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ISTANBUL, TURKEY – MARCH 26: Mircea Lucescu, Head Coach of Romania, looks on prior to the FIFA World Cup 2026 European Qualifiers KO play-offs match between Türkiye and Romania at Besiktas Park on March 26, 2026 in Istanbul, Turkey. (Photo by Burak Kara/Getty Images)
Inter and Pisa have paid their respects following the news that their former head coach Mircea Lucescu has died at the age of 80.
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Lucescu, whose managerial career spanned six different decades, has died at the age of 80 after being hospitalised with a heart arrhythmia on March 29. He suffered a cardiac arrest on April 3 and his death was announced in a press release by the Bucharest University Hospital on Tuesday.
Lucescu was still the head coach of Romania less than a week before his passing, handing in his resignation on April 2 a few days after he was hospitalised.
Lucescu began his managerial career as a player-coach of Cornivul Hunedoara in 1979, before going on to serve as Romania head coach between 1981 and 1986. He then spent five years in charge of Dinamo Bucuresti before moving to Italy.
Lucescu had a year in charge of Pisa between 1990 and 1991 and then spent five years with Brescia in two separate spells between 1991 and 1996. He would later go on to coach Reggiana and Inter, the latter in 1998-99.
He then went on to have spells with Rapid Bucuresti, Galatasaray, Besiktas, Shakhtar Donetsk, Zenit Saint Petersburg, the Turkiye national team, Dynamo Kyiv and the Romania national team once more.
Lucescu is one of only nine head coaches to have taken part in 100 or more Champions League matches (115). He is among a prestigious list of managers that also includes Jurgen Klopp (100), Massimiliano Allegri (100), Diego Simeone (124), Jose Mourinho (154), Arsene Wenger (178), Pep Guardiola (189), Sir Alex Ferguson (190) and Carlo Ancelotti (218).
Inter and Pisa pay tribute to Lucescu
“FC Internazionale Milano and the entire Inter family mourn the passing of Mircea Lucescu and extend heartfelt condolences to his loved ones,” Inter wrote in a statement on Tuesday evening.
Pisa also released a statement that read: “Pisa SC expresses its deepest condolences following the death of Mircea Lucescu.
“The Romanian coach, in his long and glorious career, led Pisa in the 1990-91 Serie A championship. A short, but intense journey, remembered above all for an incredible start to the season that had the Nerazzurri at the top of the standings.
“President Giuseppe Corrado, on behalf of the whole club, sends his condolences to the Lucescu family in this moment of great sorrow. Goodbye Mircea.”
ByPeter Young
Peter Young is a Senior Reporter with Football Italia.
