Mircea Lucescu, one of the greatest coaches in soccer history, will be laid to rest on Friday. The funeral service takes place at Bellu Cemetery in Bucharest and will include a military honor guard in recognition of his contributions to Romanian sports.
The funeral marks the end of a period of public tributes, during which thousands of fans, former players, and soccer officials came to say goodbye to „Il Luce.” The ceremony will begin in the morning, with a funeral procession departing from the National Arena and heading to St. Elefterie Church in Bucharest. The service at the church will be attended by family and close friends. After the service, the procession will continue to Bellu Cemetery for the burial.
Mircea Lucescu’s burial is scheduled for around noon at Bellu Cemetery and will be preceded by military honors, reflecting his outstanding achievements and his impact on Romanian sports. Access to the cemetery will be restricted, with entry permitted only for family and close guests.
The funeral procession carrying the body of former national team coach Mircea Lucescu arrived at Bellu Cemetery, where he is to be buried.
Starting at 12:00 p.m., the funeral procession traveled from St. Elefterie Church to Bellu Cemetery along the following route: Opera Square – Independence Boulevard – Unirii Square – Dimitrie Cantemir Boulevard – Şerban Vodă Road – Revolution Heroes Square – Bellu Cemetery, where the burial ceremony will take place, beginning at 12:20 p.m.
At St. Elefterie Church in Bucharest, where the funeral service was held, the steps at the entrance were covered with red and white rose petals, laid out before the arrival of the funeral procession. This symbolic gesture marks the final tribute to Mircea Lucescu, and wreaths were laid in front of the church, including one from Galatasaray.
Gigi Becali, owner of FCSB, spoke at St. Elefterie Church in Bucharest.
“I’d already spoken with the doctors there, at the Municipal Hospital, and I knew—well, I sort of knew. Now, of course, when anyone dies, it’s a sad thing. It’s hardest on the family. We offer our condolences; may God forgive him. Football has lost him, that’s true. Sooner or later, a man passes away, and football loses him anyway. You know what the problem is now? Did you see how all the TV stations in the world and in Europe were covering it? Lucescu, Lucescu, Lucescu, Lucescu. Did you see how everyone spoke about him in superlatives? And I knew him. I was blown away—I mean, I spent two hours with him, and in those two hours I was blown away; he spoke with such depth. And everyone spoke only in superlatives and everyone thanked him. Because he was, truly, a man, a superman, a good man,” said Gigi Becali.
“Forget the successes. I’m not talking about successes. Because those successes, as I always said, won’t be seen again like him. But he was a good man. As proof, everyone—strangers, everyone… Did you see how they stopped, with memorials everywhere, right? Yes, but now is the moment that no one has mentioned, and I’m saying it now. He said, ‘Răzvan didn’t need to worry only about soccer. Because I made sure to take care of everything for him,’” added Becali.
In the days leading up to the funeral, the coffin containing the former coach’s body was laid in state at the National Arena, where thousands of fans came to light candles and lay flowers. Among those present were former players, coaches, and representatives from the clubs where he worked, as well as notable figures from the sports community. Mircea Lucescu passed away on April 7 at the age of 80, leaving a lasting mark on soccer in Romania and Europe. Throughout his career, he coached major clubs in Romania, Italy, Turkey, Ukraine, and Russia. His greatest European achievement came in 2009 when he won the UEFA Cup with Shakhtar Donetsk.
MAI MULT MEDIAFAX
