Among the public figures who came to the vigil of Mircea Lucescu there is also Traian Băsescu (74 years old), former president of Romania between 2004 and 2014, who decorated the late coach in 2009.
Today, on the last day when those who wish can pay their last respect to Mircea Lucescu, Traian Băsescu, president of Romania for 10 years, also appeared at the catafalque of the late great coach.
Băsescu laid a funeral wreath, stood for a few moments in front of the coffin with the lifeless body of Mircea Lucescu, then was greeted on the metal platform by Răzvan Lucescu, who invited him to look together at the small table with some of the distinctions received by Mircea throughout his life.
Răzvan Lucescu reminded Traian Băsescu how his father decorated
Traian Băsescu himself was decorated with one, in the spring of 2009, after Shakhtar, coached by Mircea Lucescu, won the UEFA Cup, the current Europa League.
Then, Traian Băsescu signed the decree conferring the National Order “Star of Romania” in the rank of Knight for Mircea Lucescu and the decree conferring the Order “Sports Merit”, 3rd class, for Răzvan Raț, a footballer at that time in the Donetsk team.
Traian Băsescu: “I have only one word to say – Respect for Mircea Lucescu!”
You can hear how, at one point, the former president conveys to Răzvan, about his father: “He generates respect. And so do you!”.
After paying his respects to the Lucescu family, Traian Băsescu left the stadium, and at the exit he stopped to give a short statement to the press:
“I have only one word to say: respect for Mircea Lucescu. He had an extraordinary life, dedicated to sport and Romania. Respect for Lucescu!”
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.
GSP documentary: Il Luce. Master
