 Klein in 1990 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | (1959-10-10)10 October 1959 | ||
| Place of birth | Amnaș, Romania | ||
| Date of death | 2 February 1993(1993-02-02) (aged 33) | ||
| Place of death | Krefeld, Germany | ||
| Height | 1.77 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||
| Position | Left-back | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1973–1977 | Corvinul Hunedoara | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1977–1988 | Corvinul Hunedoara | 313 | (37) |
| 1978 | →Aurul Brad (loan) | 15 | (3) |
| 1989–1990 | Dinamo București | 40 | (2) |
| 1990–1993 | Bayer Uerdingen | 62 | (0) |
| Total | 430 | (42) | |
| International career | |||
| 1979–1981 | Romania U21 | 17 | (1) |
| 1984[1] | Romania Olympic | 1 | (0) |
| 1981–1991[2] | Romania | 89 | (5) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Michael "Mișa"Klein (10 October 1959 – 2 February 1993) was a Romanianfootballer who played as aleft-back.[3]
Klein, nicknamedMișa, was born on 10 October 1959 inAmnaș, Romania, being half ofTransylvanian Saxon origin from his father's side.[4][5][6][7]
Klein began playing football atCorvinul Hunedoara's youth center in 1973.[4][8] He made his debut for the senior team on 24 August 1977 under coachȘtefan Coidum in aDivizia A match that ended in a 2–2 draw againstArgeș Pitești.[4][8][9] In the following season he was loaned toDivizia B teamAurul Brad but in the middle of the season he was recalled to Corvinul by new coachMircea Lucescu.[4][8] At the end of that season, the team was relegated to Divizia B, but Klein stayed with the club, helping it get promoted back to the first division after one year.[4] Afterwards he helped the club finish third in the1981–82 Divizia A.[4] He also appeared in all four games in the1982–83 UEFA Cup campaign, scoring once as they got pastGrazer AK in the first round, being eliminated in the following one byFK Sarajevo.[4][10] For the way he played in 1985, Klein was placed fifth in the ranking for theRomanian Footballer of the Year award.[11]
After 11 and a half seasons spent withThe Ravens, in the middle of the1988–89 season he was transferred toDinamo București where he reunited with his former Corvinul manager Mircea Lucescu.[4][8][12] In his first season spent withThe Red Dogs, he didn't win any trophies but he played in both legs of the1988–89 European Cup Winners' Cup quarter-finals, where they were eliminated on theaway goals rule after 1–1 on aggregate bySampdoria.[4][6][7][12][13]
In thefollowing season, Klein wonThe Double with the club, Lucescu giving him 23 appearances in which he scored two goals in the league, and he also played the entire match in the 6–4 win overrivalsSteaua București in theCupa României final.[4][12][14] In the same season he played seven matches in the1989–90 European Cup Winners' Cup, scoring once againstPanathinaikos, the team reaching the semi-finals where they were eliminated after 2–0 on aggregate byAnderlecht.[4][6][7][12][15]
Afterwards, Klein joinedBayer Uerdingen in Germany, making hisBundesliga debut on 14 September 1990 when coachHorst Wohlers used him the entire match in a 2–0 away loss toKarlsruher SC.[4][5][6][7][16] The team was relegated at the end of hisfirst season but he stayed with the club, helping it get promoted back after one year.[4][8] Also during his period spent in Germany he was teammates with compatriotDaniel Timofte.[17]
Klein played 89 matches and scored five goals forRomania, making his debut on 9 September 1981 when coachValentin Stănescu sent him in the 49th minute to replaceAurel Beldeanu in a 2–1 friendly loss toBulgaria.[1][18]
His next appearance was a 0–0 draw againstSwitzerland in the1982 World Cup qualifiers.[1] He scored his first two goals in a friendly that ended with a 3–2 victory overChile.[1] Klein made seven appearances in the successfulEuro 1984 qualifiers in which he scored one goal in a 2–0 win againstSweden.[1] CoachMircea Lucescu used him for the entirety of all three games in thefinal tournament which were a draw againstSpain and losses toWest Germany andPortugal, as his side failed to progress from their group.[1][19] Klein played seven matches in the1986 World Cup qualifiers and six matches with one goal scored in a 1–0 away victory againstAlbania during theEuro 1988 qualifiers.[1] Afterwards he made five appearances in the successful1990 World Cup qualifiers.[1] He was used by coachEmerich Jenei for the entirety of all four matches in thefinal tournament, as Romania got eliminated byIreland in the round of 16.[1][20] Klein played six games in theEuro 1992 qualifiers and in the last one of them, he made his final appearance for the national team which took place on 13 November 1991 in a 1–0 victory against Switzerland.[1]
On 2 February 1993, Klein died of aheart attack during a training session with Bayer Uerdingen at the age of 33.[5][6][7][21][22]
Klein has a total of 322 matches and 36 goals scored in Divizia A, 37 matches in Bundesliga, 25 games in 2. Bundesliga and 13 appearances with two goals scored in European competitions.[4][5][8]
TheStadionul Michael Klein inHunedoara is named in his honor, and a statue of Klein is displayed in front of the stadium.[6][7][21] A book about him was written by Nicolae Stanciu, titledKlein, căpitanul lui Lucescu. Cronici sentimentale(Klein, Lucescu's captain. Sentimental chronicles).[7][23]
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Romania | 1981 | 2 | 0 |
| 1982 | 11 | 4 | |
| 1983 | 13 | 0 | |
| 1984 | 9 | 0 | |
| 1985 | 8 | 0 | |
| 1986 | 9 | 0 | |
| 1987 | 8 | 1 | |
| 1988 | 8 | 0 | |
| 1989 | 6 | 0 | |
| 1990 | 11 | 0 | |
| 1991 | 4 | 0 | |
| Total | 89 | 5 | |
| # | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 18 May 1982 | Estadio Nacional de Chile,Ñuñoa, Chile | 7 |  Chile | 1–0 | 3–2 | Friendly |
| 2 | 2–0 | ||||||
| 3 | 15 July 1982 | Stadionul Areni,Suceava, Romania | 8 |  Japan | 1–0 | 4–0 | Friendly |
| 4 | 8 September 1982 | Stadionul 23 August,Bucharest, Romania | 11 |  Sweden | 2–0 | 2–0 | Euro 1984 qualifiers |
| 5 | 28 October 1987 | Flamurtari Stadium,Vlorë, Albania | 59 |  Albania | 1–0 | 1–0 | Euro 1988 qualifiers |
Corvinul Hunedoara
Dinamo București
Bayer Uerdingen
Individual
Romania squads | |||||||
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