Romania has announced the return of Mircea Lucescu for his second stint as the national team’s head coach, taking over from fellow Romanian Edward Iordanescu, as confirmed by the national football federation (FRF) on Tuesday.
The 79-year-old Lucescu previously managed Romania from 1981-1986 and has since led teams such as Inter Milan in Serie A, Galatasaray in the Turkish Super Lig, Shakhtar Donetsk in the Ukrainian Premier League, and even the Turkey national team, among other clubs. Having most recently been in charge of Dynamo Kyiv in Ukraine, Lucescu has now signed a two-year contract with the FRF. The primary goal during this period will be to guide the team to qualification for the 2026 World Cup. “I am a product of Romanian football through and through,” stated Lucescu. “I have complete faith in this current generation of players. They are a talented group capable of achieving great things.” Under Iordanescu’s leadership, Romania reached the knockout stages of the 2024 European Championship for the first time in 24 years. However, they were ultimately defeated by the Netherlands in the round of 16.
“The performance they displayed at Euro 2024 in Germany gives them reason to believe in their potential and their ability to qualify for the World Championship,” added Lucescu.
