On the afternoon of 29/3, coach Lucescu suffered a stroke during a Romania national team meeting. The incident happened hours before their scheduled departure for Slovakia for a friendly match two days later.

Medical staff immediately provided first aid, then called an ambulance to take the 80-year-old coach to the hospital. His condition is reported as stable. Assistant coach Ionel Gane will temporarily lead the team.

Coach Lucescu directing during the European World Cup qualifier playoff Path C semifinal on 26/3. *Photo: Reuters*

Romania had lost 0-1 to hosts Turkey in the European World Cup qualifier playoff Path C semifinal on 26/3.

Turkey will advance to play Kosovo in the final on 31/3, after Kosovo defeated Slovakia 4-3 in the other semifinal. Other playoff finals feature: Bosnia & Herzegovina - Italy, Sweden - Poland, and Czech Republic - Denmark.

Lucescu is an experienced coach with nearly 50 years in the profession. His career highlights include winning the UEFA Cup in the 2008-2009 season with Shakhtar Donetsk. He also won multiple national championships in Romania, Ukraine, and Turkey.

At the national team level, Lucescu managed Romania from 1981 to 1986, leading them to their only Euro 1984 appearance from a challenging group. He also coached Turkey from 2017 to 2019. In 8/2024, Lucescu returned to Romania on a two-year contract. He recently battled a severe illness, though specific details remain undisclosed.

Thanh Quy