Mihai Iosif

Mihai "Miță" Iosif (born 22 October 1974) is a Romanian professional football manager and former player.

As a footballer, Iosif played for Rapid București, Dinamo București, Chindia Târgoviște and FC Drobeta-Turnu Severin.

Playing career Mihai Iosif started his football career at Rapid București, in 1982, club that in years to come will remain in his soul and where he will return as manager as well. Iosif made his debut in the second tier in 1989, at only 15 years old, in a defeat (0–2) against Tractorul Brașov. In the top-flight (Divizia A), Iosif made his debut for the same club, in 1992, in a match against FC Universitatea Craiova. Between his debut in the second tier and the debut in the top tier (1989–1992), he played mostly for Rapid U19 team and also for Romanian youth national teams. Iosif remarked years later that both of the players (Hîldan and Dinu) died tragically, when they were still young.

Between 1996 and 1998 he was part of the golden generation of Chindia, team that was nicknamed at the time as "the Little Ajax". Iosif played in the Divizia B and Divizia A for the team situated under Chindia Tower, then moved to FC Drobeta-Turnu Severin.

In 1999, Iosif decided to retire from football after he suffered from almost permanently vertigo, affection that will torment him for no less than two years. He was sacked on 2 March 2022 following a 3:2 away defeat to U Craiova 1948, which left Rapid sitting 9th with 2 wins in 15 games.

Doping scandal In 2009, Iosif gave an interview for Gazeta Sporturilor in which he gave his thoughts on his stay at Chindia Târgoviște, a period he claims that ended his career and put his life in danger. Iosif hinted there was a link between doping used during the 1990s and the deaths of the two players, Cătălin Hîldan and Ștefan Vrăbioru. Hîldan also played for Chindia in that period, Iosif and Hîldan were at that time part of a player exchange between Dinamo and the team based in Târgoviște. His uncle, Ion Pop, was also a footballer who played at Rapid București.

Honours

Player Rapid București Divizia B: 1989–90 Cupa României runner-up: 1994–95 Cupa Ligii: 1994

Chindia Târgoviște Divizia B: 1995–96

Coach Individual Gazeta Sporturilor Romania Coach of the Month: August 2021