Marian Popescu

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Marian Popescu

| image =

| image_size =

| fullname =

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1947|08|14|df=y}}{{RomanianSoccer|2574/marian-popescu}}

| birth_place = Bucharest, Romania

| death_date = {{Death date and age|2016|11|19|1947|08|14|df=y}}

| death_place = Bucharest, Romania

| height = 1.73 m

| position = Central midfielder

| youthyears1 = 1965–1966 |youthclubs1 = Rapid București

| years1 = 1966–1968 |clubs1 = Universitatea Craiova |caps1 = 27 |goals1 = 2

| years2 = 1968 |clubs2 = Rapid București |caps2 = 7 |goals2 = 0

| years3 = 1969–1970 |clubs3 = CFR Cluj |caps3 = 33 |goals3 = 4

| years4 = 1970–1975 |clubs4 = Argeș Pitești |caps4 = 134 |goals4 = 12

| years5 = 1975–1976 |clubs5 = FC Constanța |caps5 = 13 |goals5 = 1

| years6 = 1976–1979 |clubs6 = Muscelul Câmpulung |caps6 = |goals6 =

| totalcaps = 214 | totalgoals = 19

}}

Marian Popescu (14 August 1947 – 19 November 2016) was a Romanian football midfielder.{{cite web | url=https://jurnaluldearges.ro/a-murit-marian-popescu-fostul-mare-campion-al-fc-arges-33581/ | title=A murit Marian Popescu, fostul mare campion al FC Argeș| publisher=Jurnaluldearges.ro| language=Romanian |trans-title=Marian Popescu, a former great champion of FC Argeș, died| date=21 November 2016 | access-date=18 February 2020}}{{WorldFootball.net|marian-popescu}}

Career

Marian Popescu was born on 14 August 1947 in Bucharest, Romania, starting to play junior level football in 1965 at local club, Rapid. One year later he signed with Universitatea Craiova where he made his Divizia A debut on 6 November 1966 in a 4–1 away loss in front of Steaua București. After one season he left Craiova and returned to Rapid where he made his debut in European competitions, playing in both legs of the 7–4 loss on aggregate in front of OFK Beograd from the first round of the 1968–69 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup.{{cite web|publisher=WorldFootball|url=https://www.worldfootball.net/player_summary/marian-popescu/uefa-cup-1968-1969/rapid-bucuresti/3/|title=Marian Popescu. Inter-Cities Fairs Cup 1968/1969|access-date=23 August 2024}} He left Rapid after a half of year to go at Divizia B side, CFR Cluj which he helped them earn promotion to the first league.

He arrived at Argeș Pitești in 1970 where in the 1971–72 season he helped the club win the first title in its history, Popescu scoring two goals in the 30 appearances given to him by coaches Titus Ozon and Florin Halagian.{{cite web|url=https://www.romaniansoccer.ro/menu_items/champions.shtml|title=Romania National Champions |publisher=RomanianSoccer|access-date=23 August 2024}} Afterwards he played four games in the 1972–73 European Cup, eliminating Aris Bonnevoie in the first round, then in the following one they won a home game with 2–1 against Real Madrid but lost the second leg with 3–1.{{cite web | url=https://adevarul.ro/stiri-locale/pitesti/singura-echipa-romaneasca-de-fotbal-care-a-invins-1846838.html | title=Singura echipă românească de fotbal care a învins trei mari cluburi din Spania. Marele Dobrin a fost cheia succeselor| publisher=Adevarul.ro| language=Romanian |trans-title=The only Romanian football team that has defeated three major clubs in Spain. The great Dobrin was the key to success| date=1 March 2018 | access-date=23 August 2024}}{{cite web|publisher=WorldFootball|url=https://www.worldfootball.net/player_summary/marian-popescu/champions-league-1972-1973/arge-piteti/3/|title=Marian Popescu. Champions League 1972/1973|access-date=23 August 2024}}

In 1975, Popescu went to play for FC Constanța where on 31 March 1976 he made his last Divizia A appearance in a 1–0 win over FCM Reșița in which he scored the goal, gaining a total of 199 matches with 17 goals scored in the competition, also having a total of seven games in European competitions, including two games in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup. Afterwards he went at Muscelul Câmpulung where coach was his former Argeș teammate, Ion Barbu and he was colleague with other former Argeș teammates like Constantin Radu, Vasile Stan and Radu Jercan, managing to promote the team from the third league to the second where he spent two more seasons before retiring in 1979, scoring 10 goals in the first one.{{cite web | url=https://argespress.ro/cutia-cu-amintiri-vasile-stan-cea-mai-mare-satisfactie-era-sa-i-vezi-pe-acei-oameni-ca-te-felicita-si-sunt-fericiti-de-jocul-tau/ | title=Cutia cu amintiri: VASILE STAN: "Cea mai mare satisfacție era să-i vezi pe acei oameni că te felicită și sunt fericiți de jocul tău"| publisher=Argespress.ro| language=Romanian |trans-title=Box of memories: VASILE STAN: "The greatest satisfaction was to see those people congratulating you and being happy with your game"| date=3 September 2022| access-date=25 August 2024}}