Zoltán "Zoli" Ivansuc (12 August 1938 – 27 January 1982) was a Romanian
footballer
A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby le ...
who played mainly as a
forward
Forward is a relative direction, the opposite of backward.
Forward may also refer to:
People
* Forward (surname)
Sports
* Forward (association football)
* Forward (basketball), including:
** Point forward
** Power forward (basketball)
** Sm ...
for
Universitatea Cluj
Fotbal Club Universitatea Cluj (), commonly known as Universitatea Cluj or simply as U Cluj, is a Romanian professional association football, football club based in the city of Cluj-Napoca, Cluj County, that competes in the Liga I, the first ...
.
Club career
Zoltán Ivansuc was born on 12 August 1938 in
Reșița
Reșița (; german: link=no, Reschitz; hu, Resicabánya; hr, Ričica; cz, Rešice; sr, Решица/Rešica; tr, Reşçe) is a city in western Romania and the capital of Caraș-Severin County. It is located in the Banat region. The city had ...
,
Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...
, playing junior level football at Electromotor Timișoara from 1952 until 1955, afterwards he started his senior career as he returned to his hometown in order to play for
CSM Reșița in
Divizia B
The Liga 2, most often spelled as Liga II, is the second level of the Romanian football league system. The league changed its name from Divizia B just before the start of the 2006–07 Liga II, 2006–07. It is currently Sponsor (commercial), sp ...
for a while.
Then he moved to
Universitatea Cluj
Fotbal Club Universitatea Cluj (), commonly known as Universitatea Cluj or simply as U Cluj, is a Romanian professional association football, football club based in the city of Cluj-Napoca, Cluj County, that competes in the Liga I, the first ...
, choosing to transfer from
Reșița
Reșița (; german: link=no, Reschitz; hu, Resicabánya; hr, Ričica; cz, Rešice; sr, Решица/Rešica; tr, Reşçe) is a city in western Romania and the capital of Caraș-Severin County. It is located in the Banat region. The city had ...
to
Cluj-Napoca
; hu, kincses város)
, official_name=Cluj-Napoca
, native_name=
, image_skyline=
, subdivision_type1 = Counties of Romania, County
, subdivision_name1 = Cluj County
, subdivision_type2 = Subdivisions of Romania, Status
, subdivision_name2 ...
where he lived with fellow teammate
Remus Câmpeanu
Remus Câmpeanu (8 September 1938 – 3 April 2021) was a Romanian footballer who played as a left-back for Universitatea Cluj.
Career
Remus Câmpeanu was born on 8 September 1938 in Cluj-Napoca, Romania and started to play junior level footb ...
for six years in a three-room house, provided by the university club.
On 3 May 1959 he made his
Divizia A
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 ...
debut under coach
Virgil Mărdărescu
Virgil Mărdărescu (also known as "Gil Mărdărescu", "Gheorge Mărdărescu" and "Vintilă Mărdărescu"; July 15, 1921 – June 11, 2003) was a Romanian football manager.
In 1969, was appointed as manager of the Romania national "B" team, know ...
in a 1–0 home victory against
Știința Timișoara and in the
following season he scored his first goal from about 30 meters in a 3–2 loss at
Constanța
Constanța (, ; ; rup, Custantsa; bg, Кюстенджа, Kyustendzha, or bg, Констанца, Konstantsa, label=none; el, Κωνστάντζα, Kōnstántza, or el, Κωνστάντια, Kōnstántia, label=none; tr, Köstence), histo ...
in front of
Farul. Invansuc would remain in Cluj for almost a decade, making 185 appearances and scoring 41 goals.
Zoli's best friend, poet Irimie Negoiță, called him "Hamlet of the green pitch" and his former coach,
Constantin Teașcă
Constantin Teașcă also known as Titi Teașcă (25 September 1922 – 30 July 1996) was a Romanian association football, football play and manager.
Teașcă was the manager of Romania national football team, Romania in 1962 and 1967. He managed ...
, described him as "a very great footballer, who does not like football!".
The highlights of Ivansuc's period spent with ''The Red Caps'' were two 4th places in the
1960–61 and
1962–63 seasons, a personal record of 9 goals scored in the
1966–67 season, also being used the whole match by coach
Andrei Sepci
Andrei Sepci (7 October 1911 – 3 December 1992) is a Romanian former footballer and manager. He was the manager that guided Știința Cluj in its successful 1964–65 Cupa României campaign.
International career
Andrei Sepci played four g ...
in the
1965 Cupa României final
Events January–February
* January 14 – The Prime Minister of Northern Ireland and the Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland meet for the first time in 43 years.
* January 20
** Lyndon B. Johnson is Second inauguration of Lyndo ...
, managing to score a goal with a free kick from about 25 meters distance in the 2–1 victory over
Dinamo Pitești on the
Republicii Stadium which brought the club their first trophy.
Supporters greeted the players with banners at the Cluj airport.
After winning the Cupa României
The Cupa României ( en, Romanian Cup) is a Association football, football cup competition for List of football clubs in Romania, Romanian teams which has been held annually since 1933–34 Cupa României, 1933–34, except during World War II. I ...
, "U" Cluj played in the first round of the 1965–66 European Cup Winners' Cup
The 1965–66 season of the European Cup Winners' Cup club football tournament was won by Borussia Dortmund in an extra-time final victory over Liverpool at Hampden Park in Glasgow. This season of the Cup Winners' Cup was the first instance of the ...
, Ivansuc scoring in both legs of the 3–0 victory on aggregate against Austrian team, Wiener Neustadt, but they were eliminated in the following round by Atlético Madrid
Club Atlético de Madrid, Sociedad Anónima Deportiva, S.A.D. (; meaning "Athletic Club of Madrid"), known simply as Atleti in the Spanish-speaking world and commonly referred to at international level as Atlético Madrid, is a Spanish profess ...
.[ At the second match with the Spaniards, played in ]Madrid
Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...
, Ivansuc was approached by Real Madrid
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol (, meaning ''Royal Madrid Football Club''), commonly referred to as Real Madrid, is a Spanish professional football club based in Madrid.
Founded in 1902 as Madrid Football Club, the club has traditionally wor ...
's team who came in particular to persuade him to stay in Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
, however he was adamant at remaining in Cluj, and denied any possibility of a move.
Ivansuc's last Divizia A
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 ...
appearance took place on 12 November 1968 playing for "U" Cluj in a 2–0 loss in front of Steaua București, having a total of 185 appearances and 41 goals scored in the competition, ending his career after playing two games for IS Câmpia Turzii in the 1968–69 Divizia B
The 1968–69 Divizia B was the 29th season of the second tier of the Romanian football league system.
The format has been maintained to two series, but the number of teams was expanded, each of the series having 16 teams, instead of 14. At the e ...
season. His former wife, Sanda Popescu, claimed that Constantin Teașcă
Constantin Teașcă also known as Titi Teașcă (25 September 1922 – 30 July 1996) was a Romanian association football, football play and manager.
Teașcă was the manager of Romania national football team, Romania in 1962 and 1967. He managed ...
's second stint on U's bench meant the end of Ivansuc's career, much to his frustration.[
]
International career
Zoltán Ivansuc made his debut for Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...
in 1962 under coach Constantin Teașcă
Constantin Teașcă also known as Titi Teașcă (25 September 1922 – 30 July 1996) was a Romanian association football, football play and manager.
Teașcă was the manager of Romania national football team, Romania in 1962 and 1967. He managed ...
in a friendly against Morocco
Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to ...
which ended with a 4–0 victory. His following game was another friendly which ended with a 3–2 loss against East Germany
East Germany, officially the German Democratic Republic (GDR; german: Deutsche Demokratische Republik, , DDR, ), was a country that existed from its creation on 7 October 1949 until its dissolution on 3 October 1990. In these years the state ...
and his last match for the national team was a 6–0 loss against Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
at the 1964 European Nations' Cup qualifiers.
Personal life and death
Ivansuc was married with Sanda Popescu, who divorced in 1975, having a girl together, Barbara Ivansuc. After his departure from "U" Cluj, he began practicing as a doctor at the Câmpia Turzii Factory, with medicine practice being a key reason in wanting to remain at Cluj despite offers from elsewhere during his career.
Ivansuc was found dead in his apartment on 27 January 1982, after suffering a cardiac arrest. Alcoholism was attributed to his death.
Honours
Universitatea Cluj
*Cupa României
The Cupa României ( en, Romanian Cup) is a Association football, football cup competition for List of football clubs in Romania, Romanian teams which has been held annually since 1933–34 Cupa României, 1933–34, except during World War II. I ...
: 1964–65[
]
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ivansuc, Zoltan
1938 births
1982 deaths
Footballers from Reșița
Romanian men's footballers
Men's association football forwards
Liga I players
FC Universitatea Cluj players
Liga II players
CSM Reșița players
CSM Câmpia Turzii players
Romania men's international footballers