight titles with the side..
| Photo Credit:
REUTERS
Mircea Lucescu (second from right) celebrates winning the Ukrainian top division with Shakhtar Donetsk. He won eight top flight titles with the side..
| Photo Credit:
REUTERS
By the time Lucescu left in 2016, Shakhtar had left its home city of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine after a takeover by Russia-backed separatists.
His later moves to Russia’s Zenit St. Petersburg and to Shakhtar’s bitter Ukrainian rival Dynamo Kyiv were less well-received by Shakhtar fans.
Internationally, Lucescu coached Turkey as well as Romania. His second spell with Romania started in 2024, 38 years after he’d left the national team the first time. His last game was the loss to Turkey.
Lucescu coached Pisa, Brescia, Reggiana and Inter Milan in Italy and is remembered fondly in the north of the country, especially at Brescia — despite his tenure being marked by several ups and downs.
His team there was dubbed Brescia Romeno after Lucescu signed four of his compatriots, including one of Romania’s greatest ever players, Gheorghe Hagi, between stints at Barcelona and Real Madrid.
Published on Apr 08, 2026
#Romanian #legendary #manager #Mircea #Lucescu #passes #aged
Romanian football legend Mircea Lucescu — a serial trophy winner as a player and a coach — passed away aged 80 on Tuesday.
Lucescu’s death was confirmed by Bucharest University Emergency Hospital, where he had been admitted after reportedly suffering a heart attack on Friday morning.
“Mr. Mircea Lucescu was one of the most successful Romanian football coaches and players, the first to qualify the Romanian national team for a European Championship, in 1984,” the hospital said in a statement. “Entire generations of Romanians grew up with his image in their hearts, as a national symbol.”
Lucescu had a lengthy coaching career and was in his second spell with the Romanian national team until stepping down last Thursday after falling ill during training. Three days earlier, Romania had missed out on qualification to the World Cup after losing to Turkey in a playoff.
As a player, Lucescu captained his country at the 1970 World Cup.
Lucescu’s coaching career spanned almost half a century, from late-1970s Romania to 2026 World Cup qualifying, as Eastern European football was transformed by political and economic changes after the fall of communism, and later by the effects of Russia’s actions in Ukraine.
Lucescu spent 12 years as coach of Shakhtar Donetsk, where billionaire Rinat Akhmetov’s backing assembled a squad filled with up-and-coming Brazilian talents. Lucescu forged a team that became a Champions League regular and won the UEFA Cup in 2009.
Mircea Lucescu (second from right) celebrates winning the Ukrainian top division with Shakhtar Donetsk. He won eight top flight titles with the side.. | Photo Credit: REUTERS
Mircea Lucescu (second from right) celebrates winning the Ukrainian top division with Shakhtar Donetsk. He won eight top flight titles with the side.. | Photo Credit: REUTERS
By the time Lucescu left in 2016, Shakhtar had left its home city of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine after a takeover by Russia-backed separatists.
His later moves to Russia’s Zenit St. Petersburg and to Shakhtar’s bitter Ukrainian rival Dynamo Kyiv were less well-received by Shakhtar fans.
Internationally, Lucescu coached Turkey as well as Romania. His second spell with Romania started in 2024, 38 years after he’d left the national team the first time. His last game was the loss to Turkey.
Lucescu coached Pisa, Brescia, Reggiana and Inter Milan in Italy and is remembered fondly in the north of the country, especially at Brescia — despite his tenure being marked by several ups and downs.
His team there was dubbed Brescia Romeno after Lucescu signed four of his compatriots, including one of Romania’s greatest ever players, Gheorghe Hagi, between stints at Barcelona and Real Madrid.
Published on Apr 08, 2026
![Andreeva vs Chwalinska, French Open 2026 Final: Preview, head-to-head record, live streaming info PREVIEWIf the French Open women’s final appears on paper to be a mismatch between a teenage prodigy and an unheralded qualifier, Poland’s Maja Chwalinska has spent the past fortnight proving appearances can be deceiving.Russian eighth seed Mirra Andreeva arrives at Saturday’s showpiece as the overwhelming favourite after bulldozing her way through the draw, dropping only 12 games in her last three matches and looking every inch a future Grand Slam champion.Yet, across the net will stand a player whose improbable run has become one of the stories of the tournament.Read the full preview here.The French Open will have a new women’s singles champion!Will it be the Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva, ranked 8th in the world, or will it be Polish qualifier and World No. 114 Maja Chwalinska?Final on Saturday. Mark your calendars!📸 Reuters#RolandGarrospic.twitter.com/3jNaUMI1L7— Sportstar (@sportstarweb) June 4, 2026LIVESTREAM AND TELECAST INFOWhen and where to watch French Open 2026 women’s singles final between Mirra Andreeva and Maja Chwalinska in India?The French Open 2026 women’s singles final between Mirra Andreeva and Maja Chwalinska will begin at 6:30 p.m. IST on June 6 (Saturday). In India, the match will be telecast live on the Sony Sports Network while the live stream will be available on SonyLiv and FanCode (applications and websites both).HEAD-TO-HEADThis will be the first meeting between World No. 8 Andreeva and World No. 114 Chwalinska.ROUTE TO THE FINALMirra AndreevaSemifinal: 6-1, 6-3 against [15] Marta Kostyuk (UKR)Quarterfinal: 6-0, 6-3 against [18] Sorana Cirstea (ROU)Round of 16: 6-3, 6-2 against Jil Teichmann (SUI)Third Round: 6-4, 6-2 against [27] Marie Bouzkova (CZE)Second Round: 3-6, 6-1, 6-1 against [Q] Marina Bassols Ribera (ESP)First Round: 6-3, 6-3 against [WC] Fiona Ferro (FRA)Maja ChwalinskaSemifinal: 7-6(4), 6-4 against [25] Diana ShnaiderQuarterfinal: 7-6(3), 6-3 against [22] Anna KalinskayaRound of 16: 6-3, 6-2 against Diane Parry (FRA)Third Round: 1-6, 6-3, 6-2 against Maria Sakkari (GRE)Second Round: 6-4, 6-0 against [23] Elise Mertens (BEL)First Round: 6-4, 6-0 against Qinwen Zheng (CHN)Time spent on courtAndreeva: 8 hours 14 minutesChwalinska: 10 hours 52 minutesPublished on Jun 06, 2026 #Andreeva #Chwalinska #French #Open #Final #Preview #headtohead #record #live #streaming #info](https://i3.wp.com/ss-i.thgim.com/public/incoming/qpwbvp/article71067480.ece/alternates/LANDSCAPE_1200/Andreeva%20vs%20Chwalinska%20French%20Open%20final.jpg?ssl=1 "Andreeva vs Chwalinska, French Open 2026 Final: Preview, head-to-head record, live streaming info PREVIEWIf the French Open women’s final appears on paper to be a mismatch between a teenage prodigy and an unheralded qualifier, Poland’s Maja Chwalinska has spent the past fortnight proving appearances can be deceiving.Russian eighth seed Mirra Andreeva arrives at Saturday’s showpiece as the overwhelming favourite after bulldozing her way through the draw, dropping only 12 games in her last three matches and looking every inch a future Grand Slam champion.Yet, across the net will stand a player whose improbable run has become one of the stories of the tournament.Read the full preview here.The French Open will have a new women’s singles champion!Will it be the Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva, ranked 8th in the world, or will it be Polish qualifier and World No. 114 Maja Chwalinska?Final on Saturday. Mark your calendars!📸 Reuters#RolandGarrospic.twitter.com/3jNaUMI1L7— Sportstar (@sportstarweb) June 4, 2026LIVESTREAM AND TELECAST INFOWhen and where to watch French Open 2026 women’s singles final between Mirra Andreeva and Maja Chwalinska in India?The French Open 2026 women’s singles final between Mirra Andreeva and Maja Chwalinska will begin at 6:30 p.m. IST on June 6 (Saturday). In India, the match will be telecast live on the Sony Sports Network while the live stream will be available on SonyLiv and FanCode (applications and websites both).HEAD-TO-HEADThis will be the first meeting between World No. 8 Andreeva and World No. 114 Chwalinska.ROUTE TO THE FINALMirra AndreevaSemifinal: 6-1, 6-3 against [15] Marta Kostyuk (UKR)Quarterfinal: 6-0, 6-3 against [18] Sorana Cirstea (ROU)Round of 16: 6-3, 6-2 against Jil Teichmann (SUI)Third Round: 6-4, 6-2 against [27] Marie Bouzkova (CZE)Second Round: 3-6, 6-1, 6-1 against [Q] Marina Bassols Ribera (ESP)First Round: 6-3, 6-3 against [WC] Fiona Ferro (FRA)Maja ChwalinskaSemifinal: 7-6(4), 6-4 against [25] Diana ShnaiderQuarterfinal: 7-6(3), 6-3 against [22] Anna KalinskayaRound of 16: 6-3, 6-2 against Diane Parry (FRA)Third Round: 1-6, 6-3, 6-2 against Maria Sakkari (GRE)Second Round: 6-4, 6-0 against [23] Elise Mertens (BEL)First Round: 6-4, 6-0 against Qinwen Zheng (CHN)Time spent on courtAndreeva: 8 hours 14 minutesChwalinska: 10 hours 52 minutesPublished on Jun 06, 2026 #Andreeva #Chwalinska #French #Open #Final #Preview #headtohead #record #live #streaming #info")
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