Andrei Stocker (22 November 1942 â 21 December 2025) was a Romanian footballer who played as a central defender and a referee.
Stocker, nicknamed "Keke", was born on 22 November 1942 in Aninoasa, Romania. His parents were Transylvanian Saxon miners, and because of their German origins, they were deported by the Soviets in 1945 to perform forced labor for a few years in the Donbas region.
Stocker started playing football at Minerul Aninoasa. There, he was noticed by coach Eugen Mladin who brought him to his team, Jiul PetroÃÂani. In his first season at Jiul, he helped the team gain promotion to Divizia A. He made his debut in the competition on 21 August 1966 under coach ÃÂtefan Coidum in a 7âÂÂ0 victory against Steagul RoÃÂu BraÃÂov. After playing one and a half years as a right midfielder, Stocker started to play alongside Gogu Tonca in the central defense. Subsequently, they became known for their tough playing style, with some considering them the most aggressive defensive duo in Divizia A's history. His first performance with The Miners was reaching the 1972 Cupa României final, where coach Eugen Iordache used him the entire match in the eventual 2âÂÂ0 loss to Rapid BucureÃÂti. Stocker eventually won the competition two years later after a 4âÂÂ2 victory against Politehnica TimiÃÂoara in the 1974 final, as coach Traian IvÃÂnescu used him the full 90 minutes, helping Jiul win its first trophy. Afterwards he played in both legs against Dundee United in the first round of the 1974âÂÂ75 European Cup Winners' Cup which was lost with 3âÂÂ2 on aggregate. In May 1975, during a Jiul â Politehnica IaÃÂi home game, the wooden stand of the stadium started to burn due to a cigarette thrown into a pile of seed husks. Stocker, along with teammates Tonca and Petre Libardi jumped in to help the firefighters extinguish the fire. He appeared in 271 Divizia A matches and scored eight goals for Jiul.
In 1976, Stocker joined Minerul Lupeni, ending his career one year later.
After he retired from his playing career, Stocker became a referee, officiating in Divizia C and serving as a linesman in Divizia B and Divizia A.
In 1986, Stocker emigrated to Sweden where he settled in the city of Malmö with his family.
Stocker died on 21 December 2025 at the age of 83.
Jiul PetroÃÂani