Ilie Balaci, considered one of the best Romanian footballers ever, died on Sunday, October 21, at age 62. He suffered a stroke, according to local News.ro.

Born on September 13, 1956, Balaci played for most of his career at Universitatea Craiova (1973-1984), a period in which the club in Craiova had its best results ever. Balaci won three national titles and four Romanian cups with Universitatea Craiova. He scored 84 goals in 349 league matches in Romania’s top league.

He also played for Romania’s national team, for which he scored 8 goals in 65 selections.

After 1990 he continued his career as a coach, mainly in Northern Africa and Middle East. He was among the first Romanians who managed teams in Saudi Arabia and the Emirates, including Al Nassr, Al Hilal and Al Ain.

editor@romania-insider.com

(photo source: Facebook / Universitatea Craiova)