Bucharest: The Romanian Football Federation has announced that it has parted ways with iconic coach Mircea Lucescu, marking the conclusion of his second term with the national team. Lucescu, who first managed Romania from 1981 to 1986, returned to the helm in 2024.
According to Azerbaijan State News Agency, the Romanian Football Federation released a statement declaring, "The end of this contract marks the end of his second term with the national team." Razvan Burleanu, the President of the Federation, lauded Lucescu for his unwavering passion and dedication to the team, emphasizing the veteran coach's commitment to Romanian football. "Mircea Lucescu accepted this challenge and did everything he could for Romania. He showed boundless passion and dedication," Burleanu stated, acknowledging Lucescu's tireless efforts.
Lucescu, revered as a legend in Romanian football, has had a distinguished career both as a coach and a player. His accolades include being named coach of the year multiple times in Romania and even more frequently in Ukraine. During his recent tenure, Lucescu led Romania in two matches against Kosovo in League C of the Nations League, securing victories in both encounters.
In the first match held in Pristina on September 6, Romania triumphed with a score of 3:0. A similar result was achieved in the follow-up match in Bucharest on November 15, although this match was marred by controversy. After player clashes and provocative chants from Romanian fans, Kosovo players left the pitch and did not return. The match, halted at 0:0, was later registered by UEFA with an official score of 3:0 in favor of Romania, a decision upheld by CAS in May of the previous year.
At 80 years old, Lucescu has recently faced health challenges. He was hospitalized after losing consciousness during training, just before traveling to Bratislava for a friendly against Slovakia. Romania played this friendly after being eliminated by Turkey in the semifinals of the 2026 World Cup qualifying playoff. Turkey went on to defeat Kosovo in the playoff final, securing their place in the upcoming World Cup in the USA, Mexico, and Canada.