“This heart goes too”

Mircea Lucescu's situation took a dramatic turn, after the coach, who should have been discharged on Friday, April 3, following medical problems before the match with Slovakia (0-2), suffered a heart attack in the morning of the same day.

According to the information, his condition was critical, and doctors intervened urgently to stabilize him, after moments when his life was put in danger. After a few hours, the University Hospital sent an official statement announcing that his condition is stable.

Rîca Răducanu, about Mircea Lucescu's state of health: “This heart is also going away, it's dying”

The former goalkeeper of the national team and Rapid was visibly emotional and spoke about the close relationship he has with Mircea Lucescu, emphasizing that the news deeply affected him.

“I talked to him before he had the pain. I called him, he told me that he stayed in the hospital for a while and left. It's hard, it's nasty. We are old. He turned 80 years old, I do on May 10. He doesn't burn us anymore, but I can see that he is burned. You don't know what's inside, but how many emotions we went through as players, as coaches, because we stayed by his side for so many years… This heart goes too, it fades. It's not okay. Normally, people like us, he should have let us stay longer. We have everyone's support. Who wants us to die?”

With tears in his eyes, Rica Răducanu continued: “So how? We are very good friends. Look, I got my hair done… We are also foreigners. Răzvan Lucescu is the godfather of Cătălin (not the son of Rică Răducanu). And the little ones. What's that? We've been by his side for so many years. We both played in the national team, after he took me by his side at the World Cup and European qualifiers.”

Rîca Răducanu: “If you have nothing to do, you go, because I can't stay either”

The goalkeeper continued, explaining how much Mircea Lucescu was affected by the pressure and emotions of the last years:

“I told him from the beginning, when I heard: “Leave it, Ricane, I'm sitting there too”. If you don't have anything to do, you go, because I can't sit either. He was really very well. You want to get results, because he's also someone. The business with the Turks did not turn out well, and this heart is also dull. As if Lucescu or I or someone else is playing. We are out of stock. I said from the beginning. You're welcome, dad. It's not like it was. Before, you could also take from Division B to the national team,” declared Rică Răducanu, according to as.ro.

• The one nicknamed “Tamango” ticked off 233 matches in Rapid's shirt, 56 for the national team. He has 3 trophies with Rapid in his record: a title of Romanian champion (1966-1967) and two Romanian Cups (1971-1972 and 1974-1975). It is also the winner of Division B, in the 1974-1975 season.