Viorel Smarandache

Viorel Firu Smarandache (2 July 1953 – 15 December 2018) was a Romanian footballer who played as a defender.^[2][3][4]

Viorel Smarandache

Personal information
Full name	Viorel Firu Smarandache
Date of birth	(1953-07-02)2 July 1953[1]
Place of birth	Coșovenii de Sus, Romania[1]
Date of death	15 December 2018(2018-12-15) (aged 65)[1]
Position	Central defender[1]
Youth career
1969–1970	Universitatea Craiova
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1970–1971	Universitatea Craiova	11	(0)
1971–1976	Steaua București	110	(3)
1976–1980	Olimpia Satu Mare	98	(10)
1981–1983	Gloria Buzău	4	(0)
1984–1986	Electroputere Craiova[a]	27	(2)
Total		250	(15)
International career
1973–1974	Romania U21	2	(0)
1971–1976	Romania U23	8	(0)
1972	Romania	1	(0)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals

Club career

Smarandache was born on 2 July 1953 in Coșovenii de Sus, Romania and began playing junior-level football in 1969 at Universitatea Craiova.^[1][2] He made his Divizia A debut on 20 September 1970 under coach Ștefan Coidum in "U" Craiova's 1–0 home victory against Jiul Petroșani.^[1][2][5]

In 1971 he joined Steaua București where he stayed until 1976, making a partnership in the central defense with Ștefan Sameș.^[1][2][3][4] Smarandache took part in the 1971–72 European Cup Winners' Cup campaign, playing all six games as the team reached the quarter-finals by getting past Hibernians and Barcelona, being eliminated after 1–1 on aggregate on the away goal rule by Bayern Munich.^{[1][2][3][4][6]} In the 1975–76 season he helped the club win The Double, being used by coach Emerich Jenei in 15 league games.^[1][7][8]

In 1976, Smarandache went to Olimpia Satu Mare in Divizia B, helping the team gain promotion to the first league at the end of the season.^[1][2][3][4] In the 1977–78 season, he scored a personal record of six goals, and also Olimpia reached the 1978 Cupa României final where coach Gheorghe Staicu used him the entire match in the 3–1 loss to Universitatea Craiova.^[1][2][4][9] On 7 October 1979, he made his last Divizia A appearance in Olimpia's 1–0 away loss to Politehnica Timișoara, having a total of 188 matches with 11 goals in the competition.^[1]

In 1981, Smarandache joined Divizia B club Gloria Buzău where he played rarely in his two-season spell.^[1][2] In 1984 he signed with Electroputere Craiova in Divizia C, helping the side earn promotion to the second league in his first season.^[1][2]

International career

Between 1971 and 1976, Smarandache made several appearances for Romania's under-21 and under-23 squads.^[10]

He played one friendly game for Romania, being used the entire match by coach Gheorghe Ola in a 2–2 draw against Peru.^[11]

Death

Smarandache died on 15 December 2018 at age 65.^[2][3][4]

Honours

Steaua București

• Divizia A: 1975–76^[1]
• Cupa României: 1975–76^[7]

Olimpia Satu Mare

• Divizia B: 1976–77^[1]
• Cupa României runner-up: 1977–78^[9]

Electroputere Craiova

• Divizia C: 1984–85^[1]

Notes

1. The statistics for the 1984–85 Divizia C season are unavailable.^[1]