Victor Pițurcă (; born 8 May 1956) is a Romanian professional
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
manager
Management (or managing) is the administration of organizations, whether businesses, nonprofit organizations, or a government bodies through business administration, nonprofit management, or the political science sub-field of public administra ...
and former player.
Club career
Victor Pițurcă was born on 8 May 1956 in
Orodel
Orodel is a commune in Dolj County, Oltenia, Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Se ...
,
Dolj County
Dolj County (; originally meant ''Dol(no)-Jiu River, Jiu'', "lower Jiu", as opposed to ''Gorj'' (''upper Jiu'')) is a county (județ) of Romania on the border with Bulgaria, in Oltenia, with the capital city at Craiova.
Demographics
In 2011, ...
, Romania, starting to play football in 1964 at the youth center of
Universitatea Craiova, being loaned in 1974 for one year to Dinamo Slatina in
Divizia B, where he started his senior career.
When he returned to "U" Craiova, coach
Constantin Cernăianu gave him
Divizia A
Liga I (; ''First League''), also spelled as Liga 1 and officially known as SuperLiga for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Romania and the highest level of the Romanian football league system. Contested by 1 ...
debut on 19 November 1975 in a 4–0 home win over
Argeș Pitești.
[ However, during his two seasons spent at Craiova, he played rarely, so he went to play again in Divizia B, this time at Pandurii Târgu Jiu under coach ]Constantin Oțet
Constantin 'Tică' Oțet (24 December 1940 – 19 February 1999) was a Romanian football coach.
Career
Oțet was born in 1940 in Poroina, a village in Șimian commune, Mehedinți County. In 1959, Oțet began playing for Metalul Turnu Seve ...
for whom in his first season from the total of 37 goals scored by the team, Pițurcă scored over half but the team relegated to Divizia C. In the 1978–79 Divizia C season, Pițurcă scored 46 goals of the team's total of 98, helping it promote back to Divizia B after one year.[ In 1979 he went back to Divizia A football, when he went to play for Olt Scornicești, making regular appearances during his four-years spell.][
In July 1983 he was wanted by Steaua București where Constantin Cernăianu was coaching, but his coach from Scornicești, ]Florin Halagian
Florin Vașken Halagian (7 March 1939 – 12 August 2019) was a Romanian football player and manager of Armenian descent, hence the nickname ''Armeanul'' (The Armenian). With 878 games, he is the manager who has the most matches in the Liga I, R ...
tried to keep him there, eventually at the insistence of Emerich Jenei the transfer to Steaua was fulfilled.[ In his first season, he did not win any trophies, but afterwards he helped the team conquer five league titles in a row, starting with The Double from the 1984–85 season when Pițurcă was the second top-goalscorer of the league, having only one goal behind Sportul Studențesc's ]Gheorghe Hagi
Gheorghe Hagi (; born 5 February 1965) is a Romanian professional football manager and former player, who is currently the owner of Liga I club Farul Constanța. Deployed as an attacking midfielder, Hagi was considered one of the best players in ...
, as he scored 19 goals scored in the 32 matches coaches Halagian and Jenei used him, also scoring the decisive goal of the 2–1 victory from the Cupa României final over his former team, Universitatea Craiova. In the following season, he was again the league's second top-goalscorer, this time with two goals behind Hagi, having scored 29 in the 34 appearances given to him by Jenei who also used him in all the nine games from the historical European Cup
The UEFA Champions League (UCL) is an annual club association football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) that is contested by top-division European clubs. The competition begins with a round robi ...
campaign in which Pițurcă was the team's top-goalscorer, netting five times in all the home matches, one against each of Vejle, Budapest Honvéd and Kuusysi Lahti and a brace in the 3–0 win from the semifinals with Anderlecht
Anderlecht (; ) is one of the List of municipalities of the Brussels-Capital Region, 19 municipalities of the Brussels-Capital Region, Belgium. Located in the south-western part of the region, it is bordered by the City of Brussels, Forest, B ...
, then playing as a starter until the 111th minute of extra time
Overtime (OT) or extra time (ET) is an additional period of play to bring a game to a decision and avoid declaring the match a tie or draw where the scores are the same. In some sports, this extra period is played only if the game is required t ...
when he was replaced with Marin Radu in the eventual 2–0 victory after the penalty shoot-out from the final
Final, Finals or The Final may refer to:
*Final examination or finals, a test given at the end of a course of study or training
*Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which d ...
against Barcelona
Barcelona ( ; ; ) is a city on the northeastern coast of Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second-most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...
.[ He started the 1986–87 season by playing all the minutes in the 1–0 win over ]Dynamo Kyiv
The Football Club 'Dynamo Kyiv', also known as Dynamo Kyiv, or simply Dynamo, ( ) is a Ukrainian professional football club based in Kyiv. Founded in 1927 as a Kyivan football team of republican branch of the bigger Soviet Dynamo Sports Society ...
from the European Super Cup
The UEFA Super Cup is an annual super cup football match organised by UEFA and contested by the winners of the two main European club competitions: the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League. The competition's official name was original ...
and in the loss from the Intercontinental Cup with the same score in front of River Plate, by the end of it helping Steaua win another Double, coaches Jenei and Anghel Iordănescu giving him 31 league appearances in which he scored 22 goals, being surpassed only by Dinamo București's controversial European Golden Shoe
The European Golden Shoe, also known as the European Golden Boot, is an award that is presented each season to the player with the most points in league matches from the top division of a European national league. The trophy is a sculpture o ...
winner, Rodion Cămătaru who scored double, also appearing the full 90 minutes in the 1–0 victory from the Cupa României final over Dinamo.[ In the next season, Pițurcă was used by Iordănescu in 33 league games in which he scored 34 goals, being the top-goalscorer of the championship and European Bronze Boot as only ]Tanju Çolak
Tanju Çolak (born 10 November 1963) is a Turkish former professional footballer who played as a forward.
Club career
Born in Samsun, Çolak made his debut for Samsun Yolspor. From there he was transferred to Samsunspor in 1981 where he was top ...
(39) and John Eriksen (36) scored more and he made another continental performance with the team as they reached the semi-finals of the European Cup
The UEFA Champions League (UCL) is an annual club association football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) that is contested by top-division European clubs. The competition begins with a round robi ...
where they lost in favor of Benfica, Pițurcă contributing with one goal scored against Rangers in the 8 matches played.[ In his last season spent with '' The Military Men'', the team won another Double, Iordănescu using him in 22 league matches, managing to score 23 goals, also appearing the whole game in another 1–0 victory in the Cupa României final over ]rivals
A rivalry is the state of two people or Social group, groups engaging in a lasting competitive relationship. Rivalry is the "against each other" spirit between two competing sides. The relationship itself may also be called "a rivalry", and each ...
Dinamo and made another European performance by playing 7 games in the European Cup
The UEFA Champions League (UCL) is an annual club association football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) that is contested by top-division European clubs. The competition begins with a round robi ...
campaign, including all the minutes from the 4–0 loss in front of AC Milan
(), commonly referred to as Milan or AC Milan () mainly outside of Italy, is an Italian professional Football club (association football), football club based in Milan, Lombardy. Founded in 1899, the club competes in the Serie A, the top tie ...
from the final
Final, Finals or The Final may refer to:
*Final examination or finals, a test given at the end of a course of study or training
*Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which d ...
, scoring one goal in the semi-finals against Galatasaray when goalkeeper Zoran Simović kicked the ball in the back of his head and it went in the goalpost but the referee wrongfully cancelled the goal.[ His last Divizia A game took place on 17 June 1989 in Steaua's 4–1 home win over Flacăra Moreni with him scoring a goal, having a total of 301 appearances with 65 goals in the competition and a total of 29 matches and 6 goals in European competitions.][
After he won the European Cup in 1986, Pițurcă had an offer to play for ]Anderlecht
Anderlecht (; ) is one of the List of municipalities of the Brussels-Capital Region, 19 municipalities of the Brussels-Capital Region, Belgium. Located in the south-western part of the region, it is bordered by the City of Brussels, Forest, B ...
but was not allowed to go there by the communist regime
A communist state, also known as a Marxist–Leninist state, is a one-party state in which the totality of the power belongs to a party adhering to some form of Marxism–Leninism, a branch of the communist ideology. Marxism–Leninism was ...
, however in 1989 with the help of Valentin Ceaușescu
Valentin Ceaușescu (born 17 February 1948) is a Romanian physicist. He is the eldest and only surviving child of former communist President Nicolae Ceaușescu and Elena Ceaușescu.
Biography
Early life and education
Valentin Ceaușesc ...
, he and teammate Tudorel Stoica
Tudorel Stoica (born 7 September 1954, in Brăila, Brăila County, Romania) is a Romanian former footballer who played as a midfielder. He is the most capped player in the history of Steaua București.
He is one of the most famous and succe ...
were allowed to transfer at Lens
A lens is a transmissive optical device that focuses or disperses a light beam by means of refraction. A simple lens consists of a single piece of transparent material, while a compound lens consists of several simple lenses (''elements'') ...
in French Division 2 where after one season, Pițurcă ended his playing career.[
On 25 March 2008, he was decorated by the president of ]Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...
, Traian Băsescu
Traian Băsescu (; born 4 November 1951) is a Romanian politician who served as the president of Romania from 2004 to 2014. Prior to his presidency, Băsescu served as Romanian minister of transport on multiple occasions between 1991 and 2000, ...
for the winning of the 1985–86 European Cup with Ordinul "Meritul Sportiv" — (The Order "The Sportive Merit") class II.
International career
Victor Pițurcă played 13 games and scored 6 goals at international level for Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...
, making his debut on 27 March 1985 under coach Mircea Lucescu
Mircea Lucescu (; born 29 July 1945) is a Romanian professional Association football, football Manager (association football), manager and former player, currently the head coach of the Romania national football team, Romania national team. He i ...
in a friendly which ended 0–0 with Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...
. After making two appearances at the 1986 World Cup qualifiers, he scored his first two goals for the national team in a 3–1 win over Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...
in a friendly game.[ He scored another brace in a 4–2 friendly victory with ]Israel
Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...
and made five appearances at the Euro 1988 qualifiers where he scored two goals in two victories with Albania
Albania ( ; or ), officially the Republic of Albania (), is a country in Southeast Europe. It is located in the Balkans, on the Adriatic Sea, Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea, and shares land borders with Montenegro to ...
and Spain
Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
, also making his last appearance for Romania on 18 November 1987 in a 0–0 with Austria
Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...
.[
]
International stats
:''Scores and results list Romania's goal tally first. "Score" column indicates the score after each Victor Pițurcă goal.''[
]
Managerial career
Victor Pițurcă's first coaching experience was working as an assistant of Emerich Jenei at Steaua București, shortly afterwards becoming the team's head coach in March 1992, winning on his debut with 3–0 in front of rivals
A rivalry is the state of two people or Social group, groups engaging in a lasting competitive relationship. Rivalry is the "against each other" spirit between two competing sides. The relationship itself may also be called "a rivalry", and each ...
Rapid București, finishing the season
A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's axial tilt, tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperat ...
on the second place and winning the Cupa României
The Cupa României () 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. It is the Romania ...
after the victory at the penalty shoot-out in the final
Final, Finals or The Final may refer to:
*Final examination or finals, a test given at the end of a course of study or training
*Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which d ...
against Politehnica Timișoara. His following coaching spell began in 1994 at Universitatea Craiova with whom he finished second in the championship at the end of the 1994–95 season.
In 1996, he was named coach of Romania's under-21 side, leading the team to its first qualification to a European Championship in 1998, which ended up being hosted by Romania. The qualification was succeeded after the team won the group 8 Group 8 may refer to:
* Group 8 (Sweden), a feminist movement in Sweden
* Group 8 element, a series of elements in the Periodic Table
* Group 8 Rugby League, a rugby league competition
* G8, or Group of 8, an inter-governmental political forum f ...
of the qualifiers with 8 victories out of 8 matches against Iceland
Iceland is a Nordic countries, Nordic island country between the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between North America and Europe. It is culturally and politically linked with Europe and is the regi ...
, Republic of Ireland
Ireland ( ), also known as the Republic of Ireland (), is a country in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe consisting of 26 of the 32 Counties of Ireland, counties of the island of Ireland, with a population of about 5.4 million. ...
, Lithuania
Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania, is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, bordered by Latvia to the north, Belarus to the east and south, P ...
and Macedonia
Macedonia (, , , ), most commonly refers to:
* North Macedonia, a country in southeastern Europe, known until 2019 as the Republic of Macedonia
* Macedonia (ancient kingdom), a kingdom in Greek antiquity
* Macedonia (Greece), a former administr ...
.[ At the final tournament which was composed of 8 teams, they were eliminated by ]Netherlands
, Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...
with 2–0 in the quarter-finals, also losing the games for the 5th-8th places and for the 7th place in front of Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
, respectively Russia
Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
.[ However, from the 20-players squad that took part at that tournament, only five did not get to play for Romania's senior team throughout their career.][
In 1998, following the success with the under-21 side, Pițurcă was appointed as Romania's seniors manager, making his debut on 17 August in a friendly which ended 0–0 with ]Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...
. He qualified the team to the Euro 2000
The 2000 UEFA European Football Championship, also known as Euro 2000, was the 11th UEFA European Championship, a football tournament held every four years and organised by UEFA, the sport's governing body in Europe.
The finals tournament was ...
, as he won the qualification group with seven victories and three draws in front of Portugal
Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...
, Slovakia
Slovakia, officially the Slovak Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the west, and the Czech Republic to the northwest. Slovakia's m ...
, Hungary
Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia and ...
, Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan, officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, is a Boundaries between the continents, transcontinental and landlocked country at the boundary of West Asia and Eastern Europe. It is a part of the South Caucasus region and is bounded by ...
and Liechtenstein
Liechtenstein (, ; ; ), officially the Principality of Liechtenstein ( ), is a Landlocked country#Doubly landlocked, doubly landlocked Swiss Standard German, German-speaking microstate in the Central European Alps, between Austria in the east ...
.[ However, despite this performance, Pițurcă was sacked in late 1999, not having the chance to take the squad to the final tournament, the reason was an argument he had with Romania's best players, ]Gheorghe Hagi
Gheorghe Hagi (; born 5 February 1965) is a Romanian professional football manager and former player, who is currently the owner of Liga I club Farul Constanța. Deployed as an attacking midfielder, Hagi was considered one of the best players in ...
, Gheorghe Popescu and Dan Petrescu.
At the beginning of the year 2000, he returns at Steaua, finishing the championship on the 3rd position, but managed to win the following one and also the 2001 Supercupa României
2001 Supercupa României was the 5th edition of Romania's season opener cup competition, Supercupa României. The match was played in Bucharest at Stadionul Naţional (1953), Stadionul Naţional on 2 March 2002, and was contested between 2000–01 ...
with a 2–1 victory against Dinamo București.[ He resigned in June 2002 after an argument with the club's chairman, Gigi Becali but they reconciled and Pițurcă came back in October the same year.][ He finished the 2002–03 and 2003–04 seasons on the second place, also guiding the team in the ]2003–04 UEFA Cup
The 2003–04 UEFA Cup was won by Valencia in the final against Marseille. It wrapped up a league and UEFA Cup double for Valencia.
Porto could not defend their title as they automatically qualified for the 2003–04 UEFA Champions League and a ...
season when '' The Red and Blues'' eliminated in the first two rounds Neman Grodno and Southampton
Southampton is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. It is located approximately southwest of London, west of Portsmouth, and southeast of Salisbury. Southampton had a population of 253, ...
, obtaining a 1–1 in the first leg of the following round with Liverpool
Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...
, losing the away leg with 1–0, thus the campaign ending.[ In July 2004, Pițurcă resigned after another argument with Becali who fired player Romeo Pădureț without his approval.
In December 2004 he was appointed manager of ]Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...
for the second time, in a moment when the qualification to the 2006 World Cup was pretty much compromised, being unable to qualify even do he obtained good results in the qualifiers as a 2–0 home win over Czech Republic
The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the south ...
.[ He won the Euro 2008 qualifying group G in front of ]Netherlands
, Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...
against whom he obtained a historical first ever victory with 1–0 on the Farul stadium.[ This performance helped him earn the 2007 '']Gazeta Sporturilor
Gazeta Sporturilor () is a Romanian sports website, originally founded in 1924 as a daily newspaper. It was the third-oldest daily newspaper in Europe, with 99 years of uninterrupted publication, before issuing its last edition on 31 October 2023. ...
'' Romania Coach of the Year award. At the Euro 2008 final tournament, Romania was drawn in the "Group of Death" where they obtained two points in their first two games against the finalists of the previous World Cup, 0–0 with France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
and 1–1 against Italy
Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
, but losing 0–2 to the Netherlands
, Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...
, finishing the group on the third place, thus being eliminated from the competition and being very criticized by the press for the defensive style imposed on the team, especially in the last match.[ After Euro 2008, Romania showed an increasingly poor form at the 2010 World Cup qualifying campaign, as in the first two games Romania lost 0–3 against ]Lithuania
Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania, is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, bordered by Latvia to the north, Belarus to the east and south, P ...
at home and four days later secured a difficult 1–0 victory against the Faroe Islands
The Faroe Islands ( ) (alt. the Faroes) are an archipelago in the North Atlantic Ocean and an autonomous territory of the Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark. Located between Iceland, Norway, and the United Kingdom, the islands have a populat ...
.[ After a 2–2 with ]France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
, he lost the next two games with Serbia
, image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg
, national_motto =
, image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg
, national_anthem = ()
, image_map =
, map_caption = Location of Serbia (gree ...
and Austria
Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...
.[ Considering these results, the ]Romanian Football Federation
The Romanian Football Federation (; FRF) is the governing body of football in Romania. They are headquartered in the capital city of Bucharest and affiliated with FIFA and UEFA since 1923 and 1955 respectively. The Federation organizes the men's ...
released Victor Pițurcă in April 2009, appointing Răzvan Lucescu instead.[
In 2010, he had two short spells as manager at Steaua and Universitatea Craiova, leaving from both clubs after conflicts with the owners.][
On 14 June 2011, he returned for a third spell in charge of the Romania national team when the chances for qualifying at the ]Euro 2012
The 2012 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as UEFA Euro 2012 or simply Euro 2012, was the 14th European Championship for men's national football teams organised by UEFA. The final tournament, held between 8 June and 1 ...
were very low, his objective being to create a team which would qualify for the Euro 2016.[ He was close to qualify at the ]2014 World Cup
The 2014 FIFA World Cup was the 20th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for men's national football teams organised by FIFA. It took place in Brazil from 12 June to 13 July 2014, after the country was awarded the hosting ri ...
, finishing the qualification group on the second place behind Netherlands but above Turkey
Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...
, Hungary
Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia and ...
, Estonia
Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia, is a country in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, and to the east by Ru ...
and Andorra
Andorra, officially the Principality of Andorra, is a Sovereignty, sovereign landlocked country on the Iberian Peninsula, in the eastern Pyrenees in Southwestern Europe, Andorra–France border, bordered by France to the north and Spain to A ...
, thus reaching the play-off
The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eith ...
where they lost 4–2 with Greece
Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...
.[ He started with two victories against Greece and ]Finland
Finland, officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the south, ...
and a draw with Hungary at the Euro 2016 qualifiers, then leaving the team to go in Saudi Arabia, but Romania still managed to qualify at the final tournament by using many of the young players that Pițurcă promoted in the last years.[ Victor Pițurcă has a total of 96 games from his three spells at the national team consisting of 53 victories, 23 draws and 20 losses.][
On 16 October 2014, he signed a two-year deal with Al-Ittihad in Saudi Arabia.][ In January 2015, he was heavily criticized for excluding Al-Ittihad's top stars Mohammed Noor and Hamad Al-Montashari due to disobeying training procedure. He was dismissed by the club in June 2015 because the club's officials were unsatisfied that the team finished the season on the fourth place.][ He was replaced by ]László Bölöni
Ladislau "Loți" Iosif Bölöni (; born 11 March 1953) is a Romanian professional Association football, football Manager (association football), manager and former player.
After starting out at ASA Târgu Mureș (1962), ASA Târgu Mureș, Böl� ...
but came back at the club in December the same year only to leave again in July 2016.[
On 22 August 2019, he signed a contract with Universitatea Craiova, resigning in January 2020, being unsatisfied that the club's officials did not want to transfer the players he wanted.] Victor Pițurcă has a total of 204 matches as a manager in the Romanian top-division, Liga I, consisting of 116 victories, 43 draws and 45 losses.[
]
Controversy
In 1981, Victor Pițurcă and other people were arrested in Târgu Jiu
Târgu Jiu (, is the capital city, capital of Gorj County in the Oltenia region of Romania. It is situated on the Southern Sub-Carpathian Mountains, Carpathians, on the banks of the river Jiu (river), Jiu. Eight localities are administered by the ...
for playing barbut which is a dice game that was illegal during the communist regime
A communist state, also known as a Marxist–Leninist state, is a one-party state in which the totality of the power belongs to a party adhering to some form of Marxism–Leninism, a branch of the communist ideology. Marxism–Leninism was ...
. He was sentenced to six months in prison but eventually got released after about two as his club Olt Scornicești insisted for the re-trial.
In May 2008, Gigi Becali, the owner of Steaua, had promised €1.7 million to the footballers of Universitatea Cluj so that they would not succumb to CFR Cluj
Fotbal Club CFR 1907 Cluj, commonly known as CFR Cluj ( or ) or simply CFR, is a Romanian professional association football, football club based in the city of Cluj-Napoca, Cluj County, that competes in the Liga I. Founded as ''Kolozsvári Vasut ...
, sending one of his men with the money in Cluj-Napoca
Cluj-Napoca ( ; ), or simply Cluj ( , ), is a city in northwestern Romania. It is the second-most populous city in the country and the seat of Cluj County. Geographically, it is roughly equidistant from Bucharest (), Budapest () and Belgrade ( ...
where he ended up detained by the National Anticorruption Directorate
The National Anticorruption Directorate (), formerly National Anticorruption Prosecution Office (), is the Romanian agency tasked with preventing, investigating and prosecuting Political corruption, corruption-related offenses (such as bribery, g ...
. A few days later, Becali claimed the money was to buy a land and presented a sales-purchase contract that he claimed was signed on April 15, one of the signatures being of Pițurcă.[ In 2013, Pițurcă received a one-year suspended sentence in the case, being found guilty of ]perjury
Perjury (also known as forswearing) is the intentional act of swearing a false oath or falsifying an affirmation to tell the truth, whether spoken or in writing, concerning matters material to an official proceeding."Perjury The act or an insta ...
in favor of Becali.[
]
Personal life
At Steaua București and Universitatea Craiova he coached his son, Alexandru
Alexandru is the Romanian form of the name Alexander. Common diminutives are Alecu, Alex, and Sandu.
Origin
Etymologically, the name is derived from the Greek "Αλέξανδρος" (Aléxandros), meaning "defending men" or "protector of m ...
who was a striker. Victor Pițurcă is the cousin of Eugen Neagoe who was also a footballer and a coach. Another one of his cousins, Florin Pițurcă was a footballer who played for Drobeta-Turnu Severin
Drobeta-Turnu Severin (), colloquially Severin, is a city in Mehedinți County, Oltenia, Romania, on the northern bank of the Danube, close to the Iron Gates. It is one of six Romanian county seats List of cities and towns on the river Danube, lyin ...
in Divizia C, dying in December 1978 at age 20, shortly after playing a game.
Victor Pițurcă was nicknamed ''Satana'' ("Satan
Satan, also known as the Devil, is a devilish entity in Abrahamic religions who seduces humans into sin (or falsehood). In Judaism, Satan is seen as an agent subservient to God, typically regarded as a metaphor for the '' yetzer hara'', or ' ...
") by the press, something he called "remarkable".[
]
Honours
Player
Pandurii Târgu Jiu
* Divizia C: 1978–79[
Steaua București
*]Divizia A
Liga I (; ''First League''), also spelled as Liga 1 and officially known as SuperLiga for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Romania and the highest level of the Romanian football league system. Contested by 1 ...
: 1984–85, 1985–86, 1986–87, 1987–88, 1988–89[
*]Cupa României
The Cupa României () 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. It is the Romania ...
: 1984–85, 1986–87, 1987–88, 1988–89[
*]European Cup
The UEFA Champions League (UCL) is an annual club association football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) that is contested by top-division European clubs. The competition begins with a round robi ...
: 1985–86, runner-up: 1988–89[
* European Supercup: 1986][
* Intercontinental Cup runner-up: 1986
]
Individual
*Divizia A
Liga I (; ''First League''), also spelled as Liga 1 and officially known as SuperLiga for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Romania and the highest level of the Romanian football league system. Contested by 1 ...
top scorer: 1987–88[
* European Bronze Boot: 1987–88]
Coach
Steaua București
*Divizia A
Liga I (; ''First League''), also spelled as Liga 1 and officially known as SuperLiga for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Romania and the highest level of the Romanian football league system. Contested by 1 ...
: 2000–01[
*]Cupa României
The Cupa României () 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. It is the Romania ...
: 1991–92[
*]Supercupa României
The Supercupa României () is a Romanian football (soccer), football championship contested by the winners of the Liga I and the Cupa României. It is usually played at the Arena Națională in Bucharest.
The competition started off in 1994 Supe ...
: 2001
The year's most prominent event was the September 11 attacks against the United States by al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror. The United States led a Participan ...
[
]
Individual
*''Gazeta Sporturilor
Gazeta Sporturilor () is a Romanian sports website, originally founded in 1924 as a daily newspaper. It was the third-oldest daily newspaper in Europe, with 99 years of uninterrupted publication, before issuing its last edition on 31 October 2023. ...
'' Romania Coach of the Year: 2007[
]
Managerial statistics
References
External links
*
*
Victor Pițurcă manager profile
at Steaua București
*
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Piturca, Victor
1956 births
Living people
Romanian men's footballers
Men's association football forwards
Footballers from Dolj County
Liga I players
Liga II players
Liga III players
CS Universitatea Craiova players
CS Pandurii Târgu Jiu players
FC Olt Scornicești players
FCSB players
UEFA Champions League–winning players
Ligue 2 players
RC Lens players
Romania men's international footballers
Romanian expatriate men's footballers
Romanian expatriate sportspeople in France
Expatriate men's footballers in France
Romanian football managers
Liga I managers
UEFA Euro 2008 managers
Saudi Pro League managers
FCSB non-playing staff
FCSB managers
FC U Craiova 1948 managers
Romania national football team managers
Al-Ittihad Club (Jeddah) managers
CS Universitatea Craiova managers
Expatriate football managers in Saudi Arabia
Romanian expatriate sportspeople in Saudi Arabia
20th-century Romanian sportsmen