Matei Lucescu, the grandson of the late national team manager Mircea Lucescu, said on Tuesday at the Bucharest Football Museum that he is moved by the way his grandfather continues to inspire younger generations.
Matei visited the exhibition displaying Mircea Lucescu's collection of shirts and trophies.
"I kept talking with him about this exhibition - he insisted we should see it together, but we never got to. It's the first time I'm seeing it on display. Mircea didn't have the habit of taking out his shirts and looking at them, so it's the first time I'm seeing them all. Only now do I realize how many there are. It's impressive, because after every match he kept physical memories, not just photos. They arranged everything chronologically, and it's beautiful to walk through his whole history like this. There are jerseys from 1966 all the way to the recent one with Messi. And it's impressive that he still manages to inspire younger generations who didn't see him play and only caught the end of his coaching career with the national team. It's nice to see children interested in football history," Matei said.
"I also saw here the shirt he wore for the national team, and the one he exchanged with Pelé, which is now in Madrid. I had only seen Pelé's shirt once before - this is the second time. These things show what football meant to him. I'm glad these shirts are now in a place where others can enjoy them. For football lovers, it's a chance to see some truly unique pieces," he added.
Of Mircea Lucescu's five great-grandchildren, only Lucio - the son of Maria Luiza Lucescu - currently plays football.
"Lucio already plays, and we'll see if my boy takes to it. He's still little, just three years old, but he has a kit my grandfather gave him, with his name on the back, and he proudly wears it around the house. It's a Romanian national team kit, of course. We all wore shirts with number 11, Mircea's number - a small tribute to him," Matei Lucescu said.
Still affected by his grandfather's passing, he said he was deeply touched by the scale of the ceremonies held in his honor.
"For me he was grandpa - I never saw him as a former player or coach. But I was really impressed by the scale and impact of the event ... by the number of people who came to the vigil, by the involvement of everyone who helped us organize the funeral, and all the support we received. We all feel the pain, but we also have to move forward. I'm glad there are small moments when we can pay tribute to him, like last night's match against Rapid, when I kicked off the game. It was a beautiful moment and an honor. I had done this at Giulesti 15 years ago, when my father was coaching Rapid. Somehow the circle closed. But last night was special, with all those children chanting my grandfather's name," he concluded.
Mircea Lucescu, former international footballer and one of Romania's most successful coaches, died on April 7 at the age of 80 at the Bucharest University Emergency Hospital. He was buried with military honors at Bellu Cemetery, with around 200 people attending, including players, coaches, managers and supporters.
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