18h50
Lucescu is no longer the coach of Romania
It’s the end for Mircea Lucescu at the helm of Romania. The country announced on Thursday that it has parted ways with the 80-year-old coach after failing to qualify for the 2026 World Cup. To replace him, Romanian legend Gheorghe Hagi is rumored to be the leading candidate, according to Romanian sports media.
Appointed in August 2024 with a two-year contract, Lucescu led the “Tricolorii” for the last time against Turkey, who dashed their hopes of qualifying for the World Cup (1-0). He was thanked by the federation in a statement, highlighting his record of 11 wins, one draw, and six losses.
This is not the first time Lucescu has coached the national team. He notably secured their first Euro qualification in 1984 before leaving his post two years later.
Hagi, aged 61 and nicknamed the “King” in his country, would also lead the Romanian team for the second time if he were to be appointed. His first stint in 2021, shortly after retiring as a player, lasted only a few months.
AFP
18h30
Boudjellal future president of OM? His response in Rothen s’enflamme
Six years after being involved in a failed takeover project of OM in 2020, Mourad Boudjellal could be interested in the presidency of the Marseille club. He discussed the topic on Thursday in the show Rothen s’enflamme on RMC.
“I’ve changed my life, but I’m still an OM fan (…) I have a publishing house that is doing quite well. A challenge like that… Me, I’m 65 years old. It would mean giving up everything, especially since there is still a lot of work to be done. You have to be creative, know how to sell your club. It’s a huge project. There’s also a visibility issue for football, whose economic model has been completely disrupted.”
“Mohamed (Bouhafsi) is very good. If he takes the position, he will be under immense pressure, he won’t pretend. If Frank McCourt calls me? It depends on whether he invites me to dinner (laughs). No, but in my personal life, it would already be complicated, I don’t want to abandon my loved ones. The person who takes over OM, they should set up a bed directly on-site. Plus, I support short supply chains. It would be a revolution, the club is not designed for that. I think Mohamed (Bouhafsi) has the shoulders. I won’t go. I could go just for the pleasure of being courted…”
“It’s not that I don’t want to, but it wouldn’t be reasonable in my life. (…) An economic model, I can set it up in Marseille. But a sporting model, I’m not certain.”
