Valentin Stănescu

Famous speech

Stănescu admitted that he was most attached to Rapid București among all the clubs he worked for, delivering the following speech in front of the players during his tenure in the 1980s, which remained popular at the club over the years: "Hey guys, are you listening? Let me tell you how things are. Rapid is not yours, it is not mine or the ministry's. Rapid belongs to over 100,000 railway workers from all over the country. It belongs to them, to their wives and children, to those who came before us—hundreds of thousands more who are no longer here—and to those who will come after us. They are people who have worked and who are working so that you can kick a ball, study a book, and become someone in life. Do not disgrace Rapid! Whoever doesn't love the team has no choice—he will have to love it like his mother and father. Here are your mother and father, your home and table, your sister and brother, your lover, and everything—everything you hold sacred in the world! From now on I am your grandfather, but don't think that just because I'm 60 years old I have a softer hand. Whoever wants can leave now, because those who stay will only leave the ship feet first!".

Death Stănescu died on 4 April 1994 at the age of 71.

Legacy

The Giulești-Valentin Stănescu Stadium was a football stadium in the Giulești neighborhood of Bucharest. The venue, named after him, was the home stadium of Rapid București for almost 80 years.

Honours Player Sportul Studențesc București Cupa României runner-up: 1942–43 CFR București Divizia B: 1952

Manager Metalul Târgoviște Divizia B: 1960–61 Divizia C: 1958–59 Rapid București Divizia A: 1966–67 Cupa României runner-up: 1967–68 Balkans Cup: 1963–64, 1964–66 Divizia B: 1982–83 Steagul Roșu Brașov Divizia B: 1968–69 Petrolul Ploiești Divizia B: 1976–77 Universitatea Craiova Divizia A: 1979–80 Dinamo București Divizia A: 1981–82 Cupa României: 1981–82