Full name Ilie Balaci Years Team Children Liana Ungur 1965–1973 Universitatea Craiova Position Playmaker | Playing position Role Football player Place of birth Bistret, Romania Name Ilie Balaci | |
Date of birth (1956-09-13) 13 September 1956 (age 59) Similar People Eugen Trica, Rodion Camataru, Sorin Cartu, Nicolae Dobrin, Liana Ungur | ||
22 04 1998 dupa sapte ani ilie balaci se intoarce acasa
Ilie Balaci ([iˈli.e ˈbalat͡ʃʲ]; born 13 September 1956) is a retired Romanian football midfielder and current manager of the Oman Professional League club Al-Suwaiq.
Contents
- 22 04 1998 dupa sapte ani ilie balaci se intoarce acasa
- Ilie balaci para o craiovano
- Club career
- International career
- Managerial career
- Personal life
- References
He spent 12 of his 15 years as a professional with Universitatea Craiova, appearing in more than 300 official games with the club and winning seven major titles.
Balaci is considered one of the greatest Romanian footballers of all time, along with Gheorghe Hagi, Nicolae Dobrin, Marcel Răducanu and Florea Dumitrache.
Ilie balaci para o craiovano
Club career
Balaci is a product of Universitatea Craiova's youth system. He made his first team debut in 1973, at the age of 16, and won the league title in his first season. He soon managed to become one of the youngest players ever to score in the Romanian League. Balaci went on to play twelve seasons with Craiova, helping them to win two consecutive league titles in 1980 and 1981. He also won the Romanian Cup four times, in the years 1977, 1978, 1981 and 1983. He became an integral part of the team helping them reach the 1982–83 UEFA Cup semi-finals, before moving to Olt Scorniceşti in the winter of 1984. In December 1982, he signed a pre-contract with Italian side AC Milan, but the transfer did not materialize because of the communist regime in Romania.
In the 1986–87 season, he jointed Bucharest rivals Dinamo Bucureşti together with Craiova teammate Rodion Cămătaru. He spent two seasons at the club, under the leadership of Mircea Lucescu. However, Balaci did not win any major trophies whilst he was playing for them.
International career
Balaci made his full international debut on 23 March 1974 in a friendly match against France at the age of 17. He earned 65 caps and scored 8 goals for the Romanian national team between 1974 and 1986.
He also became captain of the national team during the UEFA Euro 1984 qualifying campaign, but he was unable to play for Romania at UEFA Euro 84 due to an injury.
Managerial career
After retiring as a footballer, Balaci went on to coach lower league sides Pandurii Târgu Jiu and Drobeta-Turnu Severin. In 1991, he coached clubs in North Africa and the Arab world, he became one of the most successful managers there having won over 22 major trophies domestic and international.
He took charge of Tunisia’s Club Africain and Moroccan club Olympique Casablanca in the early 1990s. He then managed UAE, Qatari and Saudi Arabian clubs Al Shabab, Al Nassr, Al-Hilal, Al Ain and Al Sadd. In June 2003, he was appointed manager of Al Ahli until January 2005. He then went on to join Qatari side Al-Arabi in the 2005–06 season, before moving to the United Arab Emirates club Al Shabab for a second spell. In August 2007, Balaci was hired as general manager of Universitatea Craiova whom he also coached in two periods, and remained there for two seasons. On 22 July 2009, Balaci was named head coach of Kuwait club Kazma. He had an impressive start with the Kuwaiti side at the 2010 AFC Cup.
On 11 July 2011, he returned to Morocco signing for Raja Casablanca but was sacked in September after just two months. Raja appointed Bertrand Marchand as his replacement.
On 4 June 2013, Balaci signed a contract with newly promoted Saudi Premier League side Al-Nahda. In September 2013, he resigned his contract with the club.
In April 2016, he took over the head coach position at Omdurman-based club Al-Hilal. In his first season as manager, he managed to win the league title.
In July 2017, Balaci was unveiled as the new manager of Omani side Al-Suwaiq.
Personal life
Balaci's daughter Liana Ungur is a professional tennis player.