Traian Ionescu

Traian Ionescu (17 July 1923 – 4 October 2006) was a Romanian football goalkeeper and coach.

Club career Ionescu was born on 17 July 1923 in Văleni, Argeș County, Romania and began playing junior-level football at age 13 at TC Târgoviște where he stayed until 1939. In the following years he went to play for Sporting Club Pitești, Vulturii Textila Lugoj and Sportul Muncitoresc Găvana. In 1949, Ionescu was transferred by CCA București where he helped the team win its first title in the 1951 season, being used by coach Gheorghe Popescu in five games. He also contributed to three Cupa României victories, but played in only one final in 1949 when coach Francisc Ronnay used him the entire match in the 2–1 victory against CSU Cluj. Ionescu went to play for CA Câmpulung Moldovenesc where he made his last Divizia A appearance on 27 November 1952 in a 3–0 home victory against Flacăra Petroșani, totaling 98 games in the competition. His following two games were in the same tournament, a 2–1 win over Czechoslovakia and a 0–0 draw against Poland.

Ionescu went on to coach the senior squad of Dinamo București, where he demonstrated a remarkable ability to discover and promote young talent. Furthermore, he decided to transfer 16-year-old Florea Dumitrache after observing him for only ten minutes in a junior-level football game at TUG București. Other significant players he coached at Dinamo included Constantin Frățilă, Ilie Datcu, Gabriel Sandu, Florin Cheran, and Alexandru Sătmăreanu. During some of his years spent at Dinamo, Ionescu co-coached the team alongside Angelo Niculescu and Nicolae Dumitru. His first continental success was helping the club get past East German champions Motor Jena to reach the round of 16 in the 1963–64 European Cup campaign. One of his most important European achievements was the historical 2–1 win over Helenio Herrera's Inter Milan in the 1965–66 European Cup edition, the Italians being the winners of the previous two seasons of the competition. Ionescu said after the game:"Our boys have proven once again that when they give it their all, they can achieve extraordinary results." Ionescu also worked at Sportul Studențesc București, Olimpia Satu Mare, Jiul Petroșani—with which he reached the 1977–78 Balkans Cup final—SC Bacău, Petrolul Ploiești, Steaua București, Chimia Râmnicu Vâlcea, Olt Scornicești and CSM Reșița. He also had a second coaching experience outside Romania at Morocco's Olympic team from 1983 until 1984.

Death Ionescu died on 4 October 2006 at age 83 in București.

Honours Player CCA București Divizia A: 1951 Cupa României: 1948–49, 1950, 1951

Manager Dinamo București Divizia A: 1961–62, 1962–63, 1963–64, 1970–71 Cupa României: 1963–64 Fenerbahçe Turkish League: 1969–70 TSYD Cup: 1969–70 Jiul Petroșani Balkans Cup runner-up: 1977–78