Legendary football coach Mircea Lucescu passes away at 80

Renowned Romanian football coach Mircea Lucescu died on April 7, 2026, at the age of 80 in a Bucharest hospital following health complications and a recent heart attack. Lucescu, who was the father of PAOK Thessaloniki manager Răzvan Lucescu, had been hospitalized multiple times earlier this year. His body will lie in state at the National Arena in Bucharest on Thursday, April 9, with the funeral service scheduled for April 10 at the Saint Eleftherios Church. A delegation from PAOK will travel to Romania to pay their respects to the Lucescu family. UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin has ordered a minute of silence to be held at all European matches this week in his memory. Throughout his decorated career, Lucescu managed numerous clubs, including Shakhtar Donetsk and Dynamo Kyiv, securing major trophies such as the 2009 UEFA Cup. He served as the head coach of the Romanian national team at the time of his death.