Posted September 29, 200915 yr http://football.uk.reuters.com/champleague/news/LR99002.php BUCHAREST, Sept 28 (Reuters) - Unirea Urziceni, the team from rural Romania whose stadium holds just 7,000 fans, have coach "Mister" Dan Petrescu to thank for leading them to their first Champions League. Former Chelsea defender Petrescu, whose nickname refers to his seriousness and British-style coaching discipline, said he had taken his lead from one of the best clubs in Europe to transform Unirea into Romanian champions. "When I arrived at the club in 2006 I wasn't happy with the way things looked and I decided to change many players," the 41-year-old Petrescu told uefa.com. "We've sold 24 guys and bought 22 ... The example we have followed is Manchester United where the manager has the final say on all buying and selling, rather than the board. His side, who lost 2-0 to Sevilla in their Group G debut, host VfB Stuttgart on Tuesday -- at Steaua Bucharest's ground rather than their own small stadium, prompting some inventive selling to try to boost attendance in the country's capital. The cheapest tickets cost 20 lei ($6.97) and the club has distributed free tickets to sport schools and is even telling spectators to come along just to watch Stuttgart's bigger names including Romania striker Ciprian Marica. "Come to the stadium," Unirea general manager Mihai Stoica encouraged fans on GSP TV. "Tickets are cheap and if they don't want to see us at least come for Marica and Co." The Romanian championship has been dominated for years by wealthier Bucharest clubs and commentators have attributed Unirea's maiden title last season to one man alone -- Petrescu. "(He is) the complete coach," Spanish sports daily El Correo de Andalucia wrote recently. "Petrescu is the one guilty for Unirea's spectacular rise. He decides everything." Unirea hail from Urziceni, a small town with a population of 17,000 in Romania's southern grain belt, a region suffering with high unemployment and lacking foreign investment. The club's transfer spending has amounted to around $1 million this season according to soccer portal transfermarkt.co.uk but Unirea will not be intimidated by the richer and bigger clubs in Europe's premier club competition. "Some Romanian players actually ... they are only waiting for the final whistle to swap shirts with the big stars. Not my team. We'll go everywhere to win," said Petrescu, who was in the Chelsea side who beat Stuttgart to win the 1998 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup although he was sent off late in the match. The Romanian team head into Tuesday's match on the back of a confidence-boosting 4-1 victory over Astra Ploiesti in the league and Petrescu has some new tricks up his sleeve. "I'm considering a new playing system to surprise them with something. We have to do more than we did in Sevilla," Petrescu was quoted as saying by daily Cotidianul. "A draw would be good for us. A victory would be sensational.
September 29, 200915 yr We're doing alright for potential future managers - Zola & Clarke, Di Matteo and Super Dan have all really showed promise.
September 29, 200915 yr Di Matteo would be my top choice to return one day, top bloke he is and not a bad manager!
September 29, 200915 yr sorry dan but stuggart have to go in my accumulator tonight if they are a reasonable price that is
September 29, 200915 yr "We've sold 24 guys and bought 22" :blink: I hope he mean over several seasons :P
September 29, 200915 yr We're doing alright for potential future managers - Zola & Clarke, Di Matteo and Super Dan have all really showed promise. Don't forget JT and Lamps!
September 29, 200915 yr I remember Dan saying that if he were to leave Romania to come to England to coach, it would only be if he were offered the Chelsea position. I think it'd be amazing. Him as Coach, and Robbie D as his assistant in the future
September 29, 200915 yr The desire to see a former great player at the helm is always tempting but sadly the reality is they will, much more often than not, fail. The football world, over the years, is full of great managers who were average players but great players who made great managers are as thin on the ground as Posh Spice doing an impression of a snake. The idea of a Di Matteo, Zola or Petrescu being appointed Chelsea manager does concern me as it is more than likely that it wouldn't pan out as we would all hope it would and then we would be in a position where we would want rid of a legend.
September 30, 200915 yr It is a slippery slpe Loz, but I don't forsee it happening anyime soon. As spoiled as we've become it will be a very High Profile manager that we'll be looking for everytime from here on out. I think one of our past managers will have to prove themselves for quite sometime before we'd even consider them. Right now, over at the caravan park, I don't think Zola is doing himself many favours if people are expecting him to be appointed anytime soon. however, should he take the West ham job and get his feet wet, then fire on over to another position, and then another, and in those positions prove himself to be a succesfull manager (and this goes for Dan and Robbie too) then I think we'd MAYBE consider them It already kills me that Zola and Clarke are over at Wet Spam, but if they came here and then some of the JCL's started booing them, I honestly think I'd cry Scott
September 30, 200915 yr damn you petrescu!! you ruined my bet well uricenzi were one of the many who did Edited September 30, 200915 yr by sexelk
November 4, 200915 yr Author Dan Petrescu: I want to return to Chelsea some day http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/ho...elsea-boss.html DAN PETRESCU wants to humble Rangers tonight and boost his dream of bossing CHELSEA. The Unirea Urziceni gaffer's reputation is soaring after he inspired the Romanians to a 4-1 Ibrox mauling of Gers a fortnight ago. And the ex-Stamford Bridge star told SunSport: "My dream would always to be to go to Chelsea one day, even as an assistant. ''My heart is at Chelsea, 100 per cent. It is the team I love. After Steaua Bucharest, my first team, Stamford Bridge is my second home and I always follow Chelsea's results. "My daughter was born when I played there and we called her Chelsea. She is 11 now. "Living in London was the happiest time of my life. Our family loved it and professionally, it was the best." Petrescu - already on the radar of two Serie A clubs - was on the shortlist for the Blues vacancy last summer before the job went to Carlo Ancelotti. The ex-Romanian international right-back added: "My friends Roberto di Matteo and Gianfranco Zola are now managers at West Brom and West Ham. Those are big clubs. "If someone in England gave me a chance, I am sure that they would not be disappointed."
November 4, 200915 yr I'm sure he would be welcomed with open arms. I'd like for him to gain more experience though in bigger leagues, being under pressure to perform.
November 4, 200915 yr ''My heart is at Chelsea, 100 per cent. It is the team I love." You f**king legend.
November 4, 200915 yr magnificent news, after the usual suspects (franco, ossie, wisey) super dan is may favourite ex chelsea player. i loved watching him bomb from right back and cause havoc, massively underrated footballer. also a genuinly nice bloke, i met him in london with my dad years ago and he spent half an hour or so with us talking about football and chelsea, and you could see he genuinly loved it at the bridge.
November 4, 200915 yr As much as I like Butch, surely a cheeky swap of Super Dan for him as Carlo's assistant wouldn't be too shabby? Would love to see him at the Bridge in the future and along with Robbie D both of them are doing a good job at building their CVs towards that possibility.
November 4, 200915 yr I've made no secret of my wish for Dan to get a chance with us. I'm not sure it'll ever happen but I really think he would do an excellent job for us. No way he's anyone's assistant, he would have to be the main man and given Carlo is likely to be here for a while Dan may have to wait a while to see if he can get his dream job.
November 26, 200915 yr Think I've posted this before (at least partly), but here's a summary of his UCL results this season: 16/09 Sevilla FC 2 - 0 Unirea Urziceni 29/09 Unirea Urziceni 1 - 1 VfB Stuttgart 20/10 Rangers FC 1 - 4 Unirea Urziceni 04/11 Unirea Urziceni 1 - 1 Rangers FC 24/11 Unirea Urziceni 1 - 0 Sevilla FC 09/12 VfB Stuttgart 20:45 Unirea Urziceni 8 points so far, only needs a draw against 3rd placed Stuttgart to advance to the UCL round of sixteen! Fingers crossed
November 26, 200915 yr I thought the club might have brought in Robbie D to be Carlo's assistant in the summer (wrong again, they stuck with the in-house team which was refreshing to see). However, it's good to see old boys like Dan and Robbie doing so well in the management game.
December 18, 200915 yr Europa League draw Liverpool have drawn Romanians Unirea Urziceni, Everton tackle Sporting Lisbon and Fulham will face Shakhtar Donetsk in the last 32 of the Europa League Liverpool dropped into the Europa League after being eliminated from the Champions League in the group stage. Rafa Benitez's men will take on Dan Petrescu's Unirea Urziceni, who were also knocked out of the Champions League in the group stage http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11959_5780237,00.html super super dan super dan petrescu!!
December 18, 200915 yr So after losing to Stuttgart away, Petrescu's Unirea Urziceni will take on Liverpool in the Europa League. First leg to be played in England on Feb 18. That's two reasons to support Petrescu :lol:
December 18, 200915 yr I would be so....soooo....soooooooooo happy if Liverpool lost. It would be like a Chelsea win.
December 18, 200915 yr I would be so....soooo....soooooooooo happy if Liverpool lost. It would be like a Chelsea win. I'm already mumbling my prayers...
December 18, 200915 yr Book 'em Danno - Murder 1 (or 96 in their case) Edited December 18, 200915 yr by geezer
December 18, 200915 yr Dan Petrescu nicknamed the team Chelsea of Ialomiţa ;) come on you blues :Whistle:
