Anghel Iordănescu

Anghel " Puiu " Iordănescu ( born May 4, 1950 in Bucharest ) is a former Romanian football player and coach and current politician. In 1986, he won the European Champions Cup as a player. As a coach, he was coach of Romania and Greece and won as a club coach twice the AFC Champions League. Iordănescu was elected to the Romanian coach of the century.

Career as a player

Anghel Iordănescu was a striker with a good shooting technique. He reached a good strike rate and took his teams almost continuously top positions. Iordănescu began playing football at the age of twelve years with Steaua Bucharest. On November 17, 1968, he made ​​his debut in the first team in Divizia A, the highest Romanian football league. However, the game ended with 1:2 against Politehnica Iaşi. He remained Steaua 14 years loyal and could twice the Romanian Cup and four times to win the Romanian Cup. 1982 Iordănescu was top scorer with 20 Divizia A. In the same year he joined at the age of 32 years to Greece for OFI Crete. After two years he returned to Steaua and was Cotrainer. In the 1986 European Cup final against Barcelona Iordănescu came off the bench and won at the end of his career the European Champions Cup.

1971 Iordănescu was appointed to the Romanian national football team and played on April 18, 1971 his first game against Albania. He was able to score a goal. Overall, he played 64 games and scored 26 goals. Participation in World or European Championships was denied him, as Romania for this could not qualify at this time. In 1981, he played his last international match against Switzerland.

Iordănescu with 155 league goals scorer in the history of Steaua Bucharest.

Career as a coach

Iordănescu began his coaching career in 1984 after his return from Greece as Cotrainer Emerich Jenei at Steaua Bucharest. After winning the European Cup of Champions 1986 Jenei was appointed coach. This was Iordănescu head coach of Steaua. Under his leadership, Steaua won three times in a row (1987 to 1989), the Romanian Championship and the Romanian Cup. He also reached the semifinals in the European Champions Cup 1987/88 and the final 1988/89, which was lost with 0-4 against AC Milan.

According to the vice Cup 1990 Iordănescu moved to Cyprus Anorthosis Famagusta. After two runner-up in 1992, he returned to Steaua back. In the 1992/93 season he again won the Romanian Championship and reached the quarter-finals in the European Cup Winners' Cup.

In the summer of 1993 was Iordănescu successor of Cornel Dinu as Romanian coach. After successful qualification he reached at the Football World Cup 1994 in the U.S. after victories against Colombia, the U.S. and Argentina the quarter-finals, where the team was eliminated against Sweden on penalties. Subsequently, Romania was able to prevail in qualifying for the European Football Championship in England in 1996, but retired in the first round of. Also qualifying for the World Cup in France in 1998 succeeded Iordănescu. After victories against Colombia and England Romania difference, however, from in the second round against Croatia. After the defeat he announced his retirement.

In the same year Iordănescu was coach of the Greek national football team. After failing to fulfill its mission, the qualification for Euro 2000, he was released in 1999.

Then Iordănescu 2000 was coach of the Saudi Arabian club Al -Hilal, with whom he won the Asian Champions Cup and the Asian Super Cup in the same year. Despite these successes Iordănescu hired at Rapid Bucharest, but was dismissed after a few weeks due to lack of success. Then he moved to the United Arab Emirates for Al Ain Club.

After Romania had failed to qualify for the Football World Cup 2002, took over from Iordănescu Gheorghe Hagi and was the second time coach. Although he had his goal of qualifying for the Euro 2004 football championships missed, he was allowed to remain coach for lack of alternatives in order to qualify for the Football World Cup 2006. After a 1-1 draw in Armenia Iordănescu was released in November 2004.

On 24 March 2005, he signed a contract with the Saudi Arabian club Al- Ittihad, with whom he was 2005 AFC Champions League win. A year later, he was released due to lack of success. Mid-June 2006 he signed a one-year contract with Al Ain Club in the United Arab Emirates, but came back a week after the 2:4 defeat against Al- Wasl on 19 November 2006 by his office, ending other despite some lucrative offers clubs also his coaching career.

Achievements

Successes as a player

• European Cup Winners ' Cup: 1986
• Romanian champion: 1976, 1978
• Romanian Cup Winners: 1970, 1971, 1976, 1979
• Scorer Divizia A: 1982

Success as a coach

• Romania coach of the 20th century
• World Cup participants: 1994 ( Quarter-finals ), 1998 ( second round )
• European Football Cup: 1996 ( first round )
• European Supercup: 1986
• Finalist in the European Champion Clubs' Cup: 1989
• AFC Champions League: 2000, 2005
• Asian Super Cup: 2000
• Romanian champion: 1987, 1988, 1989, 1993
• Romanian Cup Winners: 1987, 1988, 1989, 1993

Others

Iordănescu is General of the Armata Română ( Romanian army ). In February 2008, he took over for the last ten months, the mandate of senator, which had become vacant for the PSD after the resignation of Teodor Filipescu in Ilfov County. In the elections for the next legislative session Iordănescu managed a successful candidacy. In 2009 he broke away from the PSD, however, retained the Senator items. His eldest son, Edward Iordănescu ( born June 16, 1978), also was football player and was in September 2010 for a trophy and a top-flight Interim coach of Steaua Bucharest until Marius Lăcătuş took over as coach.