Emilian Ioan Dolha (born 3 November 1979) is a Romanian former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper, currently goalkeeping coach at Liga II club Concordia Chiajna.
Dolha started his career with Gloria BistriÃÂa, before representing other teams in his native Romania, such as Olimpia Satu Mare, Rapid BucureÃÂti, Dinamo BucureÃÂti and Universitatea Cluj. He spent two years in Poland, playing for Wisà Âa Kraków and Lech Poznaà Â, and had a one-year spell in Russia with Fakel Voronezh. He was known as a goalkeeper good at saving penalties.
Dolha was born on 3 November 1979 in Turda, Romania and began playing junior-level football at Gloria BistriÃÂa. He made his Divizia A debut on 14 September 1997 under coach Constantin Cârstea in Gloria's 2âÂÂ0 away loss to ArgeàPiteÃÂti. He went to Divizia B side, Olimpia Satu Mare, for the 1999âÂÂ2000 season. Afterwards, Dolha returned to first league football, signing with Rapid BucureÃÂti. His first trophy won with The Railwaymen was the 2001âÂÂ02 Cupa României, but coach Mircea Rednic preferred to use Bogdan Stelea in the 2âÂÂ1 victory against Dinamo BucureÃÂti in the final. In the following season, Rednic selected him as first-choice goalkeeper, the team starting the season by winning the 2002 Supercupa României with a 2âÂÂ1 win over Dinamo. They finished the season champions with Dolha appearing in 22 matches. Under Rednic's guidance, he then kept a clean sheet in another victory over Dinamo in the 2003 Supercupa României. In his last season spent at the club, the team managed to win another Cupa României, but coach RÃÂzvan Lucescu used DÃÂnuàComan in the 1âÂÂ0 win over NaÃÂional BucureÃÂti in the final.
In June 2006, Dolha went to play for Polish side Wisà Âa Kraków where fellow Romanian, Dan Petrescu was coaching and was teammates with two other compatriots Hristu Chiacu and Norbert Varga. However, he made his Ekstraklasa debut under coach Dragan Okuka on 22 September in which he kept a clean sheet in the 2âÂÂ0 win over Widzew à Âódà º. After keeping another clean sheet in a 2âÂÂ0 win over Iraklis in the first round of the 2006âÂÂ07 UEFA Cup, which went to extra time, he played another four games in the group stage. For the way he played for Wisla in his single season, Dolha was selected as the goalkeeper of the season. In the following season he played for Lech Poznaà Â.
In June 2008, Dolha signed with Dinamo BucureÃÂti where he had to compete with goalkeepers such as Bogdan LobonÃÂ. The highlights of his three-season spell spent with The Red Dogs were six appearances in the 2009âÂÂ10 Europa League group stage, including a clean sheet in the 1âÂÂ0 win in the first leg against Sturm Graz and he saved a penalty in the 2âÂÂ1 victory in the second leg. Another notable moment was his performance in a 1âÂÂ0 away win in a derby against Steaua BucureÃÂti, after which one of the club's officials gave him an Audemars Piguet watch which costs â¬20,000 as a gift.
Dolha went to play for Fakel Voronezh in the 2011âÂÂ12 Russian second league. In a match against FC Rostov in the quarter-finals of the Russian Cup he saved three penalties in the penalty shoot-out, but his performance was not enough for his side to qualify further. At the end of his single season spent in Russia, Fakel was relegated to the third division. Afterwards, he returned to his first club, Gloria BistriÃÂa where he was wanted by coach Nicolae Manea but even though he played regularly in the 2012âÂÂ13 season, he could not avoid the team's relegation to the second division. However, Dolha continued to play in the first league, as he signed with Universitatea Cluj. In his second season, coach Adrian Falub gave him the last of his total 154 appearances in the competition on 23 May 2015 in a 2âÂÂ1 away loss to OÃÂelul GalaÃÂi after which "U" mathematically was relegated to the second division. Throughout his career, Dolha also played a total of 22 matches in European competitions.
Dolha played two friendly games for Romania, making his debut on 8 December 2000 under coach László Bölöni in a 3âÂÂ2 victory against Algeria. His second game was a 3âÂÂ0 win over Georgia.
Rapid BucureÃÂti
Dinamo BucureÃÂti
Universitatea Cluj