Traian Ionescu (17 July 1923 â 4 October 2006) was a Romanian football goalkeeper and coach.
Ionescu was born on 17 July 1923 in VÃÂleni, ArgeàCounty, Romania and began playing junior-level football at age 13 at TC TârgoviÃÂte where he stayed until 1939. In the following years he went to play for Sporting Club PiteÃÂti, Vulturii Textila Lugoj and Sportul Muncitoresc GÃÂvana. He arrived at Juventus BucureÃÂti where coach Emerich Vogl gave him his Divizia A debut on 6 April 1947 in a 4âÂÂ1 victory against Libertatea Oradea. In 1949, Ionescu was transferred by CCA BucureÃÂti where he helped the team win its first title in the 1951 season, being used by coach Gheorghe Popescu in five games. He also contributed to three Cupa României victories, but played in only one final in 1949 when coach Francisc Ronnay used him the entire match in the 2âÂÂ1 victory against CSU Cluj. Ionescu went to play for CA Câmpulung Moldovenesc where he made his last Divizia A appearance on 27 November 1952 in a 3âÂÂ0 home victory against FlacÃÂra PetroÃÂani, totaling 98 games in the competition.
Ionescu played five games for Romania, making his debut on 20 June 1948 under coach Iuliu Baratky in a 3âÂÂ2 home victory against Bulgaria in the 1948 Balkan Cup. His following two games were in the same tournament, a 2âÂÂ1 win over Czechoslovakia and a 0âÂÂ0 draw against Poland. Ionescu's last appearance for the national team took place on 22 May 1949 in a 3âÂÂ2 friendly loss to Czechoslovakia.
Ionescu started his coaching career at Divizia C team, Casa Armatei Craiovei, which shortly after his appointment had dissolved. Subsequently, he worked as a youth coach at FlacÃÂra PloieÃÂti, where he discovered talents such as Mircea Dridea, Vasile Sfetcu and Constantin Tabarcea, reaching the 1957 national junior championship final which was lost to Universitatea Cluj.
Ionescu went on to coach the senior squad of Dinamo BucureÃÂti, where he demonstrated a remarkable ability to discover and promote young talent. Among the notable players he developed was Ion PârcÃÂlab, who, after being transferred from UTA Arad, evolved into one of Europe's premier forwards. He also recognized Mircea Lucescu playing football on a gravel field and noticed Cornel Dinu during a Metalul TârgoviÃÂte match against Dinamo in the quarter-finals of the 1964âÂÂ65 Cupa României. Furthermore, he decided to transfer 16-year-old Florea Dumitrache after observing him for only ten minutes in a junior-level football game at TUG BucureÃÂti. Other significant players he coached at Dinamo included Constantin FrÃÂÃÂilÃÂ, Ilie Datcu, Gabriel Sandu, Florin Cheran, and Alexandru SÃÂtmÃÂreanu. These individuals, along with others he coached such as Ion Nunweiller, LicàNunweiller, and Gheorghe Ene, became important members of Romania's national team throughout the 1960s and 1970s. In his spells with The Red Dogs, Ionescu helped the team win four Divizia A titles and one Cupa României after a 5âÂÂ3 victory in the final against rivals Steaua BucureÃÂti.
He had his first coaching experience outside Romania in Turkey at Fenerbahçe with whom he won the 1969âÂÂ70 Turkish League and a TSYD Cup together with his former Dinamo players, Ion Nunweiller and Ilie Datcu. Ionescu also worked at Sportul StudenÃÂesc BucureÃÂti, Olimpia Satu Mare, Jiul PetroÃÂani with which he reached the 1977âÂÂ78 Balkans Cup final, SC BacÃÂu, Petrolul PloieÃÂti, Steaua BucureÃÂti, Chimia Râmnicu Vâlcea, Olt ScorniceÃÂti, CSM ReÃÂiÃÂa. He also had a second coaching experience outside Romania at Morocco's Olympic team from 1983 until 1984. Ionescu had a total of 287 matches as manager in Divizia A, consisting of 128 victories, 70 draws and 89 losses.
Ionescu died on 4 October 2006 at age 83 in BucureÃÂti.
CCA BucureÃÂti
Dinamo BucureÃÂti
Fenerbahçe
Jiul PetroÃÂani