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Gabriel Zahiu

Gabriel Zahiu (17 November 1956 – 20 November 2023) was a Romanian footballer who played as a midfielder.

Career

Zahiu was born on 17 November 1956 in Buzău, Romania and began playing football in 1973 at local club Gloria in Divizia B. In 1975 he joined Steaua București, making his Divizia A debut on 17 August 1975 under coach Emerich Jenei in a 2–1 away loss to FCM Reșița. By the first season, he helped the club win The Double, being used by Jenei in nine league games, but did not play in the 2–1 win over CSU Galați in the Cupa României final. In the following season he reached another Cupa României final, Jenei sending him in the 72nd minute to replace Radu Troi in the 2–1 loss to Universitatea Craiova. In the 1977–78 season, Zahiu had a prolific period as he scored 12 goals in the 22 league games that Jenei used him, being the team's second top-scorer, having seven fewer then Anghel Iordănescu, helping the club win another title. In the next two seasons, he reached two more Cupa României finals. In the first of these, he did not appear in the 3–0 win over Sportul Studențesc București. In the 1980 final, coach Gheorghe Constantin sent him in the 65th minute to replace Marcel Răducanu, but they lost 2–1 to Politehnica Timișoara. In his six-season spell with The Military Men he also played seven matches in European competitions, scoring one goal in a 6–0 win over Young Boys in the 1979–80 European Cup Winners' Cup. In 1981 he returned to Gloria Buzău in Divizia B, where in the 1983–84 season he scored a personal record of 15 goals which helped the team gain promotion to the first league. On 2 November 1986 he made his last Divizia A appearance in a 2–1 home win against Corvinul Hunedoara, totaling 135 games with 32 goals in the competition. In 1987 at age 31, Zahiu left communist Romania legally to settle in Sweden, and played for a short while for Örebro, before ending his career.

Death

Zahiu died on 20 November 2023 in Helsingborg, Sweden, three days after he turned 67.

Honours

Steaua București

Gloria Buzău

References

External links