Mihai Mocanu
Personal information
Date of birth 24 February 1942
Place of birth Constanța, Romania
Date of death 18 June 2009(2009-06-18) (aged 67)
Place of death Constanța, Romania
Height 1.76 m (5 ft 9 in)
Position(s) Defender
Youth career
1952–1956 Locomotiva Constanța
1956–1958 Rafinăria Câmpina
1959–1960 Electrica Constanța
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1960–1962 SNM Constanța
1962–1963 Chimia Făgăraș
1963–1972 Petrolul Ploiești 201 (6)
1972–1974 Omonia Nicosia 8[b] (0)
1974–1976 Petrolul Ploiești
Total 209 (6)
International career
1966–1971 Romania[a] 33 (0)
Managerial career
1975 Petrolul Ploiești
Steaua Mizil
1984–1986 Metalul Plopeni
1991–2005 Conpet Ploiești
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Mihai Mocanu (24 February 1942 – 18 June 2009) was a Romanian football defender.

Club career

Mihai Mocanu was born on 24 February 1942 in Constanța, Romania, starting to play football in 1952 at local club, Locomotiva, afterwards going to play for Rafinăria Câmpina, returning to his hometown at Electrica where he finished his junior career, starting his senior career in Divizia B, playing for two seasons at SNM Constanța, afterwards going for one season at fellow Divizia B club, Chimia Făgăraș.[3][4][5][6] He went to play for Petrolul Ploiești, making his Divizia A debut on 25 August 1963 in a 2–1 away loss against UTA Arad, making a total of 201 appearances with 6 goals scored in the competition over the course of 9 seasons in which he also helped the Yellow Wolves win the 1965–66 Divizia A, being used by coach Constantin Cernăianu in 26 matches.[3][4][5][6][7][8] He played 3 games for Petrolul in the first round of the 1966–67 European Cup against Liverpool which include a 3–1 victory, however they did not manage to qualify to the next round and also he appeared in 6 games in which he scored one goal in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup.[3][4][5][7][9][10][11] After he made his last Divizia A appearance for Petrolul on 12 December 1971 in a 1–0 home loss against Jiul Petroșani, Mocanu went to play in Cyprus at Omonia Nicosia for two seasons with fellow Romanian, Constantin Frățilă, winning the title and the cup in 1974.[2][3][4][5][6][7][9][12] He returned in Romania, playing another two seasons for Petrolul, this time in Divizia B, retiring in 1976.[3][4][5][6][7][9] In July 2006, a part of Mocanu's right leg was amputated as he was diagnosed with ischemia, dying on 18 June 2009.[4][5][6][7][9][13]

International career

Mihai Mocanu played 31 games at international level of Romania, making his debut on 1 June 1966 under coach Ilie Oană in a friendly which ended with a 1–0 loss against West Germany.[1][14] He went on to play four games at the Euro 1968 qualifiers and two at the successful 1970 World Cup qualifiers, being used at the final tournament by coach Angelo Niculescu in all the minutes of the three group matches as Romania did not advance to the next stage and had a appreciated performance in the 3–2 loss against Brazil in the duel with his direct opponent, Jairzinho.[1][5][6][15] He made three appearances at the 1972 Euro qualifiers, including his last appearance which took place on 22 September 1971 in a 4–0 away victory against Finland.[1]

For representing his country at the 1970 World Cup, Mocanu was decorated by President of Romania Traian Băsescu on 25 March 2008 with the Ordinul "Meritul Sportiv" – (The Medal "The Sportive Merit") class III.[4][16][17]

Managerial career

Mihai Mocanu coached Petrolul Ploiești for one year in Divizia B, also working at the center of children and juniors of the club, he also coached Steaua Mizil, Metalul Plopeni and Conpet Ploiești from 1991 until 2005, all of them in the Romanian lower leagues.[4][5][6][7][9][15][18]

Personal life

Mihai Mocanu's son was also a footballer, playing for a while at Conpet Ploiești with his father as coach.[7] He received the Honorary Citizen of Ploiești title.[4][5][7]

Honours

Petrolul Ploiești

Omonia Nicosia

Notes

  1. ^ Including 2 appearances for Romania's Olympic team.[1][2]
  2. ^ The statistics for the 1973–74 Cypriot First Division season are not available.[2]

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Mihai Mocanu". European Football. Retrieved 27 January 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Mihai Mocanu at National-Football-Teams.com
  3. ^ a b c d e Mihai Mocanu at RomanianSoccer.ro (in Romanian)
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Fostul mare jucător Mihai Mocanu ar fi împlinit astăzi 78 de ani. A început fotbalul la Locomotiva Constanța" [The former great player Mihai Mocanu would have turned 78 today. Football started at Locomotiva Constanța] (in Romanian). Ziuaconstanta.ro. 24 February 2020. Retrieved 9 October 2022.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Fotbalul românesc în doliu. A murit Mihai Mocanu" [Romanian football in mourning. Mihai Mocanu died] (in Romanian). Observatorulph.ro. 18 June 2009. Retrieved 9 October 2022.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g "Mihai Mocanu – "Nașu lui Jairzinho"" [Mihai Mocanu – "The Godfather of Jairzinho"] (in Romanian). Doarpetrolul.ro. 22 February 2008. Retrieved 9 October 2022.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h "Amintiri de la Mihai Mocanu" [Memories from Mihai Mocanu] (in Romanian). Ziarulprahova.ro. 18 June 2016. Retrieved 9 October 2022.
  8. ^ "Romania National Champions". RomanianSoccer. Retrieved 8 October 2022.
  9. ^ a b c d e "Doi ani de la moartea lui Mihai Mocanu" [Two years since the death of Mihai Mocanu] (in Romanian). Ziarulprahova.ro. 22 June 2011. Retrieved 9 October 2022.
  10. ^ "Petrolul 66, 53 de ani de la victoria cu Liverpool. Supraviețuitorii succesului, sărbătoriți la Ploiești" [Petrolul 66, 53 years since the victory with Liverpool. The survivors of success, celebrated in Ploiesti] (in Romanian). Libertatea.ro. 13 October 2019. Retrieved 18 October 2022.
  11. ^ "55 de ani de la istorica victorie a Petrolului cu Liverpooli" [55 years since the historic victory of Petrolul with Liverpool] (in Romanian). Wesport.ro. 12 October 2021. Retrieved 18 October 2022.
  12. ^ "Vezi ce-i aşteaptă pe cei de la Vaslui în returul cu Omonia: "Infern în tribune"" [See what awaits the people from Vaslui in the return leg with Omonia: "Hell in the stands"] (in Romanian). Gsp.ro. 31 July 2009. Retrieved 9 October 2022.
  13. ^ "Fostul internaţional Mihai Mocanu a decedat în această seară" [Former international Mihai Mocanu died this evening] (in Romanian). Gsp.ro. 18 June 2009. Retrieved 9 October 2022.
  14. ^ "West Germany 1-0 Romania". European Football. Retrieved 9 October 2022.
  15. ^ a b "Așii Petrolului, Gazeta reconstituie portretele idolilor din trecut, din arhive și prin ochii cronicarilor acelor vremuri" [Aces of Petrolul, Gazeta reconstructs portraits of idols from the past, from archives and through the eyes of the chroniclers of those times] (in Romanian). Gsp.ro. 17 May 2018. Retrieved 18 October 2022.
  16. ^ "DECRET privind conferirea Ordinului și Medaliei Meritul Sportiv" (PDF). Monitorul Oficial al României Nr. 241. 28 March 2008. p. 3. Retrieved 9 October 2022.
  17. ^ "Decorarea unor personalități ale fotbalului românesc". Administrația Prezidențială. 25 March 2008. Retrieved 9 October 2022.
  18. ^ "Ghiță Gruber – Povestea s-a sfârșit!" [Ghita Gruber – The story is over!] (in Romanian). Ziarulprahova.ro. 3 March 2022. Retrieved 9 October 2022.

External links

Romania squad – 1970 FIFA World Cup
FC Petrolul Ploiești – managers
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