The 80-year-old manager was immediately attended to by the medical staff and taken by ambulance to hospital, where he remains, although his condition has been described as stable. The manager will stay in hospital for further tests: the possibility of a heart attack has been ruled out, with the diagnosis suggesting an episode of syncope caused by exertion or stress. His assistant, Florin Constantinovici, administered first aid.
The former Brescia and Inter manager had led Romania to the World Cup play-off semi-final, where his side lost 1-0 to Turkey. It is unlikely that he will now be able to attend Romania’s next fixture against Slovakia – who also suffered defeat on Friday – which was due to be his final match in charge.