Iconic football manager Mircea Lucescu’s condition is getting worse with the 80-year-old placed into an induced coma following a heart attack, with his son abandoning his side’s derby match to be by his side.
The coach, who only left his role as Romania boss a matter of days ago, has been battling severe arrhythmias, which is a condition involving heart rhythm disturbances that can be life-threatening.
Reports stated that he suffered a heart attack on Friday morning, less than a week after he stepped down from his role at Romania after collapsing during a team meeting.
On Friday, a statement from the University Hospital in Bucharest said he was ‘stable,’ but reports in Romania say he now could only have days to live.
His family have rushed to be by his side, with his wife, Neli, and granddaughter Marilu present, while Razvan Lucescu, his son and manager of Greek side PAOK, has left his team during their derby clash with Panathinaikos to be at his bedside.
Mihai Stoichita, who works as a technical director of the Romania team, visited him in hospital and said he was unable to speak to his now-former colleague.
Mircea Lucescu is in a coma and has reportedly been given just days to live after a heart attack
The 80-year-old was Romania manager up until a matter of days ago and left his post after collapsing during a team meeting
He said: ‘I can’t give any news, because I haven’t talked to anyone. I just sat there with him for about five minutes, he doesn’t answer anything, that’s normal. Let’s hope he’ll be fine, God willing.
‘He can’t talk. He’s probably in an induced state to help, I know. I don’t know how to tell him I don’t understand. I just sat there and looked at him, that’s all. I can’t give any statement, because I’d probably say something stupid. He must have days, that’s important, nothing else.
‘Whoever it was, it hurts you, especially when you had a relationship with him. We were both adversaries and friends at the same time. I can’t be either optimistic or pessimistic, because I’m not a doctor. I didn’t say anything to him, I just touched him.
‘Of course he is connected to the machines, he has extraordinary care, it is clear that someone is always checking. I have not spoken to any doctor. May God grant that he will be well, that he will live, that he will continue to be with us. Hope dies last.’
There were initially high hopes for Lucescu’s recovery. He had undergone heart surgery and had a fifth stent fitted, which is used to help keep arteries open and increase blood flow.
He was said to have been sitting up and talking, but his condition has deteriorated over the last few hours.
Mircea Lucescu, who had a long playing career that saw him feature 64 times for Romania, started coaching in 1979 upon his retirement and first managed his country in 1981 until 1986.
After that, he had stints as boss of the likes of Inter Milan, Galatasaray and Besiktas, enjoying time as a Champions League boss.
His son, Razvan Lucescu, has left his side PAOK ahead of a derby clash to be with his father
The duo have both had long careers in football management, both coaching the Romania team
More recent jobs have seen him lead Turkey between 2017 and 2019 and Dynamo Kyiv from 2020 to 2023, while he rejoined Romania in 2024.
His son, Razvan, 57, also coached Romania between 2009 and 2011. Having also worked for the likes of Al Hilal, he took over at PAOK for the second time in 2021, but has had to leave his side without their head coach before their Greek play-off game against Panathinaikos.
The game will kick off at 5pm BST on Sunday.
