Rapid Announces Decision Following Mircea Lucescu’s Passing

Mo. Basuony

Published: April 13, 2026 11:26 AM ET

Rapid Announces Decision Following Mircea Lucescu’s Passing

Rapid has named Matei Lucescu to take the symbolic kick-off at its next Superliga play-off match. The decision follows the death of Mircea Lucescu and honors his legacy.

Club announcement and tribute

Rapid announced the move on its official channels, reported by Filmogaz.com. The club said Matei, Mircea’s grandson, will deliver the ceremonial start.

Organizers scheduled the match for Monday, April 13, at 18:30. The gesture is part of wider remembrances across Romanian football.

Family links and background

Matei is the son of Răzvan Lucescu. Răzvan was a Rapid player, vice-president, and coach in two separate spells.

Răzvan last managed Rapid in 2012. The family connection underlines the symbolic nature of the kickoff.

Mircea Lucescu’s ties to Romanian clubs

Mircea Lucescu is associated with Corvinul Hunedoara, Dinamo, and Rapid. He won at least one trophy with each club.

At Rapid, Mircea collected three trophies: the national title, the Romanian Cup, and the Supercup. He coached Rapid to the 1999 league crown and earned the nickname “Il Luce.”

Wider commemorations

Matches in the first weekend after his passing included moments of silence. Players also wore black armbands in his memory.

Dinamo appeared in specially dedicated shirts for a match. UEFA ordered a minute’s silence before Champions League fixtures last week.

At Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid, black armbands were visible on the field.

Match context and recent meetings

Rapid sits third in the play-off standings with 31 points. The team trails leaders U Cluj and Universitatea Craiova by five points.

U Cluj and Universitatea Craiova were level on points and met each other the same evening. Rapid hosts FC Argeș at 18:30 on April 13.

The two clubs met three times this season. Rapid won both regular-season fixtures 2-0, while FC Argeș won the Cup group meeting 2-1.

Cup competition calendar

FC Argeș faces U Cluj in a Cup semi on April 21.
Dinamo meets Universitatea Craiova in the other semi on April 23.
The Cup final is scheduled in Sibiu on May 13.

Rapid announces decision following Mircea Lucescu’s passing by choosing Matei for the ceremonial kickoff. The move reflects the coach’s impact on Romanian football.