Wikipedia

Ion Velea

Ion Velea (born 14 September 1947) is a Romanian former footballer and referee.[2][3][4][5]

Ion Velea
Personal information
Date of birth (1947-09-14) 14 September 1947 (age 78)[1]
Place of birth Bucharest, Romania[1]
Position Left back[1]
Youth career
1961–1962 Metalul București
1962–1964 Viitorul București
1964–1965 Dinamo București
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1965–1967 Siderurgistul Galați[a] 9 (0)
1967–1968 Politehnica Galați 24 (1)
1968–1974 Universitatea Craiova 125 (4)
1975 FC Constanța 2 (0)
1977–1978 Pandurii Târgu Jiu
Total 160 (5)
International career
1966–1968 Romania U23 17 (1)
1966 Romania B 1 (1)
Managerial career
1994 Extensiv Craiova
* Club domestic league appearances and goals

He was part of "U" Craiova's team that won the 1973–74 Divizia A, which was the club's first trophy.[2][3][4]

Club career

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Velea, nicknamed "Pelicanul" (The Pelican), was born on 14 September 1947 in Bucharest, Romania.[1][2][3][4] At the age of 12, he became Bucharest champion at tennis in his age category.[2][4] Eventually, he gave up tennis and went to play junior-level football at Metalul București.[2][4] Subsequently, he joined Viitorul București and in 1964 he arrived at Dinamo București.[1][2][4] One year later, Velea went to play for Siderurgistul Galați where he made his Divizia A debut under coach Ion Zaharia on 26 September 1965 in a 5–1 away loss to Steaua București.[1][4][6] However, the team was relegated at the end of the season, but he stayed with them for one more year.[1] Afterwards, he joined neighboring club Politehnica, also in Divizia B.[1]

In 1968, Velea went back to first-league football at Universitatea Craiova.[1][2][4] There, he made his debut in European competitions, playing in a 2–1 win over Pécsi Dózsa in the first round of the 1970–71 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup.[1][7] However, the team did not qualify further, as they lost the second leg 3–0 without Velea playing.[7] "U" was close to winning the title in the 1972–73 season, but they finished in second place on equal points with Dinamo București, losing controversially on goal difference.[1][8] This outcome led poet Adrian Păunescu to nickname Craiova as "Campioana unei mari iubiri" (The Champion of a great love).[8][4] In the first round of the 1973–74 UEFA Cup season, "U" Craiova got past Fiorentina, being eliminated in the following one by Standard Liège, with Velea playing two games in the campaign.[1][4][9] In the same season, Velea was part of Craiova's team that won the league title, which was the club's first trophy, being used by coach Constantin Cernăianu in 14 matches in which he scored once.[1][10]

In the middle of the 1974–75 season, Velea joined FC Constanța.[1][11] There, he made his last Divizia A appearance on 29 June 1975 in a 2–0 home victory against CFR Cluj, totaling 136 matches with four goals in the competition.[1][12] Velea ended his career after playing for Pandurii Târgu Jiu during the 1977–78 Divizia B season.[1][2][12]

International career

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From 1966 to 1968, Velea was consistently featured for Romania's under-23 and B sides.[13]

After retirement

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After he ended his playing career, Velea became a referee who officiated 123 Divizia A matches over the course of 12 years.[2][3][4][12] As a linesman, he officiated another 100 games in the Romanian top-league.[2][4][12] He also served as a linesman to Ioan Igna in three semi-finals of European competitions: Porto 1–0 Aberdeen (1983–84 European Cup Winners' Cup), Željezničar 2–1 Videoton (1984–85 UEFA Cup) and Dukla Prague 1–1 Dynamo Kyiv (1985–86 European Cup Winners' Cup).[2]

In 1994, Velea led Extensiv Craiova as coach in a 0–0 draw against Gloria Bistrița in Divizia A.[12][14]

Personal life

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In 2023, Velea received the Honorary Citizen of Craiova title.[15]

Honours

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Universitatea Craiova

Notes

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  1. ↑ The statistics for the 1966–67 Divizia B season are unavailable.[1]

References

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  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Ion Velea at RomanianSoccer.ro (in Romanian)
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 "Portret / "Pelicanul" Ion Velea a arbitrat patru semifinale consecutive de cupe europene" [Portrait / "Pelican" Ion Velea refereed four consecutive European Cup semi-finals] (in Romanian). Adevarul.ro. 19 November 2010. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Un jucător de legendă va da lovitura de start la "U" Craiova - FCSB. "Mi-ar plăcea ca scorul să se apropie de cel din urmă cu 30 de ani, când a fost 6-2"" [A legendary player will give the start at "U" Craiova - FCSB. "I would like the score to approach the one that was 30 years ago, when it ended 6-2"] (in Romanian). Telekom.ro. 13 September 2019. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 "Ion Velea, campion cu Universitatea în 1974, un om bogat în amintiri" [Ion Velea, champion with Universitatea in 1974, a man rich in memories] (in Romanian). Gds.ro. 13 January 2014. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
  5. ↑ Ion Velea at WorldFootball.net
  6. ↑ "Steaua Bucuresti 5 – 1 Siderurgistul Galati". Labtof. Retrieved 10 April 2026.
  7. 1 2 "Acum 55 de ani Craiova debuta în cupele europene" [55 years ago Craiova made its debut in European cups] (in Romanian). Welovesport.ro. 16 September 2025. Retrieved 10 April 2026.
    "Ion Velea. UEFA Cup 1970/1971". WorldFootball. Retrieved 10 April 2026.
  8. 1 2 "Craiova, campioana unei mari iubiri. O idee care a intrat în legendă" [Craiova, the champion of a great love. An idea that has become legendary] (in Romanian). Gsp.ro. 6 November 2010. Retrieved 10 April 2026.
    "Campioana unei mari iubiri! Prima echipă de legendă a Universității Craiova s-a "născut" în anii 70!" [The champion of a great love! The first legendary team of the University of Craiova was "born" in the 70s!] (in Romanian). Prosport.ro. 22 September 2011. Retrieved 10 April 2026.
  9. ↑ "Războiul olteano-florentin, primul episod" [The Olteano-Florentine War, the first episode] (in Romanian). Welovesport.ro. 3 October 2023. Retrieved 10 April 2026.
    "Ion Velea. UEFA Cup 1973/1974". WorldFootball. Retrieved 10 April 2026.
  10. ↑ "Romania National Champions". RomanianSoccer. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
  11. ↑ ""Sunt mai ceva decât Gigi Becali!". Legenda Universității Craiova e sigură de titlu în acest sezon. Exclusiv" ["I'm more than Gigi Becali!". The legend of the University of Craiova is sure of the title this season. Exclusive] (in Romanian). Fanatik.ro. 29 January 2026. Retrieved 10 April 2026.
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 "Ion Velea profile". Labtof. Retrieved 10 April 2026.
  13. ↑ "Ion Velea profile". 11v11. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
  14. ↑ "ACF Gloria Bistrita 0 – 0 Extensiv Craiova". Labtof. Retrieved 10 April 2026.
  15. ↑ "Șapte componenți ai "Campioanei Unei Mari Iubiri" vor primi titlul de "cetățean de onoare al Craiovei"" [Seven members of the "Champion of One Great Love" will receive the title of "honorary citizen of Craiova"] (in Romanian). Digisport.ro. 29 May 2023. Retrieved 10 April 2026.
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