Augustin Deleanu

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Augustin Deleanu

| image = Augustin Deleanu 1973.jpg

| caption = Deleanu with Dinamo in 1973

| image_size = 250px

| fullname = Augustin Pax Deleanu

| birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1944|8|23}}

| birth_place = Măgurele, Romania

| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|2014|3|27|1944|8|23}}

| death_place = Bucharest, Romania

| height = 1.74 m

| position = Left back

| youthyears1 = 1960–1963 | youthclubs1 = Steaua București

| years1 = 1963–1969 | clubs1 = Politehnica Iași | caps1 = 134 | goals1 = 11

| years2 = 1969–1976 | clubs2 = Dinamo București | caps2 = 178 | goals2 = 7

| years3 = 1976–1977 | clubs3 = Jiul Petroșani | caps3 = 31 | goals3 = 0

| totalcaps = 343 | totalgoals = 18

| nationalyears1 = 1966–1973 | nationalteam1 = Romania | nationalcaps1 = 25 | nationalgoals1 = 0

}}

Augustin Pax "Coco" Deleanu (23 August 1944 – 27 March 2014) was a Romanian footballer, who played as a left back.

Club career

File:C.S.M.S. Iași 1965.jpg

Augustin Pax Deleanu, nicknamed "Coco" was born on 23 August 1944 in Măgurele, Romania and started to play football in 1960 at the junior squads of Steaua București.{{RomanianSoccer|559/augustin-pax-deleanu}}{{cite web | url=https://www.gsp.ro/fotbal/liga-1/augustin-deleanu-a-incetat-din-viata-in-aceasta-dimineata-422575.html | title=Augustin Deleanu a încetat din viaţă în această dimineaţă| publisher=Gsp.ro| language=Romanian |trans-title=Augustin Deleanu passed away this morning| date=27 March 2014 | access-date=13 April 2021}}{{cite web | url=https://www.prosport.ro/sport-life/special/fostul-dinamovist-augustin-deleanu-a-murit-la-69-de-ani-trupul-neinsufletit-al-fostului-international-va-fi-depus-vineri-dimineata-la-tribuna-oficiala-a-stadionului-dinamo-12342612 | title=Fostul dinamovist Augustin Deleanu a murit la 69 de ani. Trupul neînsuflețit al fostului internațional va fi depus vineri dimineață la tribuna oficială a stadionului Dinamo| publisher=Prosport.ro| language=Romanian |trans-title=Former Dinamo player Augustin Deleanu died at the age of 69. The dead body of the former international will be deposited on Friday morning at the official tribune of the Dinamo stadium| date=27 March 2014 | access-date=13 April 2021}} He made his Divizia A debut on 24 November 1963, playing for Politehnica Iași in a 1–0 victory against Petrolul Ploiești. He spent six seasons at Politehnica, a period in which the club had a relegation to Divizia B, but he stayed with the team, helping it gain promotion back to the first league after one season.

In 1968, he went to play for Dinamo București where his first performances was reaching two Cupa României finals in 1970 and 1971, playing all the minutes in both which were lost in front of rivals Steaua București.{{cite web|url=https://www.romaniansoccer.ro/romanian_cup/1969_1970.shtml|title=Romanian Cup - Season 1969 - 1970|publisher=RomanianSoccer|access-date=13 April 2021}}{{cite web|url=https://www.romaniansoccer.ro/romanian_cup/1970_1971.shtml|title=Romanian Cup - Season 1970 - 1971|publisher=RomanianSoccer|access-date=13 April 2021}} He won three league titles with The Red Dogs in 1971, 1973 and 1975, in the first he contributed with three goals scored in the 27 matches he was used by coaches Nicolae Dumitru and Traian Ionescu, in the second he played 23 games under the guidance of Ion Nunweiller and in the third he made 33 appearances while working once again with Dumitru.{{cite web|url=https://www.romaniansoccer.ro/menu_items/champions.shtml|title=Romania National Champions |publisher=RomanianSoccer|access-date=2 October 2024}} He spent seven seasons at Dinamo in which he appeared in 16 matches in European competitions (including four in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup).

In 1976, Deleanu went to play for Jiul Petroșani where he made his last Divizia A appearance on 30 June 1977 in a 2–0 loss in front of Universitatea Craiova, having a total of 325 matches played and 18 goals scored in the competition.

International career

File:Augustin Deleanu México 70.png

Deleanu played 25 games without scoring for Romania, making his debut on 26 November 1966 under coach Ilie Oană in a 3–1 loss in front of Italy at the 1968 Euro qualifiers, where he would also make his second appearance for the national team in a 5–1 victory against Cyprus.{{cite web|url=https://eu-football.info/_player.php?id=4522|title=Augustin Deleanu profile|publisher=European Football|access-date=1 August 2022}}{{cite web|url=https://eu-football.info/_match.php?id=13816|title=Italy 3-1 Romania|publisher=European Football|access-date=1 August 2022}} He played four games at the successful 1970 World Cup qualifiers, being selected by coach Angelo Niculescu to be part of the squad for the final tournament where he did not play. He played five matches at the 1972 Euro qualifiers, managing to reach the quarter-finals where Romania was defeated by Hungary, who advanced to the final tournament. Augustin Deleanu played a total of five matches at the 1974 World Cup qualifiers, including his last appearance for the national team which took place on 14 October 1973 in Romania's biggest ever victory, a 9–0 against Finland.{{cite web|url=https://www.digisport.ro/interviuri-si-reportaje/video-exclusiv-sandu-si-ceilalti-eroi-din-1973-despre-culisele-victoriei-istorice-cu-9-0-cu-finlanda-191966|title=Sandu și ceilalți "eroi" din 1973, despre culisele victoriei istorice cu 9-0 cu Finlanda|publisher=Digisport.ro|language=Romanian |trans-title=Sandu and the other "heroes" from 1973, about the backstage of the historic 9-0 victory over Finland| date=8 October 2015 |access-date=1 August 2022}}

For representing his country at the 1970 World Cup, Deleanu was decorated by President of Romania Traian Băsescu on 25 March 2008 with the Ordinul "Meritul Sportiv" – (The Medal "The Sportive Merit") class III.{{cite web |url=https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/93/Monitorul_Oficial_al_Rom%C3%A2niei._Partea_I_2008-03-28%2C_nr._241.pdf |title=DECRET privind conferirea Ordinului și Medaliei Meritul Sportiv |publisher=Monitorul Oficial al României Nr. 241 |date=28 March 2008 |page=3 |access-date= 1 August 2022}}{{cite web |url=http://old.presidency.ro/index.php?_RID=det&tb=date_arhiva&id=10313&_PRID=arh |title=Decorarea unor personalități ale fotbalului românesc |publisher=Administrația Prezidențială |date=25 March 2008 |access-date=1 August 2022 |archive-date=20 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220920172620/http://old.presidency.ro/index.php?_RID=det&tb=date_arhiva&id=10313&_PRID=arh |url-status=dead }}

After retirement

After he ended his playing career, Deleanu became a referee, arbitrating matches in Romania's top-league Divizia A and had different administration positions at Dinamo București, between 1990 and 1994 being the vice-president of the club.{{cite web | url=https://welovesport.ro/stiri/fotbal-vintage-arbitrii-de-altadata-proveneau-din-fostii-fotbalisti-2638 | title=Arbitrii de altădată proveneau din foștii fotbaliști| publisher=Welovesport.ro| language=Romanian |trans-title=The referees of old came from former footballers| date=13 July 2020 | access-date=10 April 2023}}{{cite web | url=https://evz.ro/arbitrii-si-ajf-istii-cioclii-fotbalului-romanesc.html | title=Arbitrii și AJF-iștii, cioclii fotbalului românesc| publisher=Evz.ro| language=Romanian |trans-title=The referees and the AJF-ists, the Romanian football stalwarts| date=9 April 2021 | access-date=10 April 2023}}{{cite web|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230410201329/http://www.labtof.ro/profil/deleanu-augustin-5823/|title=Augustin Deleanu referee profile|publisher=Labtof|access-date=10 April 2023}}