Ilie Balaci facts for kids

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Ilie Balaci

Personal information
Date of birth	(1956-09-13)13 September 1956
Place of birth	Bistreț, Romania
Date of death	21 October 2018(2018-10-21) (aged 62)
Place of death	Craiova, Romania
Height	1.71m
Playing position	Midfielder
Youth career
1965–1973	Universitatea Craiova
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1973–1984	Universitatea Craiova	285	(76)
1985–1986	Olt Scornicești	30	(7)
1986–1988	Dinamo București	32	(1)
1988–1989	Pandurii Târgu Jiu	7	(0)
1989–1990	Drobeta Turnu-Severin	10	(5)
Total		364	(89)
National team
1974–1986	Romania	65	(8)
Teams managed
1988–1989	Pandurii Târgu Jiu
1989–1991	Drobeta Turnu-Severin
1991–1992	Club Africain
1992–1994	Olympique Casablanca
1994–1996	Al-Shabab
1996–1997	Al-Nassr
1997–1998	Al-Hilal
1998	FC U Craiova
1998–2000	Al-Ain
2000–2001	Al-Hilal
2001	FC U Craiova
2001–2002	Al-Sadd
2002–2003	Al-Hilal
2003–2005	Al-Ahli
2005–2006	Al-Arabi
2006	Al-Shabab
2007–2009	FC U Craiova (general manager)
2009–2010	Kazma
2011	Raja Casablanca
2013	Al-Nahda
2016	Al-Hilal Omdurman
2017–2018	Al-Suwaiq
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Ilie Balaci (born September 13, 1956 – died October 21, 2018) was a famous Romanian football player and coach.

He played for Universitatea Craiova for 12 out of his 15 years as a professional player. He played over 300 games for them and won seven big trophies. People called him Minunea blondă (which means "the Blonde Wonder"). Many think he was one of the best Romanian footballers ever.

Playing Career: Ilie Balaci's Club Journey

Ilie Balaci, known as Minunea blondă, started playing football at age 9. He joined the youth system of Universitatea Craiova.

Early Days at Universitatea Craiova

He made his first professional appearance in Liga I on August 12, 1973. He was only 16 years old. In his very first season, he helped his team win the league title in 1973–74. He scored 3 goals in 27 games.

Balaci played for Universitatea Craiova for twelve seasons. He was a key part of the "Craiova Maxima" team. This team won two league titles in a row in 1980 and 1981. He also helped them win the Cupa României four times.

European Competitions and a Missed Transfer

Ilie Balaci played 35 games and scored 7 goals for "U" Craiova in European competitions. He was a big part of the team that reached the semi-finals of the 1982–83 UEFA Cup. They were eliminated by Benfica on the away goal rule.

In 1982, he almost joined the Italian club AC Milan. However, the Romanian government at the time did not allow him to move. On February 21, 1984, during a match, a tough tackle injured his leg. He never fully recovered from this injury.

Balaci (right) with Nicolae Dobrin in 1988

Later Clubs and Retirement

In the middle of the 1984–85 season, Balaci moved to Olt Scornicești. After a season and a half, he joined Dinamo București in 1986–87. He played two seasons for Dinamo but did not win any major trophies there.

After that, he became a player-coach in the second league for two years. Then, he ended his playing career. Throughout his career, Balaci played 347 Divizia A matches and scored 84 goals. He was named the Romanian Footballer of the Year in 1981 and 1982.

International Career: Playing for Romania

Ilie Balaci played 65 games and scored 8 goals for the Romanian national team. He made his debut on March 23, 1974, at just 17 years old. This was in a friendly game against France.

He scored his first goal for Romania at age 20 in a friendly game against Czechoslovakia. Balaci played in several qualifying matches for the Euro and World Cup tournaments.

Captain and Euro 1984 Qualifiers

He became the captain of the national team during the successful Euro 1984 qualifiers. He played six games in this campaign. One of his best performances was in Romania's 1–0 win against World Cup holders, Italy. He provided the assist for the winning goal.

Sadly, he could not play in the final tournament because of the leg injury he got earlier. For helping his country qualify for Euro 1984, Balaci received a special medal in 2008.

International Goals Overview

Here are the goals Ilie Balaci scored for the Romanian national team:

List of international goals scored by Ilie Balaci

#	Date	Venue	Cap	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	6 October 1976	Letenský Stadion, Prague, Czechoslovakia	11	Czechoslovakia	1–0	2–3	Friendly
2	3 May 1978	Stadionul 23 August, Bucharest, Romania	22	Bulgaria	2–0	2–0	1977–80 Balkan Cup
3	21 March 1979	Stadionul Steaua, Bucharest, Romania	24	Greece	2–0	3–0	Friendly
4	9 September 1981	Stadionul 23 August, Bucharest, Romania	39	Bulgaria	1–0	1–2	Friendly
5	10 October 1981	Stadionul 23 August, Bucharest, Romania	41	Switzerland	1–0	1–2	1982 World Cup qualifiers
6	1 September 1982	Stadionul 23 August, Bucharest, Romania	51	Denmark	1–0	1–0	Friendly
7	9 March 1983	Stadionul 23 August, Târgu Mureș, Romania	56	Turkey	1–0	3–1	Friendly
8	9 March 1983	Stadionul 23 August, Târgu Mureș, Romania	56	Turkey	2–0	3–1	Friendly

Managerial Career: Coaching Successes

After he stopped playing football, Balaci became a coach. He first coached smaller teams like Pandurii Târgu Jiu and Drobeta-Turnu Severin.

Coaching in North Africa and the Arab World

In 1991, he started coaching clubs in North Africa and the Arab world. He became one of the most successful coaches there, winning over 22 major trophies.

He led Club Africain in Tunisia and Olympique Casablanca in Morocco to their first African Champions League titles. He also won league titles and cups with these teams.

Later, he managed clubs in the UAE, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia. These included Al Shabab, Al Nassr, Al-Hilal, Al Ain, and Al Sadd. He won championships and domestic cups with each of these teams.

Return to Romania and Later Coaching Roles

In 1998, Balaci took charge of FC U Craiova in Romania. However, he was suspended for a year after an incident during a match. He then decided to resign. He returned to FC U Craiova for a short time in 2001.

In 2003, he became the manager of Al Ahli in Dubai and won the UAE President's Cup. He then coached Al-Arabi in Qatar and had a second spell at Al Shabab.

In 2007, Balaci became the general manager of Universitatea Craiova. In 2009, he was named head coach of Kazma in Kuwait. He had a great start with them in the 2010 AFC Cup.

Later Years in Coaching

In 2011, he returned to Morocco to coach Raja Casablanca. However, he left after only two months due to a money disagreement. In 2013, he signed with Al-Nahda in Saudi Arabia, helping them avoid relegation. But he was sacked later that year after a poor start to the new season.

In 2016, he took over Al-Hilal in Sudan. He was sacked even after the team won the league title. In 2017, Balaci became the manager of Al-Suwaiq in Oman. He left the club in March 2018, even though they were leading the championship.

Managerial Achievements Summary

Here is a list of the clubs Ilie Balaci managed and the titles he won:

Personal Life and Legacy

Ilie Balaci was born on September 13, 1956. He had two daughters. His older daughter, Lorena, was married to footballer Eugen Trică. His younger daughter, Liana Ungur, is a professional tennis player. She is married to Adrian Ungur.

Death

Ilie Balaci passed away on October 21, 2018, at the age of 62. He was at home in Craiova with his mother. The cause of his death was a heart attack.

Honours and Awards

As a Player

Universitatea Craiova

• Divizia A: 1973–74, 1979–80, 1980–81
• Cupa României: 1976–77, 1977–78, 1980–81, 1982–83

Romania

• Balkan Cup: 1977–80

Individual Awards

• Romanian Footballer of the Year: 1981, 1982

See also

In Spanish: Ilie Balaci para niños