Nicolae Dobrin
Encyclopedia
Nicolae Dobrin was a Romania
n football
player. Dobrin is considered by many to be the best Romanian player of the 1960s and 1970s and one of the most talented players ever to play the game. Nicolae Dobrin Stadium
in Piteşti
is named after him.
, and he played for the first time in a First Division
game when he was still 14, on 1 July 1962, in the match between Ştiinţa Cluj and Dinamo Piteşti. He played for FC Argeş for 22 years, and only one year for another team, CS Târgovişte; Dobrin refused to play for any other First Division clubs, such as FC Dinamo Bucharest or Universitatea Craiova
. Dobrin's contribution was essential to the 1979 Championship win for FC Argeş, when his team won the championship by defeating Dinamo 4–3, the last goal being scored by Dobrin in extra time. That goal was one for the books. Dobrin took the ball from the middle of the pitch, knocked off every player that tried to take the ball away from him and when he reached the 16 metres / 18 yards box he hit the ball so accurate that it went pass the goalkeeper Anitzei, hit the left post and entered the goal. The ball had a message attached to it from Dobrin to the Anitzei. The message was:"Leave it there because there's nothing you can do about it." This was just one of Dobrin's many ways of humiliating his opponets.
Dobrin played 48 games for the Romanian national team
, scoring six times, and contributed to Romania's qualification for the 1970 FIFA World Cup
. However, he did not play in it even though he was in the finals squad.
During his whole career, Nicolae Dobrin played 409 matches, scoring 111 goals in all. He was named three times the best Romanian player, in 1966, 1967 and 1971. He played his last game on 14 June 1983, when FC Argeş faced FC Bihor (the match ended 2–0 in favor of FC Argeş). In 2007, Dobrin was the technical director of FC Argeş.
Dobrin is also known for famously missing out on a transfer to Real Madrid
. After playing them in a European Cup game and scoring a goal, Santiago Bernabéu
, their famous president was so impressed with Dobrin's skills that he wanted to transfer him to the Spanish team for a reported fee of $
2 million, a huge amount of money for that time. Because of the communist regime in Romania
in that period, Bernabéu had to hold talks with Nicolae Ceauşescu
himself, but could not persuade him, because Dobrin was regarded as a "national good" and such values could not be "estranged", especially not working for foreigners, according to the communist doctrine of that time. It is said that this was the biggest regret of Dobrin's life, although he did eventually end up playing in Gento
's testimonial, in the famous "blanco" shirt of Real Madrid. On this occasion Santiago Bernabéu made a last unsuccessful attempt to keep the Romanian player in Madrid.
unit of the County Hospital in Piteşti. This came as a result of multiple organ failure
, in turn caused by lung cancer
. On 29 October 2007, his funeral ceremony, held at St. George's Cathedral and at St. George's Military Cemetery, was attended by more than 5,000 people (including Nicolae Dica
& Adrian Neaga
from Steaua Bucharest and Dănuţ Coman from Rapid Bucharest who were coached by Dobrin in their youth years).
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 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. Dobrin is considered by many to be the best Romanian player of the 1960s and 1970s and one of the most talented players ever to play the game. Nicolae Dobrin Stadium
Nicolae Dobrin Stadium
Nicolae Dobrin Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Piteşti, Romania, named after football player Nicolae Dobrin. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home ground of FC Argeş Piteşti....
in Piteşti
Pitesti
Pitești is a city in Romania, located on the Argeș River. The capital and largest city of Argeș County, it is an important commercial and industrial center, as well as the home of two universities. Pitești is situated on the A1 freeway connecting it directly to the national capital Bucharest,...
is named after him.
Career
He was born in Piteşti, Argeş CountyArges County
Argeș is a county of Romania, in Wallachia, with the capital city at Pitești.-Demographics:In 2002, it had a population of 652,625 and the population density was 95/km².*Romanians – 96%*Roma , and other.-Geography:...
, and he played for the first time in a First Division
Liga I
Liga I, or in full, due to sponsorship reasons, Liga I Bergenbier, is the top division of the Romanian football league system. Before the 2006/2007 season, it was called Divizia A, but the name had to be changed following the discovery that someone else had registered the trademark "Divizia A"...
game when he was still 14, on 1 July 1962, in the match between Ştiinţa Cluj and Dinamo Piteşti. He played for FC Argeş for 22 years, and only one year for another team, CS Târgovişte; Dobrin refused to play for any other First Division clubs, such as FC Dinamo Bucharest or 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...
. Dobrin's contribution was essential to the 1979 Championship win for FC Argeş, when his team won the championship by defeating Dinamo 4–3, the last goal being scored by Dobrin in extra time. That goal was one for the books. Dobrin took the ball from the middle of the pitch, knocked off every player that tried to take the ball away from him and when he reached the 16 metres / 18 yards box he hit the ball so accurate that it went pass the goalkeeper Anitzei, hit the left post and entered the goal. The ball had a message attached to it from Dobrin to the Anitzei. The message was:"Leave it there because there's nothing you can do about it." This was just one of Dobrin's many ways of humiliating his opponets.
Dobrin played 48 games for the Romanian 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...
, scoring six times, and contributed to Romania's qualification for the 1970 FIFA World Cup
1970 FIFA World Cup
The 1970 FIFA World Cup, the ninth staging of the World Cup, was held in Mexico, from 31 May to 21 June. The 1970 tournament was the first World Cup hosted in North America, and the first held outside South America and Europe. In a match-up of two-time World Cup champions, the final was won by...
. However, he did not play in it even though he was in the finals squad.
During his whole career, Nicolae Dobrin played 409 matches, scoring 111 goals in all. He was named three times the best Romanian player, in 1966, 1967 and 1971. He played his last game on 14 June 1983, when FC Argeş faced FC Bihor (the match ended 2–0 in favor of FC Argeş). In 2007, Dobrin was the technical director of FC Argeş.
Dobrin is also known for famously missing out on a transfer to Real Madrid
Real Madrid
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
. After playing them in a European Cup game and scoring a goal, Santiago Bernabéu
Santiago Bernabéu Yeste
Santiago Bernabéu Yeste was a Spanish sportsman, one of the single most important men in Real Madrid's history. He is generally considered the one to whom much of the credit can be given for transforming Real Madrid C.F. from the second most successful club in Madrid into the most successful in...
, their famous president was so impressed with Dobrin's skills that he wanted to transfer him to the Spanish team for a reported fee of $
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
2 million, a huge amount of money for that time. Because of the communist regime in Romania
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...
in that period, Bernabéu had to hold talks with Nicolae Ceauşescu
Nicolae Ceausescu
Nicolae Ceaușescu was a Romanian Communist politician. He was General Secretary of the Romanian Communist Party from 1965 to 1989, and as such was the country's second and last Communist leader...
himself, but could not persuade him, because Dobrin was regarded as a "national good" and such values could not be "estranged", especially not working for foreigners, according to the communist doctrine of that time. It is said that this was the biggest regret of Dobrin's life, although he did eventually end up playing in Gento
Francisco Gento
Francisco "Paco" Gento López is a former Spanish football player.-Biography:He débuted in the Primera División with Racing Santander in the 1952–53 season...
's testimonial, in the famous "blanco" shirt of Real Madrid. On this occasion Santiago Bernabéu made a last unsuccessful attempt to keep the Romanian player in Madrid.
Death
Dobrin died on 26 October 2007 in the intensive careIntensive care medicine
Intensive-care medicine or critical-care medicine is a branch of medicine concerned with the diagnosis and management of life threatening conditions requiring sophisticated organ support and invasive monitoring.- Overview :...
unit of the County Hospital in Piteşti. This came as a result of multiple organ failure
Multiple organ dysfunction syndrome
Multiple organ dysfunction syndrome ', previously known as multiple organ failure or multisystem organ failure , is altered organ function in an acutely ill patient requiring medical intervention to achieve homeostasis...
, in turn caused by lung cancer
Lung cancer
Lung cancer is a disease characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. If left untreated, this growth can spread beyond the lung in a process called metastasis into nearby tissue and, eventually, into other parts of the body. Most cancers that start in lung, known as primary...
. On 29 October 2007, his funeral ceremony, held at St. George's Cathedral and at St. George's Military Cemetery, was attended by more than 5,000 people (including Nicolae Dica
Nicolae Dica
Nicolae Constantin Dică is a Romanian football attacking midfielder. He is a playmaker or forward known for his incisive passing and long balls...
& Adrian Neaga
Adrian Neaga
Adrian Constantin Neaga is a Romanian football player. He is a forward.-Early career:* Neaga's career started once he signed his first professional contract with Argeş Piteşti in 1997...
from Steaua Bucharest and Dănuţ Coman from Rapid Bucharest who were coached by Dobrin in their youth years).