Nicolae Manea

Club career Manea was born on 11 March 1954 in Bucharest, Romania. He began playing junior-level football at the age of 12 at Rapid București. The club suffered relegation at the end of that season, but Manea stayed with the team, helping it gain promotion back to the first league after one year by scoring 11 goals. Subsequently, he played in both legs of the 1975–76 European Cup Winners' Cup, where Rapid were eliminated in the first round with 2–1 on aggregate by Anderlecht, who eventually won the competition. He suffered another relegation with Rapid at the end of the 1976–77 season. Afterwards, he returned to Rapid, helping the team gain Divizia A promotion at the end of the 1982–83 season by scoring 15 goals. Subsequently, he scored the club's first Divizia A goal in a 2–1 loss to Inter Sibiu.

Manea made one appearance for Romania on 2 July 1976 under coach Ștefan Kovács in a 2–2 friendly draw against Iran, played at Aryamehr Stadium in Tehran.

Managerial career Manea had his first coaching experience while still an active player, being the assistant coach of Remus Vlad from 1989 to 1991. He continued to work in the first division, signing with Ceahlăul Piatra Neamț in 1998. Afterwards, Manea had three tenures with Romania's under-21 national team, the first of which took place in 1999. Finally, Manea returned to lead the team from 2003 to 2005. Manea stayed with the club, helping it gain promotion back to the first league at the end of the 2011–12 season. In October 2012, during a match against Pandurii Târgu Jiu, Manea reacted to a disputed goal by grabbing a stretcher and throwing it toward the referee in a fit of rage. He was unable to help the team avoid another relegation at the end of the season. However, he remained in the first league, coaching Corona Brașov for a few games at the start of the 2013–14 season. Afterwards, Manea worked as Corona's president, a position he also held at Rapid from January 2014 until October 2014. He has a total of 104 matches as a manager in the Romanian top-division, Liga I, consisting of 22 victories, 32 draws and 50 losses.

Personal life and death His son, Florin, was a footballer who briefly played in Divizia A for Gloria Bistrița and later became a sports agent.

Manea was diagnosed with liver cancer at the beginning of 2014 and died on 15 December 2014 in Bucharest.

Honours Player Rapid București Divizia B: 1974–75, 1982–83 Cupa României: 1974–75 Gloria Bistrița Divizia B: 1989–90

Manager Rapid București Divizia A: 1998–99