The player of the Romanian national team, about the last dialogue with Mircea Lucescu: “I was shocked”

Ashley Davis2 weeks ago

0 38 2 minutes read

Article by Adrian Duţă – Published on Wednesday, 08 April 2026, 10:13 / Updated on Wednesday, 08 April 2026 10:25

After the death of Mircea Lucescu, Denis Dragushis attacker Gazianteprevealed what the former selector told him before the tie with Turkey0-1, at the last dialogue held by the two.

Mircea Lucescu died on Tuesday, April 7, at the age of 80. The last team he trained was the Romanian national team, where he worked for almost two years with Denis Drăguș, one of the most important “tricolors” from the last term of “Il Luce”.

The striker was suspended for the tie with Turkey, after receiving a red card against Bosnia, 1-3, in the WC preliminaries. He could have been called up for the second match in March, against Slovakia, but he got injured in Gaziantep.

Drăguș stated that he was called by Mircea Lucescu after the injury and revealed what the former selector told him when Denis asked him about his health problems.

Denis Drăguș, about the last discussion with Mircea LucescuL “I asked him if he was ok, he answered that if he is going to die, he dies standing up”

“It's tragic. I really had a special relationship with Mircea. From the moment she came to the national team, she supported me, gave me confidence, helped me at every moment.

Even though he was with us for a short time, there were unforgettable moments and I think we are all grateful that we had the chance and the opportunity to work with him.

It's sad and we can only send the family all the good thoughts and be happy that we were able to be contemporaries with him. I'm shocked and I know he called me right when I got injured, that's why it's all so… it seems like it happened so fast.

At the time he called me to ask me about the injury, what happened, the match with Turkey was coming up and a possible final. The moment shocked me. He asked me about the injury and I also asked him if everything was ok, I hadn't spoken to him since the last summons, I had seen that it was written that he had problems.

I asked him if he was ok, he replied that if he is going to die, he dies standing up. It shocked me. Even if he probably didn't have the doctors' 100% approval, he was determined to give his last breath for Romania.

I was shocked. That's a short summary of what Nea Mircea meant for football and football for Nea Mircea,” said Drăguș, according to as.ro.

Mircea Lucescu, legendary 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 6 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.