.jpg) Niculescu with Dinamo București in 1968 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | (1943-04-08)8 April 1943 (age 82)[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Vidra, Romania[1] | ||
| Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)[1] | ||
| Position | Goalkeeper[1] | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1961–1962 | Dinamo București | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1962–1966 | Dinamo Pitești[a] | 48 | (0) |
| 1966–1968 | Dinamo București | 15 | (0) |
| 1968–1974 | Argeș Pitești | 80 | (0) |
| 1972–1973 | →Rapid București (loan) | 2 | (0) |
| 1975–1976 | FC Brăila | ||
| Total | 145 | (0) | |
| Managerial career | |||
| 1976–1977 | Celuloza Călărași | ||
| 1984–1985 | Corvinul Hunedoara (assistant) | ||
| 1985–1986 | Dunărea Galați | ||
| 1990 | Flacăra Moreni | ||
| 1994 | Dunărea Galați | ||
| 2007–2008 | Dunărea Galați | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Spiridon Niculescu (born 8 April 1943) is aRomanian former footballgoalkeeper andmanager.[1][2][3]
Niculescu was born on 8 April 1943 inVidra, Romania and began playing junior-level football in 1961 atDinamo București.[1][3] One year later, he joinedDivizia B clubDinamo Pitești, helping them earn promotion to the first league afterone season.[1][3] He made hisDivizia A debut on 25 August 1963 under coach Ștefan Vasile in a 2–1 home victory againstȘtiința Cluj.[1][4] The team reached the1965 Cupa României final where coachVirgil Mărdărescu started him, but after conceding an 11th-minute goal fromRemus Câmpeanu, he was replaced in the 17th minute by Constantin Matache in the eventual 2–1 loss to Știința Cluj.[1][5]
In 1966, Niculescu was transferred from Dinamo Pitești to Dinamo București in exchange for fellow goalkeeperNarcis Coman.[3] There, he played in anotherCupa României final in 1968, with coachBazil Marian using him the entire match in the 3–1 win overRapid București.[1][3][6][7][8] Afterwards Niculescu returned to Pitești, and the team was now named Argeș.[1] He started playing in European competitions during the1968–69 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup second round, appearing in both legs of the 5–3 aggregate loss toGöztepe.[1][9] In the1971–72 season he won the league title with Argeș, but played just one game as coachesTitus Ozon andFlorin Halagian preferredVasile Stan as first-choice goalkeeper.[1][3][10]
In 1972, Niculescu was loaned toRapid București for half a season, playing only two league games.[1] He then returned to Argeș where he made one appearance in a 1–1 draw againstFenerbahçe in the first round of the1973–74 UEFA Cup edition, but they failed to qualify, having lost the first leg with 5–1.[1][11][12]
On 29 September 1975, Niculescu made his last Divizia A appearance in a 2–0 away loss toPolitehnica Iași, having a total of 145 games in the competition with 216 goals conceded.[1] He ended his career in 1976 after one and a half seasons spent in Divizia B atFC Brăila.[1][3]
After he ended his playing career, Niculescu worked as a coach in the Romania lower leagues for clubs such asCeluloza Călărași andDunărea Galați.[3] He was alsoIon Nunweiller's assistant atCorvinul Hunedoara.[13] Niculescu had a short spell in the first league atFlacăra Moreni during the1989–90 Divizia A season, leading them in nine games, winning only two, which resulted in the team's relegation.[14][15]
Argeș Pitești
Dinamo București
