| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 4 May 1950 | ||
| Place of birth | Iaşi, Romania | ||
| Playing position | Striker | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1962–1968 | Steaua Bucureşti | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1968–1982 | Steaua Bucureşti | 317 | (155) |
| 1982–1984 | OFI Crete | 34 | (6) |
| 1986 | Steaua Bucureşti | 0 | (0) |
| Total | 351 | (161) | |
| National team | |||
| 1971–1981 | Romania | 64 | (26) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 1984–1986 | Steaua Bucureşti (assistant) | ||
| 1986–1990 | Steaua Bucureşti | ||
| 1990–1992 | Anorthosis Famagusta | ||
| 1992–1993 | Steaua Bucureşti | ||
| 1993–1998 | Romania | ||
| 1998–1999 | Greece | ||
| 1999–2000 | Al-Hilal | ||
| 2000 | Rapid Bucureşti | ||
| 2001–2002 | Al Ain | ||
| 2002–2004 | Romania | ||
| 2004–2006 | Al Ittihad | ||
| 2006 | Al Ain | ||
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals). |
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Anghel Iordănescu (Romanian pronunciation: [ˈanɡel jordəˈnesku]; born 4 May 1950 in Iaşi) is a Major General[1] and former Romanian football striker, currently a politician. In 2007 Iordănescu retired from football, and the following February, after his predecessor resigned, he became a member of the Romanian Senate, sitting on the Social Democratic Party benches.[2]
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Iordănescu was a bright striker with a well-developed scoring technique, who scored many goals and helped the teams he played for achieve impressive performances. In Romania he played only for Steaua Bucureşti, a team he joined as a youth in 1962, aged 12. Six years later he made his first appearance in Steaua Bucureşti's first team, followed by his first appearance for Romania in 1971.
In Romania he played only for Steaua Bucureşti between 1968 and 1982. During this period of time he scored a massive 146 goals, being the team's best scorer in its whole history.
With Steaua, Iordănescu won two championships (in 1976 and 1978) and four Romanian Cups (in 1970, 1971, 1976, and 1979). In 1981-82 he was Divizia A's top scorer.
In 1982 he left Romania to play for OFI Crete in Greece, but returned to Steaua two years later to become the team's assistant coach. Together with Emerich Jenei, then head coach, he won the championship in 1985 and led the team to its European Cup triumph in 1986, playing as a substitute in the final against FC Barcelona.
Emerich Jenei was appointed as Romania's manager in the summer of 1986, leaving Iordănescu as Steaua's new head coach. From his new position he led the team to victory in three championships (1987, 1988 and 1989) as well as three Romanian Cups in the same years. At the international level, Steaua and Iordănescu reached the European Cup semifinal in 1988 and the final one year later.
In 1990 he left Steaua for the second time as he signed a two-year contract with the Cypriot team Anorthosis Famagusta. Released from this contract, he returned to Steaua in 1992 to lead the team to the Cup Winners' Cup quarterfinals in 1993 and then a new championship.
In the summer of 1993 he was asked to replace Cornel Dinu as Romania's coach and managed to qualify the team for the 1994 World Cup, where Romania reached the quarterfinals, the best-ever performance of Romanian football at the national team level.
He continued as Romania's coach after the World Cup and led the team to new qualifications, for Euro 1996 and the 1998 World Cup.
After losing against Croatia in the second round of 1998 World Cup, he resigned and took over the managerial position of Greece, from where he would be sacked in 1999, as he failed to qualify the team for Euro 2000.
In 2000 he was appointed as head coach of Al-Hilal, the Saudi Arabian club, where he won the AFC Champions League, the Supercup and the Prince Cup. Despite these performances he left the club after one year to take over Rapid Bucharest, hoping to have the same kind of performances as he once had with Steaua. However, this was not to be the case and he was sacked after a few weeks in charge, causing him to sign with Al Ain FC from the United Arab Emirates.
Romania failed to qualify for the 2002 World Cup and Iordănescu was called to replace Gheorghe Hagi, therefore becoming the national football team's coach for the second time. His main objective was to qualify the team for the Euro 2004, but he failed to do so. Saying that there was no one else both better than he and available to take charge of the national team, the Romanian Football Federation gave him credit for the 2006 World Cup qualifying stage but after a poor performance in Armenia he was finally sacked.
After his second stint as team Romania's coach, he returned to Saudi Arabia, where he signed with Al-Ittihad and won his second AFC Champions League, in 2005, but one year later he was sacked after drawing with Al-Ettifaq. Just as the 2006-07 UAE League started, Iordănescu went back to coach Al Ain FC for a few months before announcing his retirement from professional football.
PlayerSteaua Bucharest
ManagerSteaua Bucharest
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Al-Hilal
Al Ain
Al-Ittihad
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| Sporting positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Liţă Dumitru |
Steaua captain 1980–1982 |
Succeeded by Tudorel Stoica |
| Preceded by Viorel Năstase |
Steaua Top Scorer 1974–1975 1975–1976 |
Succeeded by Viorel Năstase |
| Preceded by Viorel Năstase |
Steaua Top Scorer 1977–1978 |
Succeeded by Marcel Răducanu |
| Preceded by Marcel Răducanu |
Steaua Top Scorer 1981–1982 |
Succeeded by Septimiu Câmpeanu |
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