Alexandru Badea (8 March 1938 â 17 July 1986) was a Romanian footballer who played as a striker.
Badea was born on 8 March 1938 in BilciureÃÂti, Romania and began playing junior-level football in 1952 at FlacÃÂra Moreni. Two years later he went to neighboring club GRT where he spent three years. Then he returned to FlacÃÂra where in 1958 he started to play for the senior squad in Divizia B.
In 1960 he joined Petrolul PloieÃÂti and made his Divizia A debut under coach Ilie Oanàon 6 March in a 1âÂÂ0 home loss to Progresul BucureÃÂti. His first performance was winning the 1962âÂÂ63 Cupa României, being used the entire match by coach Oanàin the 6âÂÂ1 win over Siderurgistul GalaÃÂi in the final. He then won the 1965âÂÂ66 Divizia A championship, being used by coach Constantin CernÃÂianu in 23 matches in which he scored 11 goals. Badea played two games for The Yellow Wolves in the first round of the 1966âÂÂ67 European Cup against Liverpool which included a 3âÂÂ1 victory, but they did not manage to qualify to the next round.
In 1968, Badea joined Farul ConstanÃÂa where on 27 June 1971 he made his last Divizia A appearance in a 4âÂÂ1 away loss to Rapid BucureÃÂti, totaling 268 games with 61 goals in the competition and 17 matches with two goals in European competitions (including 13 appearances and two goals in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup). Afterwards he went to Divizia C club Gloria BuzÃÂu where in his first season he scored 25 goals that helped the team gain promotion to Divizia B. There, after he played two more seasons, Badea retired.
Badea played four matches for Romania, scoring two goals, making his debut under coach Ilie Oanàon 21 November 1965 against Eusébio's Portugal in a 1966 World Cup qualification match, scoring his side's final goal in a 2âÂÂ0 home victory. His following three games were friendlies, the last one taking place on 7 December 1966 in a 2âÂÂ1 away victory against Israel in which he scored once.
In the book Petrolul PloieÃÂti, Istorie ÃÂi TradiÃÂie (Petrolul PloieÃÂti, History and Tradition), writer RÃÂzvan FraÃÂilÃÂ described Badea's style of play as:"An artist of the green rectangle, who slipped with the skill of a fencer between the barricades of concrete defenses, dominated by force. A complete footballer, capable of acting all over the field".
Badea died on 17 July 1986 in PloieÃÂti at age 48.
Petrolul PloieÃÂti
Gloria BuzÃÂu