Victor Niculescu
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 21 April 1949[1] | |||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Craiova, Romania[1] | |||||||||||||
| Date of death | 22 August 2024 (aged 75) | |||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Right defender[1] | |||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||
| 1967–1968 | Universitatea Craiova | |||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||
| 1968–1975 | Universitatea Craiova | 195 | (0) | |||||||||||
| 1975–1977 | Jiul Petroșani | 29 | (1) | |||||||||||
| 1977–1978 | Corvinul Hunedoara | 13 | (0) | |||||||||||
| Total | 237 | (1) | ||||||||||||
| International career | ||||||||||||||
| 1968–1972 | Romania U23 | 12 | (0) | |||||||||||
Medal record
| ||||||||||||||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | ||||||||||||||
Victor Niculescu (21 April 1949 – 22 August 2024) was a Romanian footballer who played as a right defender.[2][3][4] He was part of "U" Craiova's team that won the 1973–74 Divizia A, which was the first trophy in the club's history.[2][3]
Club career
[edit]Victor Niculescu, nicknamed Fonfo was born on 21 April 1949 in Craiova, Romania, starting to play junior level football at local club, Universitatea.[1][5][6] He started playing at senior level in 1968 when he made his Divizia A debut on 11 August, playing for "U" in a 3–2 home win over UTA Arad.[1] He was close to win the title in the 1972–73 season but "U" finished on the second place on equal points with Dinamo București, losing controversially on the goal difference for which poet Adrian Păunescu nicknamed Craiova as "Campioana unei mari iubiri" (The Champion of a great love).[1][7][8]
In the first round of the 1973–74 UEFA Cup season, "U" Craiova got pass Fiorentina, being eliminated in the following one by Standard Liège, Niculescu playing all four games from the campaign.[1][9][10] In the same season he was part of Craiova's team that won the league title, which was the first trophy in the club's history, being used by coach Constantin Cernăianu in 28 games.[2][3][11] The following season was his last at Craiova, playing in both legs of the 4–3 aggregate loss in front of Åtvidaberg from the first round of the European Cup, also the team reached the 1975 Cupa României final in which Cernăianu used him all the minutes in the eventual 2–1 loss with Rapid București.[1][12][13]
From 1975 until 1977 he spent two seasons at Jiul Petroșani, a period in which he scored his only Divizia A goal.[1][5][6][14] He spent the last season of his career at Corvinul Hunedoara where on 21 May 1978 he made his last Divizia A appearance, having a total of 237 games with one goal scored in the competition, also playing a total of eight games in European competitions, including two games in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup.[1][5][6]
International career
[edit]From 1968 until 1972, Victor Niculescu made 12 appearances for Romania's under-23 side.[1][15]
He won the Universiade gold medal with Romania's students football team in the 1974 edition that was held in France, playing alongside László Bölöni, Gheorghe Mulțescu, Dan Păltinișanu, Romulus Chihaia and Paul Cazan.[16]
Personal life
[edit]In 2023, Niculescu received the Honorary Citizen of Craiova title.[17]
He died on 22 August 2024 at age 75.[5][6][18]
Honours
[edit]Universitatea Craiova
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Victor Niculescu at RomanianSoccer.ro (in Romanian)
- ^ a b c "Rivalitate soră cu ura" [A rivalry related to hate] (in Romanian). Prosport.ro. 31 July 2009. Retrieved 11 March 2020.
- ^ a b c "Repriza de Sud – Invitat Victor Niculescu, fost fotbalist la Universitatea Craiova" [Repriza de Sud – Guest Victor Niculescu, former footballer at Universitatea Craiova] (in Romanian). Gds.ro. 28 March 2014. Retrieved 11 March 2020.
- ^ Victor Niculescu at WorldFootball.net
- ^ a b c d "Doliu în familia Universității Craiova. A murit Victor Niculescu, fotbalist cu 195 de apariții în tricoul alb-albastru: "Vei rămâne «Campion al Unei Mari Iubiri»"" [Mourning in the Craiova University family. Victor Niculescu, footballer with 195 appearances in the blue-white shirt, died: "You will remain the "Champion of One Great Love"] (in Romanian). Gsp.ro. 22 August 2024. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
- ^ a b c d "A murit Victor "Fonfo" Niculescu, component al Campioanei Unei Mari Iubiri" [Victor "Fonfo" Niculescu, a member of the Champion of Great Love, died] (in Romanian). Prosport.ro. 22 August 2024. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
- ^ "Craiova, campioana unei mari iubiri. O idee care a intrat în legendă" [Craiova, the champion of a great love. An idea that has become legendary] (in Romanian). Gsp.ro. 6 November 2010. Retrieved 9 September 2024.
- ^ "Campioana unei mari iubiri! Prima echipă de legendă a Universității Craiova s-a "născut" în anii 70!" [The champion of a great love! The first legendary team of the University of Craiova was "born" in the 70s!] (in Romanian). Prosport.ro. 22 September 2011. Retrieved 9 September 2024.
- ^ "Războiul olteano-florentin, primul episod" [The Olteano-Florentine War, the first episode] (in Romanian). Welovesport.ro. 3 October 2023. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
- ^ "Victor Niculescu. UEFA Cup 1973/1974". WorldFootball. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
- ^ "Romania National Champions". RomanianSoccer. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
- ^ a b "Romanian Cup - Season 1974 - 1975". RomanianSoccer. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
- ^ "Victor Niculescu. Champions League 1974/1975". WorldFootball. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
- ^ "Aniversare. Doi olteni, pe Jiu în sus!" [Anniversary. Two Oltenians, up on the Jiu!] (in Romanian). Cronicavj.ro. 20 April 2022. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
- ^ "Victor Niculescu profile". 11v11. Retrieved 11 March 2020.
- ^ "Au fost odată campioni mondiali" [Once they were world champions] (in Romanian). Prosport.ro. 20 July 2009. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
- ^ "Șapte componenți ai "Campioanei Unei Mari Iubiri" vor primi titlul de "cetățean de onoare al Craiovei"" [Seven members of the "Champion of One Great Love" will receive the title of "honorary citizen of Craiova"] (in Romanian). Digisport.ro. 29 May 2023. Retrieved 9 September 2024.
- ^ "A murit Victor Niculescu" [Victor Niculescu ha died] (in Romanian). Digisport.ro. 22 August 2024. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
External links
[edit]- Victor Niculescu at Labtof.ro