“I felt it go out”

The Transylvanian technician, a former student of Mircea Lucescu, brought a wreath of flowers and offered a deeply emotional moment.

Daniel Pancu, at Mircea Lucescu's vigil: “During the phone conversations, I felt that he was dying”

Visibly affected, Daniel Pancu knelt in front of his mentor's coffin, after which he spoke about the huge impact “Il Luce” had on his career and life.

The former striker confessed that he felt, from the last discussions, that the condition of the great coach was getting worse, and his loss is a huge one both personally and for Romanian football.

It's hard… I don't think there are words to describe him in these moments. You can say it was God's gift to football and to those who love football.
I lived with him for 4 years, in Rapid and Beşiktaş. It is part of my destiny, and destiny made him return to the national team when I was also in the youth national team.

There are no words to describe the greatness of this man. I was also talking to Răzvan. What culture he had, what dignity, what education. He was always informed and not just about football. He had a passion that he took to the extreme. He was a man of details and always found the fastest way to help you develop.
My career, with all my talent, might not have been half as good if it wasn't for him. I had the chance, the blessing and the good fortune to have him as my coach since I was 19 years old.

It's a big loss. I felt it was getting here. In the phone conversations I felt it going out. He could feel it in his voice.

– Daniel Pancu, CFR Cluj coach

Mircea Lucescu, an exceptional career

• 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.