Emerich Jenei
Encyclopedia
Emerich Jenei or Imre Jenei (also known as Emeric Jenei or Ienei; 22 March 1937) is a Romania
n former football
player and coach. He is considered one of Romania's best coaches, alongside Ştefan Kovács, Mircea Lucescu
, and Anghel Iordănescu
.
On 25 March 2008, he was decorated by the president of Romania
, Traian Băsescu
with Ordinul "Meritul Sportiv" — (The Order "The Sportive Merit") class II with one barret for his part in winning the 1986 European Cup Final
.
, to ethnic Hungarian parents. As a child, he moved with his family to Losonc (now Lučenec
, Slovakia), because his father did not want to serve in the Romanian army. Later his father became a Hungarian soldier, but following the end of the war he did not come back and Jenei with his mother moved back to Arad. Two years after they resettled in their old home, Jenei's father, who was held in captivity, unexpectedly returned. Not much later Jenei's mother died when he was only 12 years old.
Before his professional football career, Jenei wanted to become a lawyer. He made his debut playing for Flamura Roşie Arad — now UT Arad, in the Romanian Liga I. In 1957, at age 20, he signed with Steaua club in Bucharest
(1957). He played for Steaua until 1969, when he left Romania to play in Turkey
for Kayserispor
. He had reached the age of 32, when Romania's Communist
authorities would allow few players to move abroad. In 1971, Jenei retired as player and became a coach. During his career as a footballer, he won 12 caps for Romania's national team
(between 1959 and 1964).
The highlights of his career as a player were the Romanian football championship titles he won with Steaua in 1959–60, 1960–61 and 1967–68, as well as his participation with Romania's Olympic team at the 1964 Summer Olympics
in Japan
, where the Romanians came on 5th place.
As a coach, Jenei continued to enjoy success. Having returned from Turkey, he was named assistant coach at Steaua at the beginning of the 1972–73 season. One year later, he was promoted to a head coaching position and finished 5th in Liga I, winning his first championship title as coach in 1976, then finishing as a runner-up in 1977. He won another championship title in 1978, but at the end of the season he was replaced by Gheorghe Constantin.
In 1978–79, Jenei coached FC Bihor of Oradea
, but the team finished the season in last place and he was sacked as a result. In 1981, he took over at CS Târgovişte, and the beginning of the 1982–83 season found him as coach of Steaua for a second stint. After two years, in which failed to win the championship, he was again sacked, only to be brought back after four months.
In 1985, he won a new championship and in the following season led Steaua Bucureşti to victory in the European Cup
final against FC Barcelona
in May 1986. In the summer of 1986, Jenei was named co-head coach of the Romanian national football team, together with Mircea Lucescu
, making his debut against Norway
. Lucescu was sacked after a short while and Jenei became the only national team coach. He failed to qualify the team for Euro 88
, but took the team to World Cup 1990. It was the first qualification of Romania at a World Cup in twenty years. Between August 1986 and June 1990, Jenei coached the team in 40 games, including two wins against Spain
in 1987 and Italy
in 1989.
After the World Cup, He returned to Steaua Bucureşti in April 1991, for the fourth time, only to be sacked again in December of same year. He was named head coach of Hungary
between 1992–93, but failed to produce notable results, instead he won the Kirin Cup
in 1993, an international tournament organized by Japan
, and later being replaced by Ferenc Puskás
.
Jenei did not return to the pitch for a while, but, in August 1993, Emerich Jenei began his fifth stint as coach of Steaua, and won the championship one year later. In 1996, he was named head coach of Universitatea Craiova
but was sacked after only ten games. Two years later he returned to Steaua for his sixth and final stint there.
In 2000, Jenei he was again called to coach Romania. The squad qualified for Euro 2000
but the previous coach - Victor Piţurcă
- was sacked after a scandal which involved the team's best players, including Gheorghe Popescu
and Gheorghe Hagi
. At Euro 2000
, Jenei took the team to the last eight, one of the team's best performances. During his second stint, the national team played 11 games.
In June 2000, he decided to retire from coaching. After that date, Jenei was president of FC Bihor and also worked for the Romanian Football Federation
. He is regularly consulted by the Romanian media for his opinion ahead of important football games for Romanian clubs, especially Steaua, or the Romanian national team.
Jenei is married to Ileana
, former fencing
player for Romania world champion and Olympic medalist. They have a daughter Cristina. Jenei also has a son named Călin with his first wife, actress Vasilica Tastaman.
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
n former football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
player and coach. He is considered one of Romania's best coaches, alongside Ştefan Kovács, Mircea Lucescu
Mircea Lucescu
Mircea Lucescu is a Romanian former football player and current coach, and one of the most successful Romanian football managers. He is also the father of Rapid Bucharest coach, Răzvan Lucescu...
, and Anghel Iordănescu
Anghel Iordanescu
Anghel Iordănescu is a Major General and former Romanian football striker, currently a politician. In 2007 Iordănescu retired from football, and the following February, after his predecessor resigned, he became a member of the Romanian Senate, sitting on the Social Democratic Party benches.-Career...
.
On 25 March 2008, he was decorated by the president of Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
, Traian Băsescu
Traian Basescu
Traian Băsescu is the current President of Romania. After serving as the mayor of Bucharest from June 2000 until December 2004, he was elected president in the Romanian Presidential Elections of 2004 and inaugurated on December 20, 2004...
with Ordinul "Meritul Sportiv" — (The Order "The Sportive Merit") class II with one barret for his part in winning the 1986 European Cup Final
1986 European Cup Final
The 1986 European Cup Final was a football match held at the Estadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán, Seville, on 7 May 1986, that saw Steaua Bucureşti of Romania defeat Barcelona of Spain in an extraordinary penalty shoot out, after 120 minutes of play could not separate the two sides...
.
Biography
Jenei was born in Agriş, Arad CountyArad County
Arad is an administrative division of Romania roughly translated into county in the western part of the country on the border with Hungary, mostly in the region of Crişana and few villages in Banat. The administrative center of the county lies in the city of Arad...
, to ethnic Hungarian parents. As a child, he moved with his family to Losonc (now Lučenec
Lucenec
Lučenec is a town in the Banská Bystrica Region of south-central Slovakia. Historically, it was part, and in the 18th century the capital, of the Nógrád county of the Kingdom of Hungary. In 1918, as a result of the Treaty of Trianon, it became a part of Czechoslovakia...
, Slovakia), because his father did not want to serve in the Romanian army. Later his father became a Hungarian soldier, but following the end of the war he did not come back and Jenei with his mother moved back to Arad. Two years after they resettled in their old home, Jenei's father, who was held in captivity, unexpectedly returned. Not much later Jenei's mother died when he was only 12 years old.
Before his professional football career, Jenei wanted to become a lawyer. He made his debut playing for Flamura Roşie Arad — now UT Arad, in the Romanian Liga I. In 1957, at age 20, he signed with Steaua club in Bucharest
Bucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
(1957). He played for Steaua until 1969, when he left Romania to play in Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
for Kayserispor
Kayseri Erciyesspor
Kayseri Erciyesspor is a Turkish sports club based in Kayseri from the year 1932. Kayseri Erciyesspor currently plays in TFF 1. League. On 2004, Kayserispor switched names with Erciyesspor...
. He had reached the age of 32, when Romania's Communist
Communist Romania
Communist Romania was the period in Romanian history when that country was a Soviet-aligned communist state in the Eastern Bloc, with the dominant role of Romanian Communist Party enshrined in its successive constitutions...
authorities would allow few players to move abroad. In 1971, Jenei retired as player and became a coach. During his career as a footballer, he won 12 caps for Romania's national team
Romania national football team
The Romania national football team is the national football team of Romania and is controlled by the Romanian Football Federation.Romania is one of only four national teams, the other three being Brazil, France, and Belgium, that took part in the first three World Cups.However, after that...
(between 1959 and 1964).
The highlights of his career as a player were the Romanian football championship titles he won with Steaua in 1959–60, 1960–61 and 1967–68, as well as his participation with Romania's Olympic team at the 1964 Summer Olympics
1964 Summer Olympics
The 1964 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVIII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Tokyo, Japan in 1964. Tokyo had been awarded with the organization of the 1940 Summer Olympics, but this honor was subsequently passed to Helsinki because of Japan's...
in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, where the Romanians came on 5th place.
As a coach, Jenei continued to enjoy success. Having returned from Turkey, he was named assistant coach at Steaua at the beginning of the 1972–73 season. One year later, he was promoted to a head coaching position and finished 5th in Liga I, winning his first championship title as coach in 1976, then finishing as a runner-up in 1977. He won another championship title in 1978, but at the end of the season he was replaced by Gheorghe Constantin.
In 1978–79, Jenei coached FC Bihor of Oradea
Oradea
Oradea is the capital city of Bihor County, in the Crișana region of north-western Romania. The city has a population of 204,477, according to the 2009 estimates. The wider Oradea metropolitan area has a total population of 245,832.-Geography:...
, but the team finished the season in last place and he was sacked as a result. In 1981, he took over at CS Târgovişte, and the beginning of the 1982–83 season found him as coach of Steaua for a second stint. After two years, in which failed to win the championship, he was again sacked, only to be brought back after four months.
In 1985, he won a new championship and in the following season led Steaua Bucureşti to victory in the European Cup
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
final against FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
in May 1986. In the summer of 1986, Jenei was named co-head coach of the Romanian national football team, together with Mircea Lucescu
Mircea Lucescu
Mircea Lucescu is a Romanian former football player and current coach, and one of the most successful Romanian football managers. He is also the father of Rapid Bucharest coach, Răzvan Lucescu...
, making his debut against Norway
Norway national football team
The Norway national football team represents Norway in association football and is controlled by the Football Association of Norway, the governing body for football in Norway. Norway's home ground is Ullevaal Stadion in Oslo and their head coach is Egil Olsen...
. Lucescu was sacked after a short while and Jenei became the only national team coach. He failed to qualify the team for Euro 88
1988 UEFA European Football Championship
The 1988 UEFA European Football Championship final tournament was held in West Germany. West Germany won the right to host the tournament with five votes ahead of a joint bid from Norway, Sweden and Denmark, who gained 1 vote, and a bid from England. It was the eighth European Football...
, but took the team to World Cup 1990. It was the first qualification of Romania at a World Cup in twenty years. Between August 1986 and June 1990, Jenei coached the team in 40 games, including two wins against Spain
Spain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
in 1987 and Italy
Italy national football team
The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...
in 1989.
After the World Cup, He returned to Steaua Bucureşti in April 1991, for the fourth time, only to be sacked again in December of same year. He was named head coach of Hungary
Hungary national football team
The Hungary national football team represents Hungary in international football and is controlled by the Hungarian Football Federation....
between 1992–93, but failed to produce notable results, instead he won the Kirin Cup
Kirin Cup
The Kirin Cup is an annual association football tournament sponsored in Japan by the Kirin Brewery Company. The host, Japan, is a participant in every edition. The tournament was founded in 1978 as an international club competition. From 1992 onwards the format was changed to a round robin national...
in 1993, an international tournament organized by Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, and later being replaced by Ferenc Puskás
Ferenc Puskás
Ferenc Puskás was a Hungarian footballer and manager. He scored 84 goals in 85 international matches for Hungary, and 514 goals in 529 matches in the Hungarian and Spanish leagues. He became Olympic champion in 1952 and was a World Cup finalist in 1954...
.
Jenei did not return to the pitch for a while, but, in August 1993, Emerich Jenei began his fifth stint as coach of Steaua, and won the championship one year later. In 1996, he was named head coach of Universitatea Craiova
FC Universitatea Craiova
Fotbal Club Universitatea Craiova is a Romanian professional football club from Craiova. They became the first Romanian football team to reach the semi-finals of a European tournament, during the UEFA Cup in 1982–83...
but was sacked after only ten games. Two years later he returned to Steaua for his sixth and final stint there.
In 2000, Jenei he was again called to coach Romania. The squad qualified for Euro 2000
2000 UEFA European Football Championship
The 2000 UEFA European Football Championship, or Euro 2000, was the 11th UEFA European Football Championship, which is held every four years and organized by UEFA, association football's governing body in Europe....
but the previous coach - Victor Piţurcă
Victor Piturca
Victor Piţurcă is a Romanian football manager and former player.-Club career:Piţurcă was one of the prolific strikers of Steaua Bucureşti, being one of the team's top scorers – he scored 137 goals in 174 league games...
- was sacked after a scandal which involved the team's best players, including Gheorghe Popescu
Gheorghe Popescu
Gheorghe Gică Popescu is a former Romanian footballer who played as a defender, and was a key part of the Romania national team in the 1990s. He played for a string of European clubs in an illustrious career that saw him amass many honours...
and Gheorghe Hagi
Gheorghe Hagi
Gheorghe Hagi is a former Romanian footballer. He was famous for his passing, close control, long shots and was regarded as one of the best attacking midfielders in Europe during the 1980s and 1990s and is considered the greatest Romanian footballer of all time...
. At Euro 2000
2000 UEFA European Football Championship
The 2000 UEFA European Football Championship, or Euro 2000, was the 11th UEFA European Football Championship, which is held every four years and organized by UEFA, association football's governing body in Europe....
, Jenei took the team to the last eight, one of the team's best performances. During his second stint, the national team played 11 games.
In June 2000, he decided to retire from coaching. After that date, Jenei was president of FC Bihor and also worked for the Romanian Football Federation
Romanian Football Federation
The Romanian Football Federation is the governing body of football in Romania. It organizes the Romania national football team and most of the Romanian football competitions. It is based in the Romanian capital city of Bucharest...
. He is regularly consulted by the Romanian media for his opinion ahead of important football games for Romanian clubs, especially Steaua, or the Romanian national team.
Jenei is married to Ileana
Ileana Gyulai-Drîmbă-Jenei
Ileana Gyulai-Drîmbă-Jenei is a Romanian fencer. She won a bronze medal in the women's team foil events at the 1968 and 1972 Summer Olympics.-References:...
, former fencing
Fencing
Fencing, which is also known as modern fencing to distinguish it from historical fencing, is a family of combat sports using bladed weapons.Fencing is one of four sports which have been featured at every one of the modern Olympic Games...
player for Romania world champion and Olympic medalist. They have a daughter Cristina. Jenei also has a son named Călin with his first wife, actress Vasilica Tastaman.
External links
- Profile at SteauaFC.com
- Playing career and stats at RomanianSoccer.ro
- Managerial stats at labtof.ro
- Profile at kayserispor.org