Cornel Popa

Cornel Popa ( born March 17, 1935 in Iaşi; † 4 November 1999) was a Romanian football player and coach. The full-back played 262 games in the highest Romanian football league, the Divizia A.

Career as a player

Popa began playing football in his home city of Iaşi and took part in the 1952 and 1953 courses of the junior national team in Câmpulung and Bistrita. He moved in 1956 to the first team of Dinamo Bacau, which at the time in the highest Romanian league, the Divizia A, took. and arrived there on 18 March 1956, its first operation.

After Dinamo Bacau was relegated at the end of the season, Popa moved to Dinamo Bucharest, one of the most successful Romanian clubs. Dinamo he became the regular player and played a few exceptions, always in the top group A with the Divizia. In the years 1962, 1963, 1964 and 1965, he won the Romanian Cup four times in a row the championship as well as in the years 1959, 1964 and 1968.

After twelve years at Dinamo Popa received in 1969 the opportunity to move abroad and joined the Turkish giants Beşiktaş Istanbul. There, however, the season did not go as expected and it jumped only ninth place out. Then finished Popa his active career.

National

Cornel Popa denied 1958-1967 a total of 37 games for the Romanian national football team, but remained without a goal. He had his debut on October 26, 1958 in a friendly against Hungary. Although he counted before and after the tournament to the key players of the team, it was not included in the squad for the Olympic Games in 1964. His last international assignment came Popa on 24 May in 1967 the 1:7 defeat against Switzerland in the European Championship qualifiers for 1968.

Career as a coach

After the end of his active career Popa worked as a youth coach at his former club Dinamo Bucharest. Later he was head coach at the unterklassigen clubs Unirea Alexandria, Victoria Roman and Minerul Gura Humorului, without being able to achieve notable success.

Achievements

As a player

  • Romanian champion: 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965
  • Romanian Cup Winners: 1959, 1964, 1968
November 4 Liga I 1956 Divizia A 1961–62 Divizia A 1962–63 Divizia A 1963–64 Divizia A 1964–65 Divizia A 1969–70 1.Lig
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