Mihai Adam

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Mihai Adam

| image = Mihai Adam 1963 (cropped).jpg

| caption = Adam with Universitatea Cluj in 1963.

| fullname =

| birth_date = {{birth date|df=y|1940|7|3}}

| birth_place = Câmpia Turzii, Romania

| death_date = {{death date and age|df=y|2015|12|11|1940|7|3}}

| death_place = Cluj-Napoca, Romania

| height = 1.79 m

| position = Striker

| youthyears1= 1956–1959

| youthclubs1= Industria Sârmei Câmpia Turzii

| years1 = 1959–1962 | years2 = 1962–1972 | years3 = 1968–1969 | years4 = 1972–1976

| clubs1 = Industria Sârmei Câmpia Turzii | clubs2 = Universitatea Cluj | clubs3 = → Vagonul Arad (loan) | clubs4 =CFR Cluj

| totalcaps = 353 | totalgoals = 160

| nationalyears1= 1963–1964

| nationalteam1= Romania U23

| nationalyears2= 1965

| nationalteam2= Romania B

| nationalcaps1= 7 | nationalgoals1 = 3

| nationalcaps2= 1 | nationalgoals2 = 0

}}

Mihai Adam (3 July 1940 – 11 December 2015) was a Romanian football player who played as a striker.

Career

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|quote="He was among the greatest strikers in the history of our football, an extremely modest and serious man"

|source=–Remus Câmpeanu, former teammate of Mihai Adam at "U" Cluj{{cite web|url=https://liga2.prosport.ro/seria-1/diverse/inca-o-veste-trista-pentru-fotbalul-romanesc-a-murit-cel-mai-mare-golgheter-al-clujului-mihai-adam-bombardierul-lui-u-si-cfr-14917462|title=Încă o veste tristă pentru fotbalul românesc. A murit cel mai mare golgheter al Clujului, Mihai Adam "bombardierul" lui U și CFR|publisher=Liga2.prosport.ro|language=Romanian |trans-title=Another sad news for Romanian football. The greatest goalscorer of Cluj, Mihai Adam "bomber" of U and CFR, died| date=12 December 2015 |access-date=10 February 2023}}}}

Mihai Adam was born on 3 July 1940 in Câmpia Turzii, Romania, being the 11th child of his parents, starting to play football in 1956 at local club, Industria Sârmei.{{cite web|url=https://welovesport.ro/stiri/fotbal-vintage-mihai-adam-primul-golgeter-din-istoria-cfr-ului-24990|title=Mihai Adam, primul golgeter din istoria CFR-ului|publisher=Welovesport.ro|language=Romanian |trans-title=Mihai Adam, the first goalscorer in the history of the CFR| date=3 February 2023 |access-date=10 February 2023}}{{cite web|url=https://orangesport.ro/doliu-in-fotbalul-romanesc-mihai-adam-o-legenda-a-clujului-s-a-stins-din-viata-cariera-fabuloasa-aici-ai-toate-cifrele-17752433|title=Doliu în fotbalul românesc. Mihai Adam, o legendă a Clujului, s-a stins din viaţă! Cariera fabuloasă, aici ai toate cifrele|publisher=Orangesport.ro|language=Romanian |trans-title=Mourning in Romanian football. Mihai Adam, a legend of Cluj, passed away! Fabulous career, here are all the numbers| date=11 December 2015 |access-date=10 February 2023}}{{cite web|url=https://romanialibera.ro/lifestyle/fostul-fotbalist-mihai-adam-a-murit-401901/|title=Fostul fotbalist Mihai Adam a murit|publisher=Romanialibera.ro|language=Romanian |trans-title=Former footballer Mihai Adam died| date=11 December 2015 |access-date=10 February 2023}}{{cite web|url=https://www.dcnews.ro/marele-fotbalist-mihai-adam-a-murit_492159.html|title=Marele fotbalist Mihai Adam a murit|publisher=Dcnews.ro|language=Romanian |trans-title=The great footballer Mihai Adam died| date=11 December 2015 |access-date=10 February 2023}}{{cite web|url=https://www.libertatea.ro/sport/murit-inca-un-greu-al-fotbalului-romanesc-mihai-adam-fost-golgheter-la-u-cat-si-la-cfr-cluj-s-stins-la-75-de-ani-1341153|title=A murit încă un greu al fotbalului românesc! Mihai Adam, fost golgheter de rasă atât la "U", cât și la CFR Cluj, s-a stins din viață la vârsta de 75 de ani!|publisher=Libertatea.ro|language=Romanian |trans-title=Another legend of Romanian football has died! Mihai Adam, former top scorer both at "U" and at CFR Cluj, died at the age of 75!| date=11 December 2015 |access-date=10 February 2023}}{{cite web|url=https://www.mediafax.ro/sport/fostul-international-mihai-adam-a-incetat-din-viata-la-varsta-de-75-de-ani-14916677|title=Fostul international Mihai Adam a incetat din viata la varsta de 75 de ani|publisher=Mediafax.ro|language=Romanian |trans-title=Former international Mihai Adam died at the age of 75| date=11 December 2015 |access-date=10 February 2023}}{{cite web|url=https://ovidiublag.ro/2020/04/mihai-adam-golgeter-adevarat/|title=Mihai Adam. Golgeter adevărat|publisher=Ovidiublag.ro|language=Romanian |trans-title=Mihai Adam. Real goalscorer| date=1 April 2020 |access-date=8 March 2024}}{{cite web | url=https://www.4everucluj.ro/jucatori/mihai-adam/ | title=Mihai Adam profile| publisher=4everucluj.ro| language=Romanian}} In 1962 he was transferred at Universitatea Cluj where on 19 August he made his Divizia A debut under coach Constantin Rădulescu in a 2–1 home victory in front of Politehnica Timișoara.{{RomanianSoccer|7/mihai-adam}}{{cite web|url=http://www.labtof.ro/romania/1962-1963/liga1/1/universitatea-cluj-28-vs-politehnica-timisoara-168-4822/|title= U Cluj vs Politehnica Timisoara - Liga1 1962–1963|publisher=Labtof.ro|access-date=10 February 2023}} In the 1964–65 Divizia A season, Adam who made a successful couple in the team's offence with Zoltán Ivansuc, won for the first time the top-goalscorer of the season title with 18 goals scored, also he helped the club win the Cupa României, being used by coach Andrei Sepci in the whole game of the 2–1 victory from the final against Argeș Pitești.{{cite web|url=https://www.romaniansoccer.ro/romanian_cup/1964_1965.shtml|title=Romanian Cup - Season 1964–1965|publisher=RomanianSoccer|access-date=9 April 2020}}

File:Mihai Adam 1963 02.jpg

In the following season, Adam made his debut in European competitions, playing four games in which he scored a goal that helped "U" Cluj eliminate Austrian team, Wiener Neustadt in the first round of the 1965–66 European Cup Winners' Cup, being eliminated in the following round by Atlético Madrid.{{cite web|publisher=WorldFootball|url=https://www.worldfootball.net/player_summary/mihai-adam/ec-der-pokalsieger-1965-1966/universitatea-cluj/3/|title=Mihai Adam. Cup Winners Cup 1965/1966|access-date=10 February 2023}} In the 1967–68 season he scored 15 goals in 26 league appearances, winning his second top-goalscorer title, seven of these were scored in two victories over Dinamo București.{{cite web | url=https://www.4everucluj.ro/istorie/1967-1968/ | title=Universitatea Cluj 1967–68 season| publisher=4everucluj.ro| language=Romanian}} In the following season he was selected to do his military service in Arad so he played for local club, Vagonul. Afterwards he returned to play for three more seasons at "U" Cluj, in the last one he scored 10 goals which helped the club finish on the 3rd position.

Then he was given to CFR Cluj in exchange for Vasile Șoo where he reunited with coach Constantin Rădulescu, scoring just three weeks later since his transfer the victory goal in the 2–1 from the Cluj derby against Universitatea, also in the 1973–74 season he won for the third and final time the top-goalscorer of the league title with a personal record of 23 goals scored as the team scored a total of 40, a performance that helped them avoid relegation as they finished on the 14th position out of 18 teams from the league.{{cite web|url=http://www.prosport.ro/fotbal-intern/liga-1/ei-sunt-copiii-clujului-vezi-cum-arata-11-le-ideal-din-toate-timpurile-format-din-jucatorii-crescuti-de-u-si-cfr-8150196|title=Ei sunt copiii Clujului! Vezi cum arată 11-le ideal din toate timpurile format din jucătorii crescuţi de U și CFR|publisher=Prosport.ro|language=Romanian |trans-title=They are the children of Cluj! See how the first 11 of all times looks like with the players raised by U and CFR| date=12 April 2011 |access-date=9 March 2024}} In his last season as a player, Mihai Adam scored 9 goals in 25 appearances, being unable to save CFR from avoiding relegation this time, his last Divizia A appearance being on 20 June 1976 in a 1–0 loss in front of Steaua București, having a total of 160 goals scored in 353 matches in the competition. After he ended his playing career, Adam became a referee, arbitrating games including in Romania's top-league Divizia A.{{cite web|url=http://www.labtof.ro/profil/adam-mihai-5829/|title=Mihai Adam referee profile|publisher=Labtof.ro|access-date=10 February 2023}} In the last years of his life, he lived in Cluj-Napoca, being ill of Alzheimer's disease and died on 11 December 2015 at age 75. The Mihai Adam Stadium from Câmpia Turzii is named in his honor.{{cite web | url=https://turdanews.net/articole/administratie-locala/32411-stadionul-comunitatii-din-campia-turzii-este-din-nou-acasa.html | title=Stadionul comunității din Câmpia Turzii este din nou acasă!| publisher=Turdanews.ro| language=Romanian |trans-title=The community stadium from Câmpia Turzii is back home!| date=29 October 2014 | access-date=9 April 2020}} Even do he played for Romania's under-23 national team and Romania B, Mihai Adam never played for Romania's senior team and on 13 May 2020, Gazeta Sporturilor included him in a first 11 of best Romanian players who never played for the senior national team.{{cite news|url=https://www.11v11.com/players/mihai-adam-166646/ |title=Mihai Adam profile|publisher=11v11|access-date=7 June 2020}}{{cite web | url=https://www.gsp.ro/fotbal/nationala/ion-oblemenco-ar-fi-implinit-azi-75-de-ani-534092.html | title=Ion Oblemenco ar fi împlinit azi 75 de ani! Legendarul jucător nu a prins niciodată naționala. Care sunt cei mai buni fotbaliști fără vreun minut pentru România| publisher=Gsp.ro| language=Romanian |trans-title=Ion Oblemenco would have turned 75 today! The legendary player never caught the national team. Who are the best footballers without any minutes for Romania| date=13 May 2020 | access-date=10 February 2023}}