Mircea Lucescu replaces Edi Iordănescu as coach of Romania’s national football team

Mircea Lucescu has accepted the Romanian Football Federation's offer to become the national team's new coach, replacing former coach Edi Iordănescu who chose not to continue after the Euro 2024 football tournament.

A veteran coach, Lucescu took up the job after a four-hour discussion with the Romanian Football Federation Răzvan Burleanu president and another manager, Mihai Stoichiță, at the Federation headquarters.

"I am extremely passionate and motivated," Lucescu said last week in a conversation with GOLAZO.ro. At that time, he had not yet decided to accept the Federation’s proposal. Upon leaving the FRF headquarters, Lucescu refused to make any statements, as did the FRF leaders.

Legendary football player turned coach Gheorghe Hagi, the Federation’s first choice, declined the offer to coach the national team to lead his football club Farul Constanta, which he also coaches.

“Il Luce,” as Lucescu is dubbed, returns as coach of the national team nearly four decades after his previous tenure. He left the national team in the fall of 1986 after leading it for five years, managing to get the team into the final tournament of the 1984 European Championship. In the preliminary group stage that year, Romania had to play Italy, Czechoslovakia, Sweden, and Cyprus. At that time, only seven national teams, plus the host country, qualified for the Euro cup.

Mircea Lucescu ranks third all-time among the most decorated coaches globally, based on the number of trophies won. He has won 36 trophies, just two fewer than Pep Guardiola but more than Mourinho, Ancelotti, and others. The one taking the first place, Alex Ferguson, won 49 trophies before retiring.

Throughout his career, Lucescu coached teams such as Galatasaray, Besiktas, Shakhtar Donetsk, and Dynamo Kyiv.

(Photo source: Inquam Photos | Denis Grosu)