Marian Cucchiaroni Mihail (; born 7 May 1958) is a Romanian professional
football manager
Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business.
Management includes the activities ...
and former player who is the current head coach of
Liga 1 club
PSS Sleman
Perserikatan Sepakbola Sleman ( 'Sleman Football Union'), or mostly known through its abbreviation PSS, is a professional football club based in Sleman Regency, Special Region of Yogyakarta, Indonesia. The club competes in the Liga 1 , the top ...
.
An attack-minded
right-back
In the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield position whose primary role is to stop attacks during the game and prevent the opposition from scoring.
Centre-backs are usually positioned in pairs, with one full-back on either s ...
, Mihail spent almost his entire 17-year career with
Sportul Studentesc Bucharest in the top flight of Romanian football. He also represented
Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Moldova to the east, and ...
internationally at U21, U23 and senior levels.
Since retiring from playing, Mihail has moved into coaching and managed teams in Romania, the Middle East and Southeast Asia. He has also served as
National Technical Director of
Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Moldova to the east, and ...
from 2011 to 2014.
Club career
Mihail began his senior career in 1975, at the age of 17, playing as a
winger for his hometown club
Brasov, in the second tier of Romanian football, making 24 appearances and scoring 8 goals.
The following season he moved to
Sportul Studentesc Bucharest, where he spent 16 successive years of Romanian top flight football, playing over 400 league games and scoring 6 goals.
Mihail made his competitive debut for
Sportul Studentesc Bucharest on 20 October 1976, aged just 18, in the first leg of their
1976-77 UEFA Cup second round against German side
Schalke 04
Fußballclub Gelsenkirchen-Schalke 04 e. V., commonly known as FC Schalke 04 (), Schalke 04 (), or abbreviated as S04 (), is a professional German football and multi-sports club originally from the Schalke district of Gelsenkirchen, North Rhine ...
. It was in the early 1980s that he was converted from a
winger to an attacking
full-back. During his time at
Sportul Studentesc Bucharest, Mihail was
Romanian FA Cup runner-up in the 1978–79 season and
Romanian League
The Liga I (; ''First League''), also spelled as Liga 1, is a Romanian professional league for men's association football clubs. Currently sponsored by betting company Superbet, it is officially known as the SuperLiga. It is the country's top ...
runner-up in the 1985–86 season. He also played 16 European games for the club from 1976 to 1987.
International career
Mihail won five caps for
Romania national team
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Moldova to the east, and ...
between 1982 and 1986. He made his international debut on 14 March 1982 in a 4–1 friendly defeat to
Belgium
Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...
at
Heysel Stadium
The King Baudouin Stadium (french: Stade Roi Baudouin , nl, Koning Boudewijnstadion ) is a sports ground in north-west Brussels, Belgium. Located in the Heysel district of the City of Brussels, it was built to embellish the Heysel Plateau in ...
in Brussels, Belgium. Mihail was also part of
Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Moldova to the east, and ...
`s squad for
UEFA Euro 1984
The 1984 UEFA European Football Championship final tournament was held in France from 12 to 27 June 1984. It was the seventh UEFA European Championship, a competition held every four years and endorsed by UEFA.
At the time, only eight countries ...
qualifying campaign, but he missed the final tournament in France.
Managerial career
Mihail began his coaching career in June 1996 as manager of his former club
Sportul Studentesc Bucharest, in Romania's top tier. He then managed other two Romanian top flight sides,
Brasov and
Bacau, before returning to
Sportul Studentesc Bucharest in June 1998 for his second spell as manager of the club, relegated from Romania's top tier.
In October 1999, Mihail was appointed as sporting and technical director at Romanian giants
Steaua Bucharest, the most successful football club in Romania and former
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League (abbreviated as UCL, or sometimes, UEFA CL) is an annual club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by top-division European clubs, deciding the competi ...
winners, with responsibility for the first team's player recruitment and tactical scouting, the Academy, medical and sports science, and the player loan department. During his time at the club, the First Team won two major trophies, the
Romanian League
The Liga I (; ''First League''), also spelled as Liga 1, is a Romanian professional league for men's association football clubs. Currently sponsored by betting company Superbet, it is officially known as the SuperLiga. It is the country's top ...
title and
Romanian Super Cup
Romanian may refer to:
*anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Romania
**Romanians, an ethnic group
**Romanian language, a Romance language
***Romanian dialects, variants of the Romanian language
**Romanian cuisine, traditional ...
, in the 2000–01 season.
In June 2002, after a stint as manager of Romanian second-tier side
Rocar Bucharest, Mihail moved to the Middle East, where he had successful spells in the top flight football, first in Syria with
Al-Qardaha, and then in Saudi Arabia with
Al-Riyadh.
In June 2004, Mihail returned home to Romania in order to complete his
UEFA Pro Licence
UEFA, the governing body for football in Europe, mandates several coaching licences for professional managers, each valid for coaching at a certain level. These include the UEFA Pro Licence, the UEFA A Licence, and the UEFA B Licence. They are is ...
with the
Romania Football Federation (FRF). During that period, he was employed by the
Romania Football Federation (FRF) as youth technical adviser, and also helped them to set up the Romanian national youth program. He also had a short stint as manager of Romanian second-tier side
Sibiu
Sibiu ( , , german: link=no, Hermannstadt , la, Cibinium, Transylvanian Saxon: ''Härmeschtat'', hu, Nagyszeben ) is a city in Romania, in the historical region of Transylvania. Located some north-west of Bucharest, the city straddles the Ci ...
.
In May 2006, Mihail moved back to the Middle East, where he signed a two-year contract with the Syrian giants
Al-Jaish Damascus
Al-Jaish Sports Club ( ar, نادي الجيش الرياضي) is a professional football club based in Damascus, Syria that competes in the Syrian Premier League, founded in 1947. The club plays at the Al-Fayhaa Stadium. The team colors are red ...
. His first competitive match in charge was a 1–3 loss away to Enppi Cairo in the 2006–07
Arab Champions League
The Arab Club Champions Cup ( ar, كأس العرب للأندية الأبطال, french: Ligue des Champions Arabe) is an annual regional club football competition organised by the Union of Arab Football Associations (UAFA) and contested by el ...
.
In June 2008, Mihail was appointed as manager of Kuwaiti top flight side
Al-Jahra
Al Jahra ( ar, الجهراء) is a town and city located west of the centre of Kuwait City in Kuwait. Al Jahra is the capital of the Al Jahra Governorate of Kuwait as well as the surrounding Al Jahra District which is agriculturally based. Encyc ...
, on a one-year contract. In between, Mihail returned home to Romania for his third spell as manager of
Sportul Studentesc Bucharest, in Romania's second tier. At a ceremony marking the centenary of the
Romania Football Federation (FRF) held in Bucharest on 12 May 2009, Mihail received the Order of Merit in Ruby for his services to Romanian football.
In June 2009, Mihail signed a two-year contract as technical director of
Al-Wahda Abu Dhabi, one of the most prestigious club in the United Arab Emirates, where he was responsible for the club's youth academy and the reserve team. Mihail's primary focus was to develop a strong academy set up and ensure that all the Al-Wahda youth teams play the same style. Under his stewardship, the academy won two national titles at the U17 and U19 levels in the 2009–10 season.
In August 2011, Mihail was appointed as
National Technical Director of the
Romania Football Federation (FRF) and coordinator of all the youth national teams, on a three-year term. The position was new in the FRF at the time and included responsibility for the overall development and direction of football in Romania. Mihail's main task was to restore the competitiveness of Romanian football. After becoming familiar with the situation in Romanian football and many analyses and consultations, both within the football family and with external partners, Mihail presented his strategic plan to stop the decline of Romanian football and to achieve new success at all levels of competition. Priority was given to improve the quality of youth coaches, the performance of the national youth teams and to develop strong partnerships with the
Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) to promote new technical standards across the country.
In only three years the new performance strategy has laid a solid base for the future development of football in Romania. This has included reforming the coach education system, revamping the format of the youth leagues and the success of the national youth teams program, both boys and girls, among other healthy developments.
In February 2014, it was announced that Mihail officially left his role with the FRF, just before the election of a new president for the
Romania Football Federation (FRF) .
In September 2016, Mihail moved back into club coaching as manager of Iraqi top flight side
Zakho
Zakho, also spelled Zaxo ( ku, زاخۆ, Zaxo, syr, ܙܵܟ݂ܘܿ, Zākhō, , ) is a city in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, at the centre of the eponymous Zakho District of the Dohuk Governorate, located a few kilometers from the Iraq–Turkey b ...
, on a one-year contract. His first league game in charge was on 26 October 2016 when Zakho faced away
Naft Al-Wasat
Naft Al-Wasat Sports Club ( ar, نادي نفط الوسط الرياضي, lit=''Midland Oil'') is an Iraqi sports club based in Najaf, Iraq. Its professional football team plays in the Iraqi Premier League, the top tier of Iraqi football. The c ...
, the best team in the league at the time, with the match ending in a 0–0 draw. In early January 2017, Mihail announced his decision to leave
Zakho
Zakho, also spelled Zaxo ( ku, زاخۆ, Zaxo, syr, ܙܵܟ݂ܘܿ, Zākhō, , ) is a city in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, at the centre of the eponymous Zakho District of the Dohuk Governorate, located a few kilometers from the Iraq–Turkey b ...
due to sectarian unrest in the country, and was replaced by another Romanian manager,
Dorinel Munteanu
Dorinel Ionel Munteanu (; born 25 June 1968) is a Romanian retired professional footballer and manager.
A former midfielder, Munteanu is the most capped Romanian player of all time, with a total of 134 appearances and 16 goals. He played in tw ...
.
In December 2017, Mihail was named the new manager of Vietnamese top flight side
FLC Thanh Hóa, replacing
Ljubomir "Lupko" Petrović of Serbia. His first competitive match as manager of the team was on 23 January 2018, when FLC Thanh Hóa defeated hosts
Eastern AA
Eastern Athletic Association Football Team Limited, also known as Eastern Sports Club (), is a Hong Kong professional sports club whose football section competes in the Hong Kong Premier League, the top flight of Hong Kong football.
The f ...
of Hong Kong 4–2 in the second qualifying round of the
2018 AFC Champions League tournament. In the next round, they were eliminated from the competition by the South Korean giants and two-time
Asian Champions League winners
Suwon Samsung Bluewings, in an away match played at the Suwon World Cup Stadium, South Korea on 30 January 2018. The Vietnamese club then took part in the
2018 AFC Cup
The 2018 AFC Cup was the 15th edition of the AFC Cup, Asia's secondary club football tournament organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya won the title for the third consecutive year, defeating Altyn Asyr in the fi ...
, Asia's secondary club football tournament, where they joined
Bali United
Bali United Football Club is a professional football club based in Gianyar, Bali, Indonesia. The club competes in the Liga 1, the top tier of Indonesian football. Bali United emerged in 2015 as the result of the total rebranding of Indonesia ...
from Indonesia,
Yangon United
Yangon United Football Club ( my, ရန်ကုန် ယူနိုက်တက် ဘောလုံးအသင်း ) is a Burmese football club, based at Yangon United Sports Complex, in Yangon, Myanmar. Owned by Tay Za, a prominent Bu ...
from Myanmar ang
Global Cebu from Philippines in Group G. Its first game was against Global Cebu on 10 February 2018.
After a stint as a UEFA 'Pro' License instructor at the
Romania Football Federation (FRF), Mihail returned to coaching on 27 April 2023, signining a one-year contract as manager of Indonesian top flight side
PSS Sleman
Perserikatan Sepakbola Sleman ( 'Sleman Football Union'), or mostly known through its abbreviation PSS, is a professional football club based in Sleman Regency, Special Region of Yogyakarta, Indonesia. The club competes in the Liga 1 , the top ...
.
Marian Mihail the new head coach of PSS Sleman
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References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Mihail, Marian
1958 births
Living people
Footballers from Bucharest
Romanian footballers
Association football defenders
Romania international footballers
Liga II players
FC Brașov (1936) players
Liga I players
FC Sportul Studențesc București players
Romanian football managers
FC Sportul Studențesc București managers
FC Brașov (1936) managers
FCM Bacău managers
AFC Rocar București managers
Al-Riyadh SC managers
Al-Jahra SC managers
Romanian expatriate football managers
Romanian expatriate sportspeople in Kuwait
Expatriate football managers in Kuwait
Romanian expatriate sportspeople in Saudi Arabia
Expatriate football managers in Saudi Arabia
Romanian expatriate sportspeople in Syria
Expatriate football managers in Syria
Romanian expatriate sportspeople in Iraq
Expatriate football managers in Iraq
Romanian expatriate sportspeople in Vietnam
Expatriate football managers in Vietnam
Romanian expatriate sportspeople in the United Arab Emirates
Expatriate football managers in the United Arab Emirates