Gogu Tonca (2 May 1947 â 23 October 2010) was a Romanian footballer who played as a central defender and a manager.
Tonca was born on 2 May 1947 in Bucharest, Romania and initially practiced boxing before switching to football with Steaua BucureÃÂti's junior squads.
In 1966 he joined Jiul PetroÃÂani, making his Divizia A debut on 12 November 1966 under coach ÃÂtefan Coidum in a 1âÂÂ0 loss to Dinamo BucureÃÂti. After playing in his first seasons at Jiul as a right or left defender, Tonca started to play alongside Andrei Stocker 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. Tonca, in particular, was known for his distinctive method of engaging opponents before home games. He would approach them, cautioning against overly ambitious play to avoid severe tackles, explaining his imperative to win for his four children and the victory money essential for their provision. 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. Tonca 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 and scored one goal 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 the pile of seed husks. Tonca along with teammates Stocker and Petre Libardi jumped in to help the firefighters extinguish the fire.
In 1976, Tonca joined Corvinul Hunedoara, where on 30 June 1977 he made his Divizia A appearance in a 1âÂÂ0 win over Politehnica IaÃÂi, totaling 207 matches with six goals in the competition. Afterwards he moved to Minerul Lupeni in Divizia B where he ended his playing career.
After he retired from his playing career, Tonca started working as an assistant for his former teammate, Petre Libardi at Jiul PetroÃÂani. Shortly afterwards he became head coach of the team and he also coached Minerul Lupeni.
His nephew, Andrei Tonca, was also a footballer who played as a goalkeeper for Jiul PetroÃÂani, among other teams.
Tonca died on 23 October 2010 at age 63.
Jiul PetroÃÂani