“Greatest of all time!”

With a voice choked with emotion, Hagi he recalled the moment in 1983, when Lucescu promoted him directly to the big team of Romania.

“The King” also told the most important advice he received from the one who remains one of the most titled coaches in the world.

VIDEO | Gheorghe Hagi, at Mircea Lucescu's catafalque: “Just as he was a winner, both as a footballer and as a coach”

“A sad day and moment… but a teacher who taught us all what to do. When we talk about Mircea, a man who always taught us to be open, to always become better, to be strong, brave, because he had courage.

And finally, the passion to love something, to reach passion as he loved this job and everything he did for football until the last moment. And he is an example for us and especially for me, because he trusted me from a young age, he gave me this trust, and I thank him in this way.

(no – Asked about the most important tip): To love what we know how to do better, i.e. the job you have, to dedicate yourself. Dedication, love and passion for everything you do, because only then can you reach the top.

And, as I told you, courage. He's always had that, I think, since I've known him: courage to do things and, of course, his way of learning and progressing.

[Întrebat ce ar trebui să ia noua generație de la el]: To have a lot of confidence. Every athlete must trust him. And the second thing, try to become a winner, because only the winner brings happiness. When you lose or when there is one thing of it, it's sadness.

And then it has to last for a while and after that you have to start over, basically become a winner. As he was a winner, both as a footballer and as a coach.

I think the greatest of all time. To finish third in the world, I think the number says something extraordinary, which I think is hard to think about just to get there”, declared Gheorghe Hagi, visibly moved.

He raised me, educated me. I think that everything I've done in life I've done thanks to the two coaches-teachers I had: nea Ioji at 12 years old, who is also no longer alive, and now nea Mircea, who took me at 17 because she had the courage to promote me from juniors directly to the big team, without going through U21.

I had no presence, no direct selection. And that's what I think he influenced my entire footballing trajectory.

That means dedication, until the last day to be there, where the thing you love. He lived in the last period… he knows, but what I saw: a man who until the last moment he fought and did it with courage. An absolute teacher, 100%.

I spoke to him two days ago, before when he was well in the hospital, the day he felt well and I was waiting for him to come out and after that what happened happened.

– George Hagi

Mircea Lucescu, unparalleled career in football

• Mircea Lucescu took his first steps in football at Dinamo Bucharest, the team with which he has spent most of his career. He also performed at Știința Bucharest and Corvinul Hunedoara.

• As a player, he won 7 championship titles and a Romanian Cup, all with Dinamo.

• Throughout his coaching career, he trained Corvinul, the Romanian national team, Dinamo, Pisa, Brescia, Reggiana, Rapid, Inter, Galatasaray, Beşiktaş, Shakhtior, Zenit, the Turkish national team and Dinamo Kiev.

• He won 36 trophies in his career as a technician: 9 times the championship of Ukraine, 8 times the Ukrainian Cup, 7 times the Ukrainian Supercup, 3 times the Romanian Cup, 2 times the Romanian championship, 2 times the Turkish championship, as well as the UEFA Cup, the European Super Cup, the Russian Super Cup and the Anglo-Italian Cup.