Lucian Ilie

Lucian Ilie (born 14 October 1967) is a Romanian retired footballer who played for Rapid Bucharest, in Sweden for Jönköpings Södra, and Belgian side K.V. Mechelen, in the Netherlands for FC Wageningen, FC Groningen, BV Veendam, FC Zwolle and DVS '33. In 1989, while playing for Rapid Bucharest, after a match in Sweden against IFK Göteborg, Lucian Ilie alongside teammates Gabriel Ciolponea and Alexandru Aprodu fled from the hotel and asked for political asylum in Sweden, they were three of the few Romanian players who fled the country to escape the communist regime.