Zoltán Beke () (30 July 1911 â 5 March 1994) was a Romanian football player and coach of Hungarian ethnicity who played as a striker. He was a member of Romania's team that competed in the 1934 World Cup, but he did not play in any match.
Beke was born on 30 July 1911 in Fehértemplom, Austria-Hungary (now Serbia). He grew up and started to play football in the Mehala neighborhood of TimiÃÂoara, Romania. In 1925 he began playing junior-level football at Chinezul TimiÃÂoara. Three years later he started his senior career at Chinezul.
In 1930, Beke joined Ripensia TimiÃÂoara where he made his Divizia A debut on 11 September 1932 in a 3âÂÂ2 away loss to CFR BucureÃÂti. He won the title in his first season, with coach Jenà  Konrád using him in four games in which he scored once. In the following season he helped the team reach the 1934 Cupa României final, playing in the first leg against Universitatea Cluj, which led to them winning the cup. In the 1934âÂÂ35 season he won another title, coaches Josef Uridil and Rudolf Wetzer giving him 14 appearances in which he scored three goals, also the team reached the Cupa României final where he played the entire match in the 6âÂÂ5 loss to CFR BucureÃÂti. Next season, Beke helped Ripensia win The Double, being given 12 appearances in which he netted five goals by coaches Wetzer and Konrád, and he played in the 5âÂÂ1 win over Unirea Tricolor BucureÃÂti in the Cupa României final. In the following Cupa României edition, the team reached another final, but he did not play in the 5âÂÂ1 loss to Rapid BucureÃÂti. In the 1937âÂÂ38 season, Ripensia won another title, but coach Sepp Pojar used him in only seven matches in which he netted one goal. Afterwards he played in Ripensia's 3âÂÂ0 win over AC Milan in the first leg of the first round of the 1938 Mitropa Cup, helping the team get past the Italians. He made his last Divizia A appearance in a 2âÂÂ2 draw against Gloria Arad, totaling 89 matches with 21 goals in the competition, all of them for Ripensia.
In 1942, Beke joined CFR Turnu Severin where he was a player-coach, helping the club win the 1942âÂÂ43 Cupa României, though he did not play in the final.
Afterwards he went to play for Kolozsvári VSC, making his Nemzeti Bajnokság I debut on 22 August 1943 under coach Zoltán Opata in a 3âÂÂ1 home win against Diósgyà Âr. He made a total of 13 league appearances, netting seven goals, including a double in his last game which was a 3âÂÂ0 victory against BSZKRT. Kolozsvári also reached the 1943âÂÂ44 Magyar Kupa final but he did not play in the defeat to Ferencváros.
Beke ended his career by playing in the 1946âÂÂ47 Divizia B season for CFR Turnu Severin.
Beke was selected by coaches Constantin RÃÂdulescu and Josef Uridil to be part of Romania's squad that went to the 1934 World Cup in Italy but remained on the bench in the 2âÂÂ1 defeat to eventual finalists, Czechoslovakia in the first round.
He played six matches for the national team, making his debut on 25 August 1934 under coach RÃÂdulescu in a friendly which ended with a 4âÂÂ2 away loss to Germany. He helped the team win the 1936 Balkan Cup, playing in two victories against Greece and Bulgaria. His last appearance for The Tricolours was in a friendly which took place on 10 June 1937 and ended with a 2âÂÂ1 home win over Belgium.
Beke's first coaching spell started in 1942 when he was a player-coach at CFR Turnu Severin, helping the club win the 1942âÂÂ43 Cupa României after a 4âÂÂ0 victory against Sportul StudenÃÂesc BucureÃÂti in the final. Afterwards he trained the youth teams of ÃÂtiinÃÂa TimiÃÂoara. For five years, between 1965 and 1970, he trained IRA TimiÃÂoara in the municipal championship.
Beke died on 5 March 1994 in TimiÃÂoara, Romania at age 82.
Ripensia TimiÃÂoara
CFR Turnu Severin
Kolozsvári VSC
Romania
CFR Turnu Severin