Mircea Lucescu, the legendary Romanian football coach, has died at age 80.
Lucescu led Shakhtar Donetsk to eight Ukrainian league titles and the 2009 UEFA Cup. He also managed Galatasaray and Besiktas in Turkey, and Inter Milan and Brescia in Italy.
As a player, he captained the Romanian national team and guided them to Euro 1984. His second tenure as Romania’s manager ended with a loss to Turkey in the 2026 World Cup playoff semi-finals.
The Romanian Football Federation announced his death on Tuesday, describing him as a man who lived for football.
"It is a black day for Romania and world football," said the FRF. "His impact on our football is immeasurable."