Tudorel Stoica

Tudorel Stoica
Stoica in Steaua Bucharest jersey in the 1970s.
Personal information
Date of birth (1954-09-07) 7 September 1954 (age 70)
Place of birth Brăila, Brăila County, Romania
Height 1.77 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s) Midfielder
Youth career
1968–1971 Politehnica Galaţi
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1972–1974 CSU Galaţi 56 (9)
1974–1975 FCM Galaţi 8 (0)
1975–1989 Steaua București 369 (43)
1989–1990 Lens 17 (0)
1990–1991 Steaua București 1 (0)
Total 446 (52)
International career
1979–1987 Romania 15 (0)
Managerial career
1991–1992 Steaua București (assistant)
1993–1994 Steaua București (assistant)
1998–1999 Romania U21
2017-2018 CS Tunari
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Tudorel Stoica (born 7 September 1954, in Brăila, Brăila County, Romania) is a Romanian former footballer who played as a midfielder. He is the most capped player in the history of Steaua București.

He is one of the most famous and successful players who has ever played in the Romanian First League. He is 2nd in an all time ranking, tied with Giedrius Arlauskis, Ciprian Deac, Adrian Bumbescu, Mircea Lucescu and Dumitru Stângaciu, all with 7 championships won.[1] Marius Lăcătuș won it 10 times and is ranked 1st.

Club career

Stoica made his Romanian first division debuts with FCM Galaţi in 1974, having previously played for CSU Galaţi in the second league.[2]

After only one season, he transferred to country giants Steaua București where, safe for his first year, he was a nuclear midfield element as the team won – that season included – seven league titles and five domestic cups. He was a main player and captain of the squad that won the first European title in Romanian football's history, the 1985–86 European Cup, even though he did not play in the final against FC Barcelona, because of accumulation of yellow cards.

In 1989, 35-year-old Stoica moved abroad for the first time, playing one season in France with second level side RC Lens, returning to Steaua where he finished his career at the age of 37. The longtime team captain amassed totals of 369 games and 43 goals (377 counting with FCM Galaţi) in his country's top division, over the course of 15 professional seasons; in the early 1990s, he had brief spells as assistant manager with Steaua București and as head coach Romania U21.

On 25 March 2008, Stoica was decorated by Romanian president Traian Băsescu with the Ordinul "Meritul Sportiv" – ("The Sportive Merit" Order) class II, for his part in the winning of the 1986 European Cup.[3][4]

International career

During eight years, Stoica was capped 15 times for the Romania national team, but did not attend any major international tournament.[5]

He made his debut on 14 October 1979 in a 1–3 friendly loss with the Soviet Union.[5]

Honours

Steaua București

Personal

After retiring from football, Stoica served as scout for Belgian team R.S.C. Anderlecht. His son, Alin, was also a footballer and a midfielder. He also represented Steaua and the Romania national team, and played mainly in Belgium, representing four teams.[6][7]

References

  1. ^ "Best of the best! Dan Petrescu, la un titlu de recordul absolut + doi jucători-simbol de la CFR Cluj, lângă Lăcătuș, Lucescu sau Tudorel Stoica" (in Romanian). gsp.ro. 15 May 2022. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  2. ^ a b c d e Tudorel Stoica at RomanianSoccer.ro (in Romanian)
  3. ^ "DECRET privind conferirea Ordinului și Medaliei Meritul Sportiv" (PDF). Monitorul Oficial al României Nr. 241. 28 March 2008. p. 3. Retrieved 26 August 2016.
  4. ^ "Decorarea unor personalități ale fotbalului românesc". Administrația Prezidențială. 25 March 2008. Archived from the original on 20 September 2022. Retrieved 26 August 2016.
  5. ^ a b "Tudorel Stoica". European Football. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
  6. ^ "În numele tatălui! Alin Stoica se autopropune la Steaua Armatei. "Chiar și la 37 de ani, nu că joc, ci sunt cel mai bun!" Ironic cu FCSB" [In the name of the father! Alin Stoica self-proposed at the Army's Steaua. "Even at 37, I'm the best!" Ironic with FCSB] (in Romanian). digiport.ro. Retrieved 8 October 2017.
  7. ^ "SPECIAL Situaţie de gradul I în Liga 1. Ce a realizat Silviu Lung jr. prin câştigarea titlului cu Astra. De la fraţii Vâlcov, la fraţii Costea şi familia Piţurcă" [SPECIAL First grade situation in Liga 1. What Silviu Lung jr. accomplished by winning the title with Astra. From the brothers Vâlcov to the brothers Costea and the Piţurcă family] (in Romanian). prosport.ro. 9 May 2016. Retrieved 8 October 2017.
Sporting positions
Preceded by Steaua captain
1982–1989 		Succeeded by