Nicolae Szoboszlay (18 July 1925 – 2 January 2019) was a Romanian football goalkeeper and manager.[7][5]

Nicolae Szoboszlay
Personal information
Date of birth (1925-07-18)18 July 1925[1]
Place of birth Orăștie, Romania[1]
Date of death 2 January 2019(2019-01-02) (aged 93)[1]
Place of death Romania
Height 1.79 m (5 ft 10 in)[2]
Position(s) Goalkeeper[1]
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1943–1944 Universitatea Cluj[a] 0 (0)
1945–1946 Ferar Cluj
1946–1947 Universitatea Cluj 1 (0)
1947–1948 Dermagarand Târgu Mureș 34 (0)
1948–1949 CSCA București 7 (0)
1949 Armata Iași
1950 Dermagarand Târgu Mureș 5 (0)
1950–1951 Universitatea Cluj 27 (0)
1952–1953 Armata Cluj
1953 Universitatea Cluj 5 (0)
Total 79 (0)
International career
1948 Romania B[4] 1 (0)
Managerial career
1955–1956 Dermata Cluj
1957 Universitatea Cluj
1957–1958 Universitatea Cluj (assistant)[1][5]
1958–1959 Dermata Cluj
1959–1961 Arieșul Turda
1962–1963 Universitatea Cluj (assistant)
1966–1967 Industria Sârmei Câmpia Turzii
1967 Universitatea Cluj
1968 Universitatea Cluj (assistant)
1969–1972 Arieșul Turda
1973–1974 Corvinul Hunedoara
1974–1975 CFR Cluj[6]
1975–1976 CFR Cluj (assistant)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Career edit

Nicolae Szoboszlay was one of Universitatea Cluj's players in the hardest period of the club's history. In 1940, the team moved from Cluj to Sibiu as a result of the Second Vienna Award, when the northern part of Transylvania was ceded to Hungary. In 1945, after the end of the Second World War and the return of the northern part of Transylvania to Romania, "U" returned to its home in Cluj.[1][8][9] During that period he participated at a game played in Ploiești, which was postponed for one day because of a fog caused by the bombs thrown in Ploiești by the United States Army Air Forces.[2] In 1944, because of his Hungarian origins, Szoboszlay was forced to work for two months at the București-Craiova railway.[2][9] In 1948 he played for CSCA București under the name "Nicolae Săbăslău", because the person who was sent to București to make his ID wrongly wrote his name that way.[10][9] On 21 November 1948 he played in the first ever CSCA București – Dinamo București derby.[1][8][9][11] While playing for Armata Cluj, in May 1953 after one game the team coach Elemer Hirsch collapsed on his way to the team bus, Szoboszlay tried to give him first aid but Hirsch died in his arms.[12]

After he retired from his playing career he worked as a manager and as an assistant coach.[5][2] Between 1976 and 1985 he was the coordinator of the Center for Children and Juniors at Universitatea Cluj where he taught and formed generations of players, which include Remus Câmpeanu, Emil Petru, Vasile Suciu, Septimiu Câmpeanu, Alpar Meszaros, Zsolt Muzsnay, Ioan Sabău and Tiberiu Bălan.[9][2] A book about him was written by Cristian Aszalos, called Ultimul cavaler al fotbalului romantic, Nicolae Szoboszlay (The last knight of the romantic football, Nicolae Szoboszlay), being released on 26 November 2016.[13][14] On 18 July 2013, on his 88th birthday he was awarded the Honorary Citizen of Cluj County title.[7][15]

Honours edit

Player edit

Universitatea Cluj

CSCA București

Manager edit

Universitatea Cluj (assistant)

Dermata Cluj

Arieșul Turda

Notes edit

  1. ^ The Divizia A 1940–41 was the last season before World War II and the Divizia A 1946–47 was the first one after, so the appearances and goals scored during this period for Universitatea Cluj are not official.[3]

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Doliu în fotbalul românesc! A murit ultimul supraviețuitor din primul Derby de România" [Mourning in Romanian football! The last survivor of the first Romanian Derby died] (in Romanian). Gsp.ro. 2 January 2019. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Fotbal cu ciocolata" [Football with chocolate] (in Romanian). Gsp.ro. 8 January 2010. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
  3. ^ "Nicolae Săbăslău player profile". Labtof. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
  4. ^ "Nicolae Săbăslău profile". 11v11. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
  5. ^ a b c d e "Elhunyt a futball szerelmese" [A football lover has died] (in Hungarian). Szabadsag.ro. 4 January 2019. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
  6. ^ "Nicolae Săbăslău manager profile". Labtof. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
  7. ^ a b "A murit ultimul supraviețuitor din primul derby Steaua – Dinamo" [The last survivor of the first Steaua – Dinamo derby died] (in Romanian). Digisport.ro. 2 January 2019. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
  8. ^ a b "S-a stins "portarul zburător"! Ultimul supravieţuitor al primului derby Steaua – Dinamo şi al echipei lui "U" Cluj plecată în bejenie la Sibiu nu mai este printre noi" [The "flying goalkeeper" has died! The last survivor of the first Steaua – Dinamo derby and the team of "U" Cluj that left in Sibiu is no longer among us] (in Romanian). Prosport.ro. 3 January 2019. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
  9. ^ a b c d e "A murit Nicolae Szoboszlay, ultimul fotbalist al echipei U Cluj care pleca în exil la Sibiu, după semnarea Dictatului de la Viena" [Nicolae Szoboszlay died, the last footballer of the U Cluj's team who went into exile in Sibiu, after the Vienna Dictation was signed] (in Romanian). Libertatea.ro. 2 January 2019. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
  10. ^ "EXCLUSIV Unicul supraviețuitor al primului derby Steaua – Dinamo se ia de Daum: "Să ridice mâna și să se ceară afară"" [EXCLUSIVE The only survivor of the first Steaua – Dinamo derby criticizes Daum: "Raise your hand and ask outside"] (in Romanian). Gsp.ro. 14 June 2017. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
  11. ^ "Steaua vs Dinamo Liga1 1948–1949". Labtof. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
  12. ^ "Elemer Hirsch, aristocratul care s-a stins în iarbă" [Elemer Hirsch, the aristocrat who passed away on the grass] (in Romanian). Gsp.ro. 23 March 2009. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
  13. ^ "Cartea despre Nicolae Szoboszlay va fi lansată sâmbătă, la Cluj Arena. Invitaţi speciali şi discursuri emoţionante, la un alt episod din istoria lui "U"" [The book about Nicolae Szoboszlay will be launched on Saturday, at Cluj Arena. Special guests and emotional speeches at another episode in the history of "U"] (in Romanian). Ziardecluj.ro. 22 November 2016. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
  14. ^ "Lansare de carte despre Nicolae Szoboszlay și fotbalul romantic de altădată" [Book launch about Nicolae Szoboszlay and the romantic football of past times] (in Romanian). Clujulcultural.ro. 26 November 2016. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
  15. ^ "Cavaler la curtea Universității Cluj. Nicolae Szoboszlay a fost desemnat azi "Cetățean de onoare al județului Cluj"" [Knight at the court of the University of Cluj. Nicolae Szoboszlay was named today "Honorary Citizen of Cluj County"] (in Romanian). Stiridesport.ro. 18 July 2013. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
  16. ^ "Universitatea Cluj 1950 season" (in Romanian). 4everucluj.ro.
  17. ^ "Nicolae Szoboszlay profile" (in Romanian). 4everucluj.ro.