Ion Barbu

Beşiktaş In 1970, Barbu was allowed by the communist regime to transfer to a foreign country, and went to Turkey to join Beşiktaş. He worked with Romanian coach Ted Dumitru, making 20 appearances in the 1970–71 Turkish League, as the team finished in sixth place.

Return to Argeș Pitești Following his time in Turkey, Barbu desired a return to Argeș, joining the team at a training camp, only to be informed by coach Titus Ozon that his services were no longer required. Afterwards he played three games in the 1972–73 European Cup, defeating Aris Bonnevoie in the first round but in the next one they were eliminated by Real Madrid. On 2 December 1973, Barbu made his last Divizia A appearance in a 5–2 away loss to Politehnica Timișoara, totaling 224 matches with three goals in the competition and 14 games in European competitions (including 11 in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup). His following two games were two losses to Italy in the Euro 1968 qualifiers.

Managerial career After he ended his playing career, Barbu coached Muscelul Câmpulung and Metalurgistul Cugir in the Romanian lower leagues. At Muscelul with the help of his former Argeș teammates, Constantin Radu, Vasile Stan, Radu Jercan and Marian Popescu, he got the team promoted from the third league to the second.

He was Argeș Pitești's president from 1978 until 1982, a period in which the club won the 1978–79 Divizia A title.

Personal life In 2004, Barbu received the Honorary Citizen of Pitești title.

He died in a Pitești hospital on 2 May 2011 at age 72.

Honours Player Argeș Pitești Divizia A: 1971–72 Divizia B: 1960–61, 1962–63 Cupa României runner-up: 1964–65 Individual Romanian Footballer of the Year (fifth place): 1968

Manager Muscelul Câmpulung Divizia C: 1976–77