Doru Popescu Explained

Doru Popescu
Birth Date:29 March 1949
Birth Place:Baia de Aramă, Romania
Height:1.85 m
Position:Forward
Youthyears1:1967–1969
Youthclubs1:Dinamo București
Years1:1969–1973
Caps1:88
Goals1:22
Years2:1973–1974
Caps2:27
Goals2:2
Years3:1974–1976
Caps3:46
Goals3:7
Years4:1976–1977
Caps4:11
Goals4:1
Totalcaps:172
Totalgoals:32
Nationalyears1:1970–1971
Nationalteam1:Romania U23[1]
Nationalcaps1:2
Nationalgoals1:0

Doru Popescu (29 March 1949 – 15 September 2023) was a Romanian football forward.[2] [3]

Career

Doru Popescu was born on 29 March 1949 in Baia de Aramă, Romania and he started to play football at Dinamo București, making his Divizia A debut on 16 August 1969 in a 5–2 home victory in front of Jiul Petroșani.[2] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] He won two Divizia A titles with The Red Dogs, at the first coaches Nicolae Dumitru and Traian Ionescu gave him 22 appearances in which he scored seven goals while in the second he played 24 matches in which he scored four goals under the guidance of coach Ion Nunweiller.[4] [9] He reached two Cupa României finals with Dinamo, but both of them were lost, Popescu playing only in the one from 1971 when he was a starter, being replaced in the 55th minute with Ion Haidu as they lost 3–2 in favor of Steaua București.[10] [11] Popescu also represented Dinamo in European competitions, firstly playing three games in the 1970–71 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, managing to score a double in a 5–0 victory against PAOK which helped them advance to the next round where they were eliminated by Liverpool.[12] Then in the following season, he played four games in the 1971–72 European Cup, making the match of his career in the second leg of the duel from the first round with Spartak Trnava when he came as a substitute and replaced Viorel Sălceanu in 58th minute, managing to score a double, the result being a 2–2 on aggregate which gave Dinamo the qualification to the next round on the away goals rule where they were eliminated by Feyenoord, after that game Romanian newspaper Sportul wrote:"A tall and broad Oltenia man from Severin, nicknamed Dulapul (The Cabinet), rather a reserve at Dinamo, entered at Trnava in the second half and made the match of his life".[4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [13] In 1973 he went to play one season for CSM Reșița, afterwards going for two years at Argeș Pitești, then he played one more season at Rapid București where he made his last Divizia A appearance on 12 June 1977 in a 0–0 against FCM Reșița, having a total of 172 matches with 32 goals scored in the competition and a total 22 games with 9 goals in the Cupa României.[2] Doru Popescu died on 15 September 2023 at age 74.[4] [5] [6] [7] [8]

Honours

Dinamo București

1970–71, 1972–73

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Doru Popescu profile. 11v11. 20 September 2020.
  2. Web site: Mehedinţiul a lansat adevărate legende, în prezent nu mai are echipă în primele trei eşaloane. Liga2.prosport.ro. Romanian . Mehedinti County launched true legends, it currently has no team in the first three leagues. 29 August 2013 . 24 February 2020.
  3. Web site: EXCLUSIV La 60 de ani, Dinamo îşi omagiază campionii. Jurnalul.antena3.ro. Romanian . EXCLUSIVE At 60 years, Dinamo pays tribute to its champions . 9 May 2008 . 24 February 2020.
  4. Web site: Dinamo e în doliu! A murit un fost fotbalist, care a jucat cu "câinii" în Cupa Campionilor Europeni. Prosport.ro. Romanian . Dinamo is in mourning! A former footballer, who played with the "dogs" in the European Champions Cup, died. 15 September 2023 . 18 September 2023.
  5. Web site: A murit Doru Popescu, dublu campion cu Dinamo. Gsp.ro. Romanian . Doru Popescu, double champion with Dinamo, died. 15 September 2023 . 18 September 2023.
  6. Web site: A încetat din viață o legendă a lui Dinamo! A fost singurul care l-a ținut pe bancă pe Cornel Dinu. Fanatik.ro. Romanian . A legend of Dinamo has passed away! He was the only one who kept Cornel Dinu on the bench. 15 September 2023 . 18 September 2023.
  7. Web site: Doliu uriaș la Dinamo! A Murit o legendă, care a jucat cu Roș-albii în Cupa Campionilor Europeni. Cancan.ro. Romanian . Huge mourning at Dinamo! A legend has died, who played with the Red and Whites in the European Champions Cup. 15 September 2023 . 18 September 2023.
  8. Web site: A încetat din viață Doru Popescu. Frf.ro. Romanian . Doru Popescu passed away. 15 September 2023 . 18 September 2023.
  9. Web site: Romania National Champions . RomanianSoccer. 17 September 2023.
  10. Web site: Romanian Cup – Season 1969–1970. RomanianSoccer. 17 September 2023.
  11. Web site: Romanian Cup – Season 1970–1971. RomanianSoccer. 17 September 2023.
  12. Web site: WorldFootball. Doru Popescu. Inter-Cities Fairs Cup 1970/1971. 18 September 2023.
  13. Web site: WorldFootball. Doru Popescu. Champions League 1971/1972. 18 September 2023.