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Virgil Dridea

Romanian footballer and manager (1949–2022) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Virgil Dridea
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Virgil Dridea (17 November 1940 – 29 May 2022), also known as Puiu Dridea, was a Romanian football player and manager.[1]

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Playing career

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Dridea was born on 17 November 1940 in Ploiești, Romania and began playing junior-level football at local club, Petrolul where his first coach was Mihai Cristache, later working with Emil Avasilichioaie.[1] On 24 August 1958 he made his senior debut under coach Ilie Oană in a 3–0 Divizia A victory against Jiul Petroșani, that being his only appearance in that season as the club won the title.[1][2] From 1959 until 1961 he played for Știința București in Divizia B.[1] Afterwards he returned to Petrolul where he won the 1962–63 Cupa României.[1] Dridea won another title in the 1965–66 season where he was used by coach Constantin Cernăianu in 18 matches in which he scored six goals, including a goal from a corner kick in a 1–0 victory against Rapid București.[1][2][3][4][5] He also played two games for The Yellow Wolves in the first round of the 1966–67 European Cup against Liverpool which included a 3–1 victory, but they did not manage to qualify to the next round.[1][6] His last Divizia A game took place on 3 September 1968 in Petrolul's 3–1 victory against Jiul Petroșani, having a total of 82 matches with 12 goals scored in the competition.[1][3] Afterwards, Dridea went to play for two years in Divizia C at Metalul Plopeni where he ended his career.[1][3]

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Managerial career

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Dridea started coaching at Metalul Plopeni as an assistant from 1970 until 1977 under head coaches Gheorghe Bărbulescu, Marian Alexandru, Nicolae Marinescu and Adalbert Marosi.[1][3] He was named head coach of Metalul in the second half of the 1976–77 Divizia B season, leading them until 1983, a period in which the team relegated to Divizia C but he stayed with the club, helping it promote back after one season.[1][3] In 1983, Dridea went to work abroad in Angola at Petro do Huambo until 1985, then he returned to Romania at Prahova Ploiești which he led for three years in Divizia B.[1][3] In 1988 he took charge of Petrolul Ploiești, taking it from Divizia B to Divizia A and later to the 1990–91 UEFA Cup where they were eliminated by Anderlecht.[1][3][7] In 1992 he had his second experience abroad going to coach for one year the Syrian national team.[8] Afterwards he went back to Romania at Dacia Unirea Brăila with whom he earned a second place in the 1994–95 Divizia B season.[1][3] In the following years he went for a second spell at Metalul Plopeni, had a second experience in Syria at Al-Jaish and earned another second Divizia B place with Midia Năvodari.[1][3] Dridea returned to Divizia A football during his second spell at Petrolul in the 1999–2000 season in which he earned two historical victories against Steaua București, a 5–1 at home and a 4–1 on the Ghencea stadium, and also a 4–2 home victory against Mircea Lucescu's Rapid București who were the title holders.[1][3][9] Afterwards he went to coach in the lower leagues, starting with a second spell at Midia, then going to Cimentul Fieni, Chindia Târgoviște and for a third spell at Plopeni.[1][3] He retired after a third spell at Petrolul which took place from July until December 2004.[1][3] Dridea has a total of 134 games managed in Divizia A, all of them at Petrolul, consisting of 58 victories, 23 draws and 53 losses.[3][10]

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Personal life

Dridea's brother, Mircea was also a footballer and a manager, they played together at Petrolul Ploiești, winning two Divizia A titles.[1][2][4] They were opponents as managers in the 1981–82 Divizia B season when Virgil coached Metalul Plopeni and Mircea coached Petrolul.[1][2][4][11]

Death

Dridea died on 29 May 2022 at age 81.[1]

Honours

Player

Petrolul Ploiești

Manager

Metalul Plopeni

Petrolul Ploiești

References

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