Gil Mărdărescu

{{Infobox football biography

|embed =

|name = Gil Mardaresco

|image =

|image_size =

|caption =

|fullname = Mircea Mărdărescu

|birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1952|4|12|df=y}}

|birth_place = Săcele, Romania

|death_date =

|death_place =

|height = 1.83 m

|position = Midfielder

|currentclub =

|youthyears1 =

|youthclubs1 =

|years1 = 1970–1973

|clubs1 = Politehnica Iași{{efn|name="POL"|The statistics for the 1972–73 Divizia B season are not available.}}

|caps1 = 28

|goals1 = 0

|years2 = 1973–1975

|clubs2 = Wydad Casablanca

|caps2 =

|goals2 =

|years3 = 1975

|clubs3 = New York Cosmos

|caps3 = 5

|goals3 = 0

|years4 = 1975

|clubs4 = Rochester Lancers

|caps4 = 2

|goals4 = 1

|years5 = 1980

|clubs5 = New York United

|caps5 =

|goals5 =

|totalcaps = 35

|totalgoals = 1

|nationalyears1 =

|nationalteam1 =

|nationalcaps1 =

|nationalgoals1 =

|medaltemplates =

}}

Mircea "Gil" Mărdărescu (born 12 April 1952, in Săcele) is a retired Romanian-American football (soccer) player.

Career

Gil Mărdărescu started playing football in 1970 at Politehnica Iași under the guidance of his father, Virgil, making 28 appearances in the Romanian top-division, Divizia A.{{cite web | url=https://www.gsp.ro/international/campionate/gil-mardarescu-singurul-roman-coechipier-cu-pele-683974.html | title=Un singur român a fost coechipier cu Pelé: "Am visat mereu că îți voi strânge mâna"| publisher=Gsp.ro| language=Romanian |trans-title=Only one Romanian was a teammate with Pelé: "I always dreamed that I would shake your hand"| date=29 December 2022 | access-date=2 April 2024}}{{cite web | url=https://www.prosport.ro/fotbal-extern/unicul-fotbalist-roman-care-a-fost-coleg-cu-pele-si-a-facut-semnul-crucii-ce-scria-legenda-braziliana-in-autobiografia-sa-19574153 | title=Unicul fotbalist român care a fost coleg cu Pele: "Și-a făcut semnul crucii". Ce scria legenda braziliană în autobiografia sa| publisher=Prosport.ro| language=Romanian |trans-title=The only Romanian footballer who was a colleague of Pele: "He made the sign of the cross". What the Brazilian legend wrote in his autobiography| date=30 December 2022 | access-date=2 April 2024}}{{cite web | url=https://www.playsport.ro/povestea-de-film-a-romanului-coechipier-cu-pele-am-fost-magulit-dar-cuvintele-lui-m-au-ingrijorat-cine-era-sotia-romanca-a-patronului-de-club-226850 | title=Povestea de film a românului coechipier cu Pele: "Am fost măgulit, dar cuvintele lui m-au îngrijorat". Cine era soția româncă a patronului de club!| publisher=Playsport.ro| language=ro |trans-title=The film story of the Romanian teammate with Pele: "I was flattered, but his words worried me". Who was the Romanian wife of the club owner!| date=30 December 2022 | access-date=3 January 2025}}{{cite web |title=Mircea Mardarescu |url=http://www.labtof.ro/profil/mircea-mardarescu-3847/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200124233044/http://www.labtof.ro/profil/mircea-mardarescu-3847/ |archive-date=24 January 2020 |publisher=Labtof.ro |language=Romanian |url-status=live}} At the end of his second season the team relegated but he stayed with The Copou Squad, helping it promote back to the first league after one year.{{cite web|url=https://www.romaniansoccer.ro/divizia_a/tables/1971_72.shtml|title=Divizia A – Season 1971–1972|publisher=Romaniansoccer.ro|access-date=3 January 2025}} From 1973 until 1975 he played in Morocco at Wydad Casablanca.

In 1975, he joined the New York Cosmos as a midfielder in the North American Soccer League, where he played alongside three-time World Cup winner Pelé.{{cite web | url=https://www.si.com/vault/1975/06/23/616640/curtain-call-for-a-legend |title=Curtain call for a legend|publisher=Sports Illustrated| language=English |date=23 June 1975 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080602074613/http://www.romani-adevarati.ro/dr-traian-georgescu-a-murit-chirurgul/|access-date=14 April 2013| archive-date=2 June 2008}} According to Pelé's autobiography, when Mărdărescu first saw him he made the sign of the cross, then grabbed his hand, telling him:"I always dreamed that I would shake your hand. But playing alongside you is a miracle!". In the same year he moved on to the Rochester Lancers, where he was coached by Ted Dumitru.{{cite web | url=http://www.soccer-almanac.com/players/M/mardagi01/ | title=Gil Mardarescu| publisher=Soccer-almanac.com| language=English | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180820005900/http://www.soccer-almanac.com/players/M/mardagi01/| archive-date=20 August 2018}}{{cite web | url=https://www.gsp.ro/gsp-special/diverse/imagine-de-colectie-fabuloasa-biografie-a-singurului-roman-care-i-a-fost-coechipier-lui-pele-442038.html | title=Imagine de colecţie + Fabuloasa biografie a singurului român care i-a fost coechipier lui Pele| publisher=Gsp.ro| language=Romanian |trans-title=Collection image + Fabulous biography of the only Romanian who was a teammate of Pele| date=14 January 2015 | access-date=25 January 2020}} In 1980, he signed with the New York United football team of the American Soccer League.{{cite web|url=http://fultonhistory.com/newspaper%2010/Yonkers%20NY%20Herald%20Statesman/Yonkers%20NY%20Herald%20Statesman%201980%20Grayscale/Yonkers%20NY%20Herald%20Statesman%201980%20a%20Grayscale%20-%200128.pdf|title=New York United shines in 3 - 0 Big Apple debut|publisher=Gannett Westchester Newspapers|date=29 May 1980}}{{cite web | url=http://www.nasljerseys.com/Players/M/Marderescu.Gil.htm | title=Gil Mărdărescu| publisher=Nasljerseys.com| language=English | access-date=2 April 2024}}

Personal life

His father Virgil Mărdărescu coached the Morocco to the 1976 African Cup of Nations title.{{cite web | url=https://www.gsp.ro/international/stranieri/clipe-grele-pentru-singurul-roman-care-a-jucat-cu-pele-rugati-va-pentru-el-si-imbratisati-i-pe-cei-dragi-514718.html | title=Clipe grele pentru singurul român care a jucat cu Pele: "Rugați-vă pentru el și îmbrățișați-i pe cei dragi"| publisher=Gsp.ro| language=Romanian |trans-title=Hard moments for the only Romanian who played with Pele: "Pray for him and hug your loved ones"| date=28 June 2017 | access-date=25 January 2020}}{{cite web | url=https://www.libertatea.ro/sport/gil-mardarescu-fotbalistul-roman-care-a-jucat-cu-marele-pele-la-new-york-cosmos-operat-de-cancer-la-prostata-1890688 | title=Marele Pele a dezvăluit ce i-a spus singurul fotbalist român alături de care a jucat. "Replica lui m-a îngrijorat!"| publisher=Adevarul.ro| language=Romanian |trans-title=The Great Pele revealed what the only Romanian footballer that played with him said. "His reply worried me!"| date=10 October 2015 | access-date=25 January 2020}}

He currently lives in California with his wife Stephanie. Gil and Stephanie have two children together, Natalie and Nathan. Mardaresco has three grown children from a previous marriage.{{cite web | url=https://www.libertatea.ro/sport/gil-mardarescu-fotbalistul-roman-care-a-jucat-cu-marele-pele-la-new-york-cosmos-operat-de-cancer-la-prostata-1890688 | title=Gil Mărdărescu, fotbalistul român care a jucat cu marele Pele la New York Cosmos, operat de cancer la prostată| publisher=Libertatea.ro| language=Romanian |trans-title=Gil Mărdărescu, the Romanian footballer who played with the great Pele at New York Cosmos, operated on prostate cancer| date=29 June 2017 | access-date=25 January 2020}}