Gică Popescu sent a emotional message about Mircea Lucescu. The former international admits that it is difficult for him to accept the disappearance of a figure who marked entire generations.
Visibly affected, the former captain of the national team greeted the family and relatives present, then spoke about the close relationship he had with Mircea Lucescu and about the major influence he had on his career.
Last night, Popescu was present at Camp Nou at Barcelona – Atletico Madrid, in the “quarters” of the League, and the moment of silence held in memory of “Il Luce” overwhelmed him.
VIDEO | Gică Popescu, at Mircea Lucescu's catafalque: “It is very difficult for me to talk about him in the past”
“It is very difficult for me to talk about Mircea in the past tense, because, a few days before, I had heard good news about him. Unfortunately, Romanian sport, not only football, is losing one of the most important characters in its history.
A man who loved football more than his own life and paid very hard for it.
I still have hours of discussions about football with Mircea, during the time we worked together at Galatasaray. A man who, when we were talking about football, did not give a single wrong verdict. All the verdicts he gave, he was never wrong.
Honestly, I will miss him a lot, because the most famous Romanian coach is leaving. I rarely felt very emotional at Camp Nou, both when I was playing and afterwards, at the matches I saw.
Last night my knees were shaking when I saw him on the screen, it's a testament to the appreciation he shows. An incredible career, 36 trophies won, one of the most important coaches in Europe in the last 20 years.
It will be hard without him. We have this talent to reveal the true values after we no longer have them, after we lose them. It's a tradition with us. He will certainly remain an example of passion for all of us. He loved football like I've never seen another person do.
I don't know how many other people have experienced such an approach from international forums. Nea Mircea had this approach yesterday, in Champions League stadiums. We should be proud of this”, declared Gică Popescu.
Mircea Lucescu, unparalleled career in football
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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.
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As a player, he won 7 championship titles and a Romanian Cup, all with Dinamo.
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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.
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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.
