Mircea Lucescu: Biography, Facts and Career

Mircea Lucescu (Romanian pronunciation: [ˈmirtʃe̯a luˈtʃesku]; 29 July 1945 – 7 April 2026) was a Romanian professional football player and manager. Lucescu was one of the most successful footballers of the Romanian league championship, having won all seven of his titles with Dinamo București between 1964 and 1990. He also had spells at Știința București and Corvinul Hunedoara, and made 64 appearances for the Romania national team, which he captained at the 1970 FIFA World Cup. Lucescu started his managerial career in 1979, while still playing for Corvinul Hunedoara. In the next five decades, he went on coach various sides in Romania, Italy, Turkey, Ukraine, and Russia. He was widely regarded for his twelve-year stint in charge of Shakhtar Donetsk, where he became the most successful coach in the club's history by winning eight Ukrainian Premier League titles, six Ukrainian Cups, seven Ukrainian Super Cups, and the 2008–09 UEFA Cup. He also won trophies in Ukraine with Shakhtar's rival Dynamo Kyiv, as well as Romanian titles with Dinamo București and Rapid București, and Turkish Süper Lig titles with Galatasaray and Beşiktaş. Lucescu was named Romania Coach of the Year in 2004, 2010, 2012, 2014, and 2021, and Ukraine Coach of the Year in 2006 and for seven consecutive years from 2008 to 2014. In 2013, he was awarded the Manager of the Decade award in Romania, and in 2015 became the fifth person to coach in 100 UEFA Champions League matches, joining Alex Ferguson, Carlo Ancelotti, Arsène Wenger, and José Mourinho. He also ranks third in football history with 38 official trophies. Lucescu died in 2026, aged 80, shortly after completing his second stint with the Romania national team.

Quick facts about Mircea Lucescu

• Full name: Mircea Lucescu
• Born: 1945-07-29
• Nationality: Romania
• Known as: Athlete
• Wikidata ID: Q342698

Profile compiled from public Wikipedia and Wikidata data. Details can change over time.