Dan Petrescu wins Romanian top league as Manager

[Kekso]

AFC Unirea Urziceni won the Romanian title for the first time in their history on Wednesday, a 1-1 draw against FC Steaua BucureÅŸti on the final day of the season earning Dan Petrescu's side a UEFA Champions League group stage place.

Following CFR 1907 Cluj's success last season, the title has been won by a side from outside Bucharest for the second year in a row with Urziceni – population: 17,000 – the second smallest city to have a top-flight team in Romania.

The first floor of Unirea's HQ is where Petrescu's "office" is located. He smiles whenever someone calls it an office - about the size of a hotel room, it contains a desk, a bed, some furniture and a TV set. And many, many DVDs. On them lay written the names of his team's competitors, all of whom finished below Unirea in the league.

ProSport: Mr Petrescu, how was the night after winning your first trophy as manager?

Dan Petrescu: I slept with the trophy by my bed. In the morning I took it back for everyone else to have. We all share this success. It's a special trophy because it came rather unexpectedly.

PS: What's next?

DP: A short vacation and then we must create a strategy for next season.

PS: The UCL? You're familiar with English teams.

DP: Actually, I was talking to someone about this earlier. I've said it before: if we are to play against an English team, I want it to be Chelsea. Definitely Chelsea.

PS: Old memories..

DP: If I were to leave Unirea, I would only do it for Chelsea.

PS: Are those DVDs of them?

DP: No, they're videos of our league opponents. I watch the tapes here and even take naps, even though Bucharest is only 45 minutes away. I rarely use the blackboard to lay out tactical instructions - I prefer explaining it to my players straight on the pitch.

"Winning a trophy brings the greatest feeling of accomplishment. Even better than what I felt after scoring at the 1994 World Cup! It's great. When you play for the national team, you're supposed to win games. When you play for Steaua, you're supposed to win the league. When you play for Chelsea, you're supposed to win trophies. When you play for Unirea.. You're supposed to avoid relegation."

"Honestly, it's nothing short of a miracle. We kept saying winning the league wasn't our objective, but it really wasn't! It wasn't all a mind game. We didn't really think we could do it." - Dan Petrescu

Edited June 12, 2009 by Kekso

[Tim]

What a top, top bloke. Massive congrats Super Dan!

[blizeH]

Congrats super dan!!! Great news this

[dkw]

one of my favourite players ever at chelsea. i`d love to see him back at the bridge in any capacity. the original "super, super dan"

[geezer]

I mentioned a while back I'd like to have seen Dan given a chance to manage us but knew it wouldn't happen under our current structure. I still think he'd do an amazing job for us. Congratulation Dan, yoiu've lived up to my expectations that you would be successful as a manager.

[TheWestwayWonder]

Well done Super Dan!

thats a great looking trophy too

[PloKoon13]

Congratulations Super Dan!

That's an incredible achievement!

[The Moos]

Is it just me or does Petrescu never seem to age? He is one of those b*stards who always look the same no matter how old they get. ;)

Still, top bloke and I'm happy he won! :D

[dkw]

I mentioned a while back I'd like to have seen Dan given a chance to manage us but knew it wouldn't happen under our current structure. I still think he'd do an amazing job for us. Congratulation Dan, yoiu've lived up to my expectations that you would be successful as a manager.

to be honest geezer, as much as i love duper dan i think its far too early for him to manage chelsea. he is getting a great grounding though, and having a season or two in europe must help. super dan as a successful manager would be second only to franco as a successful manager for me.

[geezer]

to be honest geezer, as much as i love duper dan i think its far too early for him to manage chelsea. he is getting a great grounding though, and having a season or two in europe must help. super dan as a successful manager would be second only to franco as a successful manager for me.

Totally disagree. Dan is already much more experienced in managing teams than Franco is and has proved himself pretty damned good at each club he's been at given they were all lesser clubs with limited funds etc. He's more than proven himself in my eyes and won a championship to boot with a team that is probably the equivalent in Rumania of Fulham given they've never won the league either. Add to that the comparison of one Pepe Guardiola - what experience did he have and he's just won a treble with a squad of egomaniacs (Henry, Eto'o etc). What do Guardiola and Dan have in common? They both have the respect of their players because they've been there, done it and starred in the video.

[dkw]

Totally disagree. Dan is already much more experienced in managing teams than Franco is and has proved himself pretty damned good at each club he's been at given they were all lesser clubs with limited funds etc. He's more than proven himself in my eyes and won a championship to boot with a team that is probably the equivalent in Rumania of Fulham given they've never won the league either. Add to that the comparison of one Pepe Guardiola - what experience did he have and he's just won a treble with a squad of egomaniacs (Henry, Eto'o etc). What do Guardiola and Dan have in common? They both have the respect of their players because they've been there, done it and starred in the video.

maybe your right, but he hasnt managed in european competition yet and i think that would hold him back. given a season or so of euor action though and i would be very happy to see him at the bridge. maybe even the season after next as a coach and putting in place a succession plan for after ancelottis reign.

[geezer]

maybe your right, but he hasnt managed in european competition yet and i think that would hold him back. given a season or so of euor action though and i would be very happy to see him at the bridge. maybe even the season after next as a coach and putting in place a succession plan for after ancelottis reign.

Nice plan, sadly I don't think it will happen. Would love him at the Bridge though

[dkw]

Nice plan, sadly I don't think it will happen. Would love him at the Bridge though

me neither, but it would make a lot of sense. i cant understand why very few clubs have a succession plan in place. surely it would be a good plane to have the next man in during the previous ones reign to carry on the clubs plans. or does that make far too much sense...

[Kekso]

maybe your right, but he hasnt managed in european competition yet and i think that would hold him back.

His Unirea finished 5th last year and played in the UEFA Cup. They met Hamburg (1st place in the Bundesliga at the time) and got a 0-0 in Germany after a great tactical display, but were defeated 0-2 back in Romania. He's also been in the UEFA Cup while coaching Wisla Krakow.

Unirea will be playing in the Champions League group stage this autumn, meaning he will add at least 6 UCL games to his portfolio. He's not ready for Chelsea yet, but he's stated time and time again that he dreams of training Steaua and Chelsea, the teams closest to his heart. Maybe he will, some day. Steaua is significantly more potent than Unirea when it comes to money, so he should get better results in the European cups if he ever reaches the helm there. He definitely needs another step or two between Unirea and top-level European football.

What I like about him most are his tactical discipline, his eye for rough diamonds and the feeling of comradeship he instills wherever he goes. He's tough and has high demands, yet the players see him as a friend. Unirea are basically a band of players gathered from mid-table Romanian teams - he's molded them into a tight squad.

If I may, I would compare him to Jose while at Leiria. So, who knows, in 10 years he could be managing some of the players who are currently in Chelsea's youth squad. The only difference is that Petrescu is hectic on the bench. Or maybe 'passionate' is a better word. I went to CFR Cluj - Unirea (1-0) and it was a nice game, but he was tossing his jacket and water bottles around every ten minutes.

He's more than proven himself in my eyes and won a championship to boot with a team that is probably the equivalent in Rumania of Fulham given they've never won the league either.

Even worse - more like Hull. Unirea only advanced to our second division in 2003 and to our first division in 2006 (that's when he took over). And now they've won it.

Edited June 12, 2009 by Kekso

[geezer]

Even worse - more like Hull. Unirea only advanced to our second division in 2003 and to our first division in 2006 (that's when he took over). And now they've won it.

Bloody hell, he doesn't do his half time team talks on the pitch does he?

[mad_mac]

Good stuff, super Dan also saying that if he were to ever leave Romania it would only be to come to Chelsea!!! I think it'd be great to see him here!

[g3.7]

great to see an ex chelsea legend doing so well- congrats super dan!

would love to see him back one day in some capacity (despite the fact he didn't get on with jt... but that was a long time ago)

[Kekso]

From uefa.com:

Some ancient history and some recent memories will ensure a lively contest in Champions League Group G where Sevilla FC will face Scottish champions Rangers FC, VfB Stuttgart and Romanian debutants FC Unirea Urziceni.

Dan Petrescu, Unirea coach:

"Sevilla, Rangers and Stuttgart are big, highly respected clubs, but not as big as a few others in the draw. On that basis our chances, although small, are better than they would have been if we had been drawn with one of the giants. Sevilla are the big favourites but who knows? We might yet have the chance to face the huge clubs I wanted for the group stage."

Keep an eye on them. By the way, does Unirea's new logo (reportedly designed by Petrescu himself) look familiar?

[Tim]

i did not make that link to Super Dan when I saw the club in the CL draw, great news! Rangers and Unirea to advance then please.

[Kekso]

Dan Petrescu's Champions League results with Unirea so far:

16/09 Sevilla FC 2 - 0 Unirea Urziceni

29/09 Unirea Urziceni 1 - 1 VfB Stuttgart

29/09 Rangers FC 1 - 4 Unirea Urziceni

Second place in the group.

[Guest bigjockknew]

Dan Petrescu's Champions League results with Unirea so far:

16/09 Sevilla FC 2 - 0 Unirea Urziceni

29/09 Unirea Urziceni 1 - 1 VfB Stuttgart

29/09 Rangers FC 1 - 4 Unirea Urziceni

Second place in the group.

1-4 flattered Rangers who were as awful as Unirea were impressive, well done to Dan. They had two own golas but the pressure would have resulted in them anyway and Rangers goal was also an own goal

The Arse have just lost a goal too - yee ha

[Scott]

Well done Super Dan!

Gers were indeed dire tonight.

[SydneyChelsea]

LOL @ Rangers.

Well done, Super Dan!