“Football killed him. He had nothing to look for in Istanbul.” Categorical reaction after the death of Mircea Lucescu

Former legend of Dinamo, Ioan Andone, reacted after the death of his former coach from Corvinul Hunedoara and Dinamo.

“He deserves all the respect of our generation there, because he believed in us, some kids from Hunedoara, because if he didn't have the courage to debut some 18-19-year-old kids, we would have reached 3rd place in the championship. He was a visionary, a pedagogue, he always said that he was learning football with us. And others were insulting him now that he is sleeping on the massage table at the age of 80. This is Romania, I think football killed him. He had nothing left to do he is looking for Istanbul (in the match lost by Romania to Turkey in the World Championship play-off, n.ed).. And football and this last period with the national team has left its mark”, said Andone, to Digi Sport.

Andone played in the Corvinu Hunedoara team and then at Dinamo under the command of Lucescu.

“He forced us to go to school, so that he could talk to intelligent, sociable people, to get into other circles than the football ones. I still thought he could get rid of this hoop. This match was more important than any other. I saw him at the Dinamo-Craiova match, he doesn't look good and I told him: “You don't look good, nea Mircea”. It was not the time to shoot him,” Andone said.

Mircea Lucescu died on Tuesday at the age of 80.