Mircea Lucescu (Bucharest, 1945) managed to qualify Dinamo Kiev last night for the group stage of the Champions League. The ticket obtained will not be one more for him or for his club. With him, it has become the oldest coach in history to lead a team in the highest continental competition. At 75, the Romanian continues to live football as his great passion and it is not in his mind to leave it. At least for now.
Your resume, known to all, collect victories in duels like the one in the game against Madrid de los Galacticos in the European Super Cup in 2000, his UEFA with Shakhtar, his piques with Pep Guardiola or his countless titles. Although practically none have international recognition, as a coach has a total of 33 trophies won. Very few are at his height, although he is far from Sir Alex Ferguson, lead actor, 48.
Since he made his debut back in 1964 as a professional footballer, he has not separated from the beautiful game in not a single moment. He Dinamo Bucharest It has been the club of his life. In 1965 he left it to head to the Sportul Studentesc, but he returned two seasons later. There he made a name for himself to triumph for ten campaigns again in the Romanian capital. At the age of 32, he began his last stage as a professional in the Corvinul hunedoara.
Look if it has rained since then Lucescu He was a player-coach for Corvinul Hunedoara until the end of its trajectory. As soon as he finished, his advanced knowledge of Romanian football and the leadership he always demonstrated on the field of play land led the national team in 1981. With it, he managed to qualify for Euro 84, although he never finished finding the necessary continuity to establish the national team in the final stages of international tournaments.
Lucescu, in a match as a professional.
Popperfoto (DAILY AS)
Player … 45 years old!
Before making his leap to other leagues on the European continent, Lucescu returned to 'his' Dinamo Bucharest. From 1986 to 1990 he took the position of coach, but due to circumstances, he played some games as a player. In an interview with UEFA, the Dynamo Kyiv manager explained why it was then time to leave his country: “As soon as possible, in 1990, after the fall of communism, I left Romania. It came from a place where there were very strict rulesSo when I set foot in the democratic world there was a lot of responsibility. “
In 1991 he signed for Pisa Calcio, Italian, with which he could not certify permanence in the highest category. From being idolized in Romania to the first blow in his coaching career. Even so, he received a second chance at the Brescia. Said and done, he got promotion to the first, although he fell again the following campaign. In 1994, he would get, once again, to be one of the best in Serie B. He bought the ticket back to his native country in 1997, when he finished his stage in the Reggiana.
The big jump
Once the 'morriña' was covered throughout the 1997-98 season, the great opportunity of his sports career arrived. An entire Inter Milan knocked on his door for the 98-99. It was not his natural habitat and he had no problem recognizing it. “I feel that I was impressed by the popularity of some of my players, it was impossible to make them all play at the same time. I took out Ventola to replace Ronaldo. I wanted to play, but I didn't train. From the stadium he went to the airport and went to Brazil. It was a pleasure to watch him play, a real pleasure“He never finished feeling comfortable and resigned to return to Rapid in Bucharest.
Romania was his mattress, his home, but not his goal. Signed with Galatasaray, with which he won a European Super Cup, a League and a Cup. Later, he reached the Besiktas. In 2004, aged 59, he found a new home in Ukraine. The Shakhtar tempted him, he accepted and they joined their paths for more than a decade. From 2004 to 2016, Lucescu lived a glorious time at the title level. He won eight Leagues, six Cups, seven Super Cups and what has surely been his greatest professional success, a Europa League in 2009.
Lucescu talks at a party with Unai Emery.
GENYA SAVILOV (AFP)
Go back to a selection, but not to the Romanian
In 2016, Shakhtar and Lucescu agreed to say goodbye, recognizing an impeccable career. Only a few days later he arrived in Russia, at the Zenit of Saint Petersburg. He did not shine as expected and was dismissed. His time came to lead a national team again. But not Romanian, but Turkish. His experience and seniority did not help his footballers to qualify for the World Cup, nor did it help secure their permanence in their Nations League group. Now, make history with Dynamo Kiev, who has qualified for the Champions League to become the oldest in the history of the competition. Almost nothing.
Simeone and Pirlo
Throughout his long career as a coach, Lucescu has had the opportunity to direct or face what were later football legends. Simeone, current Atlético de Madrid coach, had the honor of advising him on several seasons. However, in an interview with Panenka magazine, he considered that the Argentine still had a lot to do to shine: “Technically it was a catastropheBut he had a wonderful soul and was very intelligent. He had a lot of ambition, he perfected his technique and, above all, his football career “.
He was also in charge of making a certain debut Andrea Pirlo. With only 15 years on his identity card, a young man from the Brescia quarry began to train with the elders. In May 1995, at 16 years and two days old, he played ten minutes against Reggina in a Serie A match. At that time, no one had made his debut so early in the top flight of Italian football. Not only was his talent influenced, but also the vision of the coach who bet on him before anyone else. Yes, Lucescu. The rest is history. Who knows if pupil and teacher will meet again in the Champions League, now both on the bench.