Ex-Romania defender Prodan dies following heart attack

BUCHAREST (Reuters) - Former defender Daniel Prodan, who was a member of the Romania team that reached the 1994 World Cup quarter-finals, has died aged 44 following a heart attack, the domestic football federation (FRF) said in a statement on Thursday.

(Reuters)

Prodan, capped 54 times by Romania between 1993 and 2001, won five consecutive league titles with Steaua Bucharest before moving to Atletico Madrid.

Hard-man Prodan, who was also part of Romanian team at Euro 1996, joined Scottish club Rangers in 1998 but failed to play a single game due to a knee injury.

He retired at the age of 31 and was appointed as the FRF's sporting director.

(Reporting by Angel Krasimirov, editing by Pritha Sarkar)