Constantin Cârstea

Constantin Cârstea (22 February 1949 – 16 November 2009) was a Romanian footballer who played as a defender. He was also a football coach. As a player he spent his entire professional career with Argeș Pitești. In the following two seasons he was in the team's squad but did not play a single league game, this being a period in which the club won the 1971–72 title. He made his debut in European competitions in the 1978–79 UEFA Cup when he helped Argeș eliminate Panathinaikos in the first round with a 5–1 aggregate victory. In the following one they were defeated with 6–4 on aggregate by Valencia, but Cârstea did not play in either game. In the same season he helped the club win the title, being used by coach Florin Halagian in 31 games. He scored his only goal in European competitions in a 4–0 win over APOEL Nicosia in the 1981–82 UEFA Cup edition. Cârstea's last Divizia A appearance took place on 13 November 1982 in a 3–0 home victory over SC Bacău in which he scored once, totaling 244 matches with eight goals in the competition and 11 games with one goal in European competitions.

Managerial career Cârstea began coaching in 1983 when he was the assistant of former teammate and good friend Nicolae Dobrin at Argeș Pitești. He also guided Gloria in the first round of the 1994–95 Cup Winners' Cup, where they won the first leg 2–1 against Real Zaragoza but lost the second 4–0; Zaragoza ultimately went on to win the competition.

Cârstea has a total of 428 matches as a manager in the Romanian top-division, Divizia A, consisting of 170 victories, 69 draws and 189 losses.

Death Cârstea died on 16 November 2009 at age 60 in the Smeura village, part of his native commune, Moșoaia.

Honours Player Argeș Pitești Divizia A: 1978–79

Manager Gloria Bistrița Cupa României: 1993–94