Stefan Kovacs

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Stefan Kovacs (Hungarian: Kovács István, also known in Romanian as Stefan Covaci), (October 2, 1920 in Timişoara, Romania - May 12, 1995), is with 15 major titles one of the most successful association football coaches in the history of the game. This ethnic Hungarian from Romania will be foremost remembered for his outstanding successes with Ajax Amsterdam in the early 1970s.

[edit] Career

Stefan Kovacs had his first major coaching successes at the helm of Steaua Bucuresti, where he won between 1967 and 1971 once the championship and three times the cup of Romania.

After this he succeeded Rinus Michels at the head of Ajax in 1971, continuing and expanding on his "total football" philosophy. With Ajax he achieved 1972 and 1973 two consecutive European Champions Cups. In 1972 he even won the Intercontinental Cup and also the first edition of European Supercup (1973). Further to that he led Ajax to the double of cup and championship in 1972 and another national championship in 1973.

After he left Ajax in 1973, he was called up by the French football federation to take the reins of the national side. In this position he did not leave any lasting impression.

After this episode he returned to Romania becoming its national team coach. Later he had further successes with Panathinaikos and AS Monaco, with which he won the national cup competitions in 1982 and 1987, respectively.

Preceded by Ilie Savu	Steaua Bucharest Coach 1966-1970	Succeeded by Valentin Stănescu
Preceded by Rinus Michels	European Cup Winning Coach 1971-72 & 1972-73	Succeeded by Udo Lattek
Preceded by Georges Boulogne	French national football coach 1973–1975	Succeeded by Michel Hidalgo
Preceded by Lakis Petropoulos	Panathinaikos Manager 1982-1983	Succeeded by Andreas Papaemanouil