Paul Cazan

Paul Cazan
Personal information
Date of birth (1951-09-30) 30 September 1951
Place of birth Bucharest, Romania
Height 1.89 m (6 ft 2 in)
Position(s) Centre-back
Youth career
1967 23 August București
1970 TUG București
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1970–1971 TM București 30 (0)
1971 Steaua București 0 (0)
1972 Chimia Râmnicu Vâlcea 8 (0)
1972–1987 Sportul Studențesc 465 (10)
Total 503 (10)
International career
1974 Romania U23 2 (0)
1983 Romania Olympic 2 (0)
Managerial career
1987–1988 Sportul Studențesc
Medal record
Representing  Romania
Universiade
Gold medal – first place 1974 Nice Team
* Club domestic league appearances and goals

Paul Cazan (born 30 September 1951 in Bucharest) is a Romanian former football player and former coach who mostly played and coached for Sportul Studențesc of Bucharest.

Club career

Cazan, nicknamed "Ață" (Yarn), was born on 30 September 1951 in Bucharest and he first played basketball before starting football at junior level in 1967 at "23 August" București, moving in 1970 to TUG București.[1][2] He began his senior football career in the 1970–71 Divizia C season at TM București.[1][2][3] He then moved to Steaua București for half a season without playing, before transferring to Chimia Râmnicu Vâlcea in Divizia B, where he played eight games and contributed to avoiding relegation.[1][2][3] Cazan made his Divizia A debut on 14 December 1972 playing for Sportul Studențesc in a 3–0 loss to Jiul Petroșani.[1] He stayed with Sportul until the end of his career, spanning 16 Divizia A seasons in which he made a club record of 465 appearances of which 444 as a starter, scoring 10 goals.[1][4][5][6][7] He made a strong partnership in the central defense with Gino Iorgulescu, serving for many years as captain of a team that included players such as Gheorghe Hagi, Mircea Sandu, Marcel Coraș and Aurel Rădulescu.[1][4][5][6][7] The highlights of his period spent with The Students were a second place in the 1985–86 season and reaching a Cupa României final in 1979 in which coach Mircea Rădulescu used him the entire match in the 3–0 loss to Steaua.[1][4][6][8] He represented the club in 13 UEFA Cup matches, including a 1–0 victory against Inter Milan, and also helped them win the 1979–80 Balkans Cup and reach the final in the 1976 edition.[1][4][6][9] In the 1987–88 UEFA Cup campaign, Cazan started as a player, appearing in the 1–0 victory from the first round against GKS Katowice which helped the team advance to the second round.[1][4][5][6][10] There, as the team's head coach, he faced Peter Schmeichel and Brian Laudrup's Brøndby, winning the second leg 3–0 after an away loss by the same score, securing a historic penalty shootout qualification to the third round where they were defeated by Hellas Verona.[1][4][5][6][10] As the team finished domestically on the 14th place in that season, Cazan was dismissed and gave up coaching, instead working in leadership positions at Sportul Studențesc, Politehnica Timișoara, Rapid București, Universitatea Cluj and UTA Arad.[3][5][11]

International career

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 and Romulus Chihaia.[6][12] Even though he played for Romania's under-23 and Olympic team, Cazan never played for Romania's senior team.[1][13][14] On 13 May 2020, Gazeta Sporturilor included him on a list of best Romanian players who never played for the senior national team.[13]

Personal life

His son Lucian Cazan was also a footballer who played for Sportul Studențesc.[15][16]

Honours

Sportul Studențesc

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Paul Cazan at RomanianSoccer.ro (in Romanian)
  2. ^ a b c "Cum a ieșit Gică Hagi golgheter cu un blat. Dezvăluirile senzaţionale ale căpitanul Sportului:"Trebuia să fie două goluri diferență și Hagi să înscrie. El s-a încăpățânat și a dat 6. Noi a trebuit să luăm 5 goluri"" [How did Gică Hagi score with a top. The sensational revelations of the Sport captain:"There should have been two goals difference and Hagi should have scored. He was stubborn and scored 6. We had to concede 5 goals"] (in Romanian). Gsp.ro. 22 February 2022. Retrieved 23 November 2023.
  3. ^ a b c "Problemele cu DNA sunt istorie! Cu ce se ocupă acum unul dintre cei mai influenți oameni din fotbalul românesc" [The problems with DNA are history! What is one of the most influential people in Romanian football doing now?] (in Romanian). Spynews.ro. 8 April 2018. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g "106 ani de la înființarea Sportului Studențesc. Căpitanul istoric Paul Cazan dă verdictul:"Cred că am fost blestemați! Morți, accidente grave, faliment, nicio speranță de înviere!"" [106 years since the establishment of Sportul Studențesc. Historian Captain Paul Cazan gives the verdict:"I think we were cursed! Deaths, serious accidents, bankruptcy, no hope of resurrection!"] (in Romanian). Gsp.ro. 11 February 2022. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
  5. ^ a b c d e "33 de ani de la "minunea din Regie", Sportul - Brøndby 6-0:"Schmeichel parcă înnebunise, a devastat vestiarul!"" [33 years since the "miracle of directing", Sportul - Brøndby 6-0: "Schmeichel seemed to have gone mad, he devastated the dressing room!"] (in Romanian). Gsp.ro. 4 November 2020. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g "Paul Cazan, la cota 69. "Cel mai frumos moment din viața mea a fost victoria cu Brondby când marele Peter Schmeichel a devastat vestiarul din Regie"" [Paul Cazan, at 69. "The most beautiful moment of my life was the victory with Brondby when the great Peter Schmeichel devastated the dressing room in Regie"] (in Romanian). Prosport.ro. 30 September 2020. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
  7. ^ a b ""El zicea că-l omoară!" De ce îi înfuria Gică Hagi pe colegii de la Sportul Studențesc" ["He said he was going to kill him!" Why did Gică Hagi made his colleagues from Sportul Studențesc angry] (in Romanian). Digisport.ro. 10 April 2021. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
  8. ^ a b "Romanian Cup - Season 1978 - 1979". RomanianSoccer. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
  9. ^ "35 de ani de la cea mai glorioasă victorie a Sportului: 1-0 cu legendara Inter" [35 years since the most glorious victory of Sportul: 1-0 with the legendary Inter] (in Romanian). Gsp.ro. 20 September 2019. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
  10. ^ a b "Întâmplări fabuloase din anii 80" [Fabulous events from the 80s] (in Romanian). Welovesport.ro. 2 April 2020. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
  11. ^ "Paul Cazan, director executiv al aradenilor" [Paul Cazan, executive director of the Arad team] (in Romanian). Libertatea.ro. 8 June 2007. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
    "Cazan a demisionat din functia de director sportiv al UTA" [Cazan resigned as sports director of UTA] (in Romanian). Mediafax.ro. 13 May 2008. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
    "Paul Cazan, director sportiv la "U"!" [Paul Cazan, sports director at "U"!] (in Romanian). Liga2.prosport.ro. 13 June 2010. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
    "A revenit Paul Cazan" [Paul Cazan came back] (in Romanian). Gsp.ro. 28 July 2008. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
  12. ^ "Au fost odată campioni mondiali" [Once they were world champions] (in Romanian). prosport.ro. 20 July 2009. Retrieved 5 October 2017.
  13. ^ a b "Ion Oblemenco ar fi împlinit azi 75 de ani! Legendarul jucător nu a prins niciodată naționala. Care sunt cei mai buni fotbaliști fără vreun minut pentru România" [Ion Oblemenco would have turned 75 today! The legendary player never caught the national team. Who are the best footballers without any minutes for Romania] (in Romanian). Gsp.ro. 13 May 2020. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
  14. ^ "Paul Cazan profile". 11v11. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
  15. ^ "Interviu cu Lucian şi Paul Cazan. Ce-a spus fiul despre tată şi invers" [Interview with Lucian and Paul Cazan. What did the son had to say about the father and backwards] (in Romanian). dolce-sport.ro. Archived from the original on 11 October 2017. Retrieved 11 October 2017.
  16. ^ "Interviu cu Lucian şi Paul Cazan. Ce-a spus fiul despre tată şi invers" [Interview with Lucian and Paul Cazan. What the son said about the father and vice versa] (in Romanian). Orangesport.ro. 21 January 2013. Retrieved 4 October 2023.