Zoltán Ivansuc

Zoltán Ivansuc was born on 12 August 1938 in Reșița, Romania, playing junior level football at Electromotor Timișoara from 1952 until 1955, afterwards he started his senior career as he returned to his hometown in order to play for CSM Reșița in Divizia B for a while.[2][3][4] Then he moved to Universitatea Cluj as he was attracted by the student's bohemian mirage, choosing to transfer from Reșița to Cluj-Napoca. Zoli always met in the national teams with Viorel Mateianu, Emil Petru and Felician Mureșan, the three Cluj people who told him about the atmosphere of the university team. He was attracted by "U" like a magnet, he did not resist the temptation, like many others. This is how much Ivansuc wanted to come to Cluj, and there was also the desire to attend the Faculty of Medicine, remembers Remus Câmpeanu, his former teammate, the two lived together for six years in a three-room house, provided by the university club.[5] On 3 May 1959 he made his Divizia A debut under coach Virgil Mărdărescu in a 1–0 home victory against Știința Timișoara and in the following season he scored his first goal from about 30 meters in a 3–2 loss at Constanța in front of Farul.[2][3][6] For almost a decade, Cluj-Napoca has been enchanted by the talent of Ivansuc who was playing with the number 7 jersey, chroniclers of the day called him the last romantic of the pitch and his dribbling, slopes, free kicks and his speed of reaction have subjugated the supporters of Universitatea Cluj as hundreds of fans used to attend the team's training sessions just to track his movements, dribbling abilities and shots. Zoli became a symbol in Cluj, and the people were crowding at the training sessions only to see Ivansuc kicking or making an extra dribbling. On the street, he was recognized by all the people who used to greet him and at Conti he was the master of the saloon, the place where he could eat his favorite schnitzel and could drink a glass of wine, Câmpeanu remembered.[3][4][5] Zoli's best friend, poet Irimie Negoiță, called him "Hamlet of the green pitch" and his former coach, Constantin Teașcă, described him as "a very great footballer, who does not like football!".

I never understood him. It was hard for me to talk to him, always after he had a big game he was closing in himself, he was lost and with bad thoughts. But he was perhaps the most talented player of Universitatea Cluj said Dr. Mircea Luca, one of the most respected former presidents of Universitatea Cluj.[5]

The highlights of Ivansuc's period spent with The Red Caps were two 4th places in the 1960–61 and 1962–63 seasons, a personal record of 9 goals scored in the 1966–67 season, also a goal scored with a free kick from about 25 meters distance in the 2–1 victory from the 1965 Cupa României final against Dinamo Pitești played on the Republicii Stadium which brought the first trophy in the showcase of Universitatea Cluj.[3][4][7] Supporters greeted the players with banners at the Cluj airport. I will never forget this goal. Even now I remember how it was scored. I was at home in Sibiu and watching TV. I saw that the goalkeeper, Moguț, kicked the ball, Zoli was with his back on the goal somewhere in the middle of the pitch. He picked up the ball, kicked it over and then shot, a shot like I've never seen before in my life! The stadium was standing. This was Zoli, the mark of inexplicable situations and angles, even impossible, remembered Sanda Popescu, his ex-wife.[5]

After winning the Cupa României, "U" Cluj played in the first round of the 1965–66 European Cup Winners' Cup, Ivansuc scoring in both legs of the 3–0 victory on aggregate against Austrian team, Wiener Neustadt, but they were eliminated in the following round by Atlético Madrid.[2][3][8] At the second match with the Spaniards, played in Madrid, Ivansuc was approached by Real Madrid's impresario, Wogl, who came in particular to persuade him to stay in Spain. He talked to him in the hotel lobby for about two hours, but he couldn't convince him. Zoli came to me and told me he was not going anywhere, for him were more important the Medicine and Cluj than anything else, I was stunned, Câmpeanu said. His ex-wife, Sanda Popescu, confirmed the interest of the Spanish club for him. When he came home, he told me that the Spanish club was interested in having him in the team, but there was also a club from Belgium, but he did not even want to hear about his departure, maybe he would have been alive now if he would have left.[5][9]

Ivansuc's last Divizia A appearance took place on 12 November 1968 playing for "U" Cluj in a 2–0 loss in front of Steaua București, having a total of 185 appearances and 41 goals scored in the competition, completely ending his career after playing two games for IS Câmpia Turzii in the 1968–69 Divizia B season.[2][3][10] His former wife, Sanda Popescu with whom he had a daughter named Barbara Ivansuc and got divorced in 1975, claimed that Constantin Teașcă's second reign on U's bench meant the end of Ivansuc's career. In 1963, when Teașcă left Cluj, he could not win the war with the team players, including Zoli. Then, when he came back in 1967, one day he made it clear to Ivansuc: "Then , I left. Now, it's your turn to leave." Zoli was extremely angry at home, I don't think he spoke all day, said Ms. Popescu, and the reason to remove him from the team immediately came to Teașcă. We were on our way to Astoria Hotel, where the cantonment was, in the car. A trolleybus did not notice us and came in behind us. Until the Police arrived and investigated, Zoli was late at the training. Teașcă then kicked him out of the team. He suffered a lot because of that, claimed his ex-wife.[4][5]

Ivansuc was overcame by "King Bacchus", dying on 27 January 1982 at age 43.[2][3][4][5][10]

Zoltán Ivansuc made his debut for Romania in 1962 under coach Constantin Teașcă in a friendly against Morocco which ended with a 4–0 victory.[11][12] His following game was another friendly which ended with a 3–2 loss against East Germany and his last match for the national team was a 6–0 loss against Spain at the 1964 European Nations' Cup qualifiers.[11][13][14]

Always surrounded by friends from intellectual circles, writers, journalists, poets and actors, a complex personality, Ivansuc was a mystery in the locker room of "the students". At Zoli, when he came to the pitch, it was all a mood. If he was in the mood to play football, he was doing misunderstood things for his opponents. He never hurt anyone in the locker room, but he also did not like to get in front. It was a modestly rare encounter. The people came at his home for a spritz, for a story before the games. He did not refuse anyone, he sat in bed with a book in his hand, he listened to all of them and intervened in the discussion only when he had something to fill in, Câmpeanu remembered.[5]

Ivansuc was married with Sanda Popescu, who divorced in 1975, having a girl together, Barbara Ivansuc. After incident with coach Constantin Teașcă, he began practicing as a doctor at the Câmpia Turzii Factory, and then gave up. The sadness enveloped him and threw him into alcohol's arms. He died alone, as it was all his life, even when he was surrounded by a dozen buddies at a glass of wine.[5]

Universitatea Cluj

• Cupa României: 1964–65[7]

• Zoltán Ivansuc at National-Football-Teams.com
• Zoltán Ivansuc at WorldFootball.net