Virgil Popescu

{{Infobox football biography

|name = Virgil Popescu

|image =

|caption =

|fullname =

|birth_date = {{birth date|1916|12|1|df=y}}

|birth_place = Zlatna, Kingdom of Romania

|death_date = {{death date and age|1989|2|15|1916|12|1|df=y}}

|death_place = Kovin, Yugoslavia

|height =

|position = Defender

|youthyears1 =

|youthclubs1 =

|years1 = 1938–1941

|clubs1 = Vojvodina

|caps1 =

|goals1 =

|years2 = 1943–1944

|clubs2 = Juventus Bucharest

|caps2 = 7

|goals2 = 0

|years3 = 1945–1948

|clubs3 = Partizan

|caps3 = 17

|goals3 = 0

|totalcaps = 24

|totalgoals = 0

|nationalyears1 =

|nationalteam1 =

|nationalcaps1 =

|nationalgoals1 =

|manageryears1 = 1963–1964

|managerclubs1 = Rijeka

|manageryears2 = 1964–1965

|managerclubs2 = Legia Warsaw

|manageryears3 = 1965–1966

|managerclubs3 = Partizan (assistant)

|manageryears4 = 1966–1967

|managerclubs4 = St. Gallen

|manageryears5 = 1968–1970

|managerclubs5 = Morocco Olympic

|manageryears6 = 1970

|managerclubs6 = Wormatia Worms

|manageryears7 = 1970–1972

|managerclubs7 = KAC Kénitra

|manageryears8 = 1972–1973

|managerclubs8 = JSK Kabylie

}}

Virgil Popescu (1 December 1916 – 15 February 1989) {{cite web |title=Istoria ex yu fudbala |url=https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1278727680500183&id=100050888900285&locale=fr_FR |website=Facebook |access-date=8 February 2025}} was a Romanian footballer and later coach. In Yugoslavia, he was known as Stanislav Popesku.

Career

He was born in 1916 during the First World War, in the Transylvanian town of Zlatna,[http://gabrieldacian.wordpress.com/2011/02/27/popescu-romanul-care-a-fondat-partizan-belgrad/ Popescu, românul care a fondat Partizan Belgrad], by Catalin Oprisan taken from Gazeta Sporturilor, 27-2-2011, retrieved 3-1-2014 {{in lang|ro}} back then within Austro-Hungary, nowadays in Romania.[https://www.gsp.ro/international/stranieri/gabriel-enache-nu-e-primul-jucator-roman-care-semneaza-cu-partizan-gazeta-va-prezinta-povestea-lui-virgil-popescu-fost-fundas-la-juventus-si-fondator-al-clubului-sarb-542289.html Gabriel Enache nu e primul jucător român care semnează cu Partizan! Gazeta vă prezintă povestea lui Virgil Popescu: fost fundaș la Juventus și fondator al clubului sârb] at gsp.ro, 20-6-2018 {{in lang|ro}} In 1918, at the end of the war, his parents moved to the newly formed Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, later renamed Yugoslavia. He began playing for Novi Sad club FK Vojvodina and was part of Vojvodina's so called Millionaires team at the beginning of the 1940s.[http://www.fkvojvodina.com/vesti.php?id=1410&title=na+danasnji+dan+-+velika+pobeda+nad+segedom Na današnji dan - Velika pobeda nad Segedom] at fkvojvodina.com, retrieved 3-1-2014 {{in lang|sr}} He played with Vojvodina in the Novi Sad subassociation league in the 1938–39 season [http://www.fkvojvodina.com/rezultati.php?sezona=1938 1938/39 FK Vojvodina season] at fkvojvodina.com and then in the Serbian League between 1939 and 1941.[http://www.fkvojvodina.com/rezultati.php?sezona=1940 1940/41 FK Vojvodina season] at fkvojvodina.com[http://www.fkvojvodina.com/rezultati.php?sezona=1939 1939/40 FK Vojvodina season] at fkvojvodina.com

The Second World War started in Yugoslavia in 1941. Popescu was at the time attending the Commercial Academy in Belgrade, and by 6 April 1941, he was a second lieutenant defending the country against German forces. It took four days, on 10 April, when he was captured by Axis forces near Belgrade and taken to Romania to a concentration camp in Turnu Măgurele. After spending two years in the camp, in 1943 he caught the attention of Juventus Bucharest boss Cezar Popescu who got the news that this 27-year-old defender who had played in Serbia was in the camp 8. By explaining how Virgil Popescu was a Romanian and as such a German ally, he managed to release him from the camp and brought him to the team. He made his debut for Bucharest side Juventus on 6 October, in a match against Craiova. He made 7 appearances for Juventus in the 1943–44 Romanian Divizia A.[http://a1.ro/news/sport/povestea-lui-virgil-popescu-romanul-de-la-legia-prietenul-lui-flamaropol-sau-oana-id156397.html Povestea lui Virgil Popescu, romanul de la Legia, prietenul lui Flamaropol si Oana!] at A1.ro, 9-8-2013, retrieved 3-1-2014 {{in lang|ro}} However, not very long afterwards he entered the club offices and said that he had to leave to fight alongside Yugoslav Partisans and Marshal Tito in freeing Yugoslavia, and club officials accepted his will, so he returned to Yugoslavia and joined the resistance.

He fought the Germans, and at the end of the war, in 1945, he was among the founders of Belgrade-based FK Partizan which became one of the major powers of Yugoslav football.[http://www.partizan.rs/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Istorija-kluba-.pdf Istorija kluba FK Partizan] at partizan.rs, retrieved 3-1-2014 {{in lang|sr}} His passion for Serbia was such that he adopted a Serbian name, Stanislav. He played with Partizan in the Yugoslav First League for two seasons. He played a total of 65 matches and scored once for Partizan, of which 17 matches were in the league.[http://www.sr.partizan.rs/istorija-kluba/igraci-od-1945-do-danas/ FK Partizan all-time players, Popesku #819] at FK Partizan official website, retrieved 3-1-2014 Earlier, he played with SAP Vojvodina in the 1945 Yugoslav Football Tournament.[http://www.hrsport.net/SportnetKlub/Tema.aspx?pID=2230065 1945 Yugoslav season] at Ligaški vremeplov, at hrsport.net With Partizan he won the first Yugoslav post-World War II championship.

He later became a coach.[http://www.politika.rs/rubrike/Sport/intervjui/t51907.lt.html Pamtim naslov: "Konac delo – Karasi"] at Politika, retrieved 3-1-2014 {{in lang|sr}} He coached Miroslav Blažević at NK Rijeka in the Yugoslav First League.[http://nk-rijeka.hr/sites/nk-rijeka.hr/files/documents/prvenstva/63-64.pdf 1963/64 NK Rijeka season] at HNK Rijeka official website, retrieved 3-1-2014 {{in lang|hr}} and was the assistant manager to Abdulah Gegić at Partizan when they reached the 1966 European Cup Final.[http://www.sr.partizan.rs/63118-63118/ Beše to jedne majske noći na Hejselu] at FK Partizan official website, retrieved 3-1-2014 {{in lang|sr}} He also coached Polish side Legia Warsaw in the season 1964–65.[http://legia.com/trenerzy-53 Trenerzy Legii Warszawa] at Legia Warsaw official website, retrieved 3-1-2014 {{in lang|pl}} Popescu then managed Swiss team St. Gallen and Wormatia Worms in Germany[http://www.wormatia.de/archiv/trainer.html Trainers Wormatia Worms] at wormatia.de, retrieved 3-1-2014 {{in lang|de}} before moving to Morocco and Algeria to help develop football in those countries, there he coached the Moroccan Olympic side and KAC Kénitra.[http://kac.01.ma/10731.html Entraîneurs KAC de Kénitra] at Kacfoot.ma, retrieved 3-1-2014 {{in lang|fr}} In the 1972–73 season, he was at the helm of Algerian side JS Kabylie, with whom he won the championship.[http://www.carfootal.dz/Championnats-5.php Championne d'Algérie] at carfootal.dz, retrieved 3-1-2014 {{in lang|fr}}