And Hagi suffered it! Three other moments in which the Romanian national team was led by seconds

After elimination from the pool for WC 2026, the Romanian national team will meet Slovakia on March 31 (9:45 p.m., liveTEXT on GSP.ro and live on Antena 1), in a friendly that will be played in Bratislava.

The “tricolor” delegation that will leave for Slovakia today will not include the selector Mircea Lucescu, who was admitted to the University Hospital today, after complaining of medical problems. And in Bratislava, the national team will be led by Jerry Gane.

Anghel Iordănescu did not sit on the bench against Yugoslavia

30 years ago, on March 27, 1996, Anghel Iordănescu, then a selector, did not sit on the bench for a friendly with Yugoslavia, played in Belgrade. The national team was led in that match by the second Costică Ștefănescu and lost, 0-1.

Then, Iordănescu decided not to take part in the match, being angry at the situation in the Romanian championship and even threatened to leave the national team, accusing that there are internally fixed matches. He was turned out of the way by the president Ion Iliescu and thus remained on the national team bench.

Gică Hagi postponed his debut on the Romanian bench

In August 2001, Gică Hagi postponed his debut as a selector due to health problems. He had to go to a clinic in Stuttgart for surgery after being diagnosed with kidney stones. Thus, the doctors recommended bed rest, and Hagi saw on television the friendly with Slovenia, played in Ljubljana and ending in a draw, 2-2.

Then, the national team was led from the bench by the second Gabi Balint. Gică Hagi saw the match from Ion Țiriac's villa, who also provided him with the personal plane to fly to Germany, and was in permanent contact with Gabi Balint, by phone, with a person from the bank. And at halftime he held a teleconference with the players.

Ștefan Iovan, instead of Răzvan Lucescu

The last second who led the national team instead of the selector was Ștefan Iovan. And it happened in 2011. But then it was not about health problems, as in the case of Mircea Lucescu or Hagi, but about his desire not to continue on the national team bench.

On June 3, 2011, Romania defeated Bosnia, score 3-0. But, after that match, Răzvan Lucescu announced his departure from the national team. And, immediately after the match, the “tricolors” left for South America, for two test matches.

In the two matches, Brazil – Romania 1-0 and Paraguay – Romania 2-0, the national team was led by the second Ștefan Iovan.

The most important information:

• Mircea Lucescu fainted this morning during the technical meeting preceding the last training before the team's departure to Slovakia, scheduled at 18:00;
• The selector, who received a severe diagnosis at the beginning of the year, “was talking to the players and felt sick. He stopped his speech, sat on a chair and stopped reacting, he seemed to be unable to breathe,” say witnesses;
• Lucescu seemed to be unable to breathe, which is why the emergency intervention of the doctor from the first team, Claudiu Stamatescu, was requested. The medical staff of the national team gave him first aid, after which two SMURD ambulances were called, which took him to the University Hospital;
• The diagnosis offered by the doctors at the University: heart rhythm disorders, and the patient will remain hospitalized;
• GSP sources say that Lucescu would have consumed heavily after the defeat with Turkey, which ended Romania's road to the World Football Championship, and would not have slept at all that night;
• Tonight, the Romanian national team leaves for Slovakia, where the two seconds, Jerry Gane and Florin Constantinovici, will sit on the bench.
• In a first reaction, in a dialogue with Ovidiu Ioanițoaia, Mircea Lucescu said: “I feel good now, I've fully recovered, but I'm going to undergo some more investigations, so I'm still in the hospital”;
• Răzvan Burleanu, the president of the Romanian Football Federation, claims that the suspension of the match Slovakia – Romania (Tuesday, 21:45) was taken into account, following the scare with the coach;
• On Monday, Lucescu will have a coronary angiography and will be hospitalized for at least 2-3 days.