Mircea Lucescu steps down as Romania’s coach following World Cup qualifying playoff loss

This announcement follows a disappointing 1-0 loss to Turkey in the semi-finals of the World Cup qualifying play-offs on March 26.

The 80-year-old coach was hospitalised last week due to illness during a meeting prior to a training session, which prevented him from joining the team for their subsequent friendly match in Slovakia on Tuesday.

This marks the end of Lucescu’s second term as Romania’s coach. His first tenure in the early 1980s saw him guide the national team to the 1984 European Championship, marking Romania’s inaugural appearance at the tournament.

The FRF has indicated that Lucescu is likely to assume a new role within the organisation in the near future. Meanwhile, the search for a successor to lead the squad through the upcoming qualifying cycle is already underway.