Ex-Romania midfielder Gabriel Muresan dies after drowning

FILE–Romanian midfielder Gabriel Muresan (R) during a UEFA Champions League group H football match on December 5, 2012. AFP PHOTO/PAUL ELLIS (Photo by ANDREW YATES and PAUL ELLIS / AFP)

BUCHAREST, Romania— Former Romania football player Gabriel Muresan has died after drowning in a lake near the town where he was the mayor, local media reported on Thursday. He was 44.

The Romanian soccer federation confirmed the death of a midfielder who played nine times for the national team, including in qualifying games for the World Cup and European Championship from 2007-11.

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On behalf of the European football community, we are saddened by the passing of former Romania international Gabriel Mureșan at the age of 44.

Mureșan earned nine caps for his country and captained CFR Cluj, winning three league titles during a successful six-year spell with the… pic.twitter.com/ymrA9cws8g

— UEFA (@UEFA) July 9, 2026

“The Romanian Football Federation sends its most sincere condolences to the family, friends and all those who knew Gabriel Muresan,” it said.

Muresan was “a devoted servant of our community,” the public authority in Apold said on Facebook. He had been mayor there since 2020.

The most successful period of Muresan’s career was with Cluj, where he won Romanian league titles in 2008, ’10 and ’12. Cluj also won three domestic cups in his six seasons there.

In the Champions League, Muresan played in three group-stage campaigns including games against Chelsea, Manchester United and Roma.

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