| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | (1974-10-22)22 October 1974 (age 51) | ||
| Place of birth | Bucharest, Romania | ||
| Height | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||
| Position | Midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1982–1989 | Rapid București | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1989–1995 | Rapid București | ||
| 1995–1996 | Dinamo București | ||
| 1996 | →Chindia Târgoviște (loan) | ||
| 1996–1998 | Chindia Târgoviște | ||
| 1998–1999 | Drobeta-Turnu Severin | ||
| Managerial career | |||
| 2016–2017 | AFC Rapid | ||
| 2017–2019 | Rapid București U19 | ||
| 2019 | Rapid București (technical director) | ||
| 2020 | Rapid II București (assistant) | ||
| 2020 | Rapid II București | ||
| 2020 | Rapid București (caretaker) | ||
| 2020–2021 | Rapid București (assistant) | ||
| 2021–2022 | Rapid București | ||
| 2022–2023 | Minaur Baia Mare | ||
| 2024 | ACS FC Dinamo | ||
| 2025 | Voluntari | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Mihai "Miță" Iosif (born 22 October 1974) is a Romanian professionalfootball manager and formerplayer.
As a footballer, Iosif played forRapid București,Dinamo București,Chindia Târgoviște andFC Drobeta-Turnu Severin.
Mihai Iosif started his football career atRapid București, in 1982, club that in years to come will remain in his soul and where he will return as manager as well. Iosif made his debut in thesecond tier in 1989, at only 15 years old, in a defeat (0–2) againstTractorul Brașov.[1] In the top-flight (Divizia A), Iosif made his debut for the same club, in 1992, in a match againstFC Universitatea Craiova. Between his debut in the second tier and the debut in the top tier (1989–1992), he played mostly for Rapid U19 team and also forRomanian youth national teams.[1]
In 1995, Iosif was sold to Rapid's rival,Dinamo București, but after a short period he and his teammate,Irinel Voicu entered in a transfer between Dinamo andDivizia B side,Chindia Târgoviște. The transfer consisted of an exchange, Iosif and Voicu forCătălin Hîldan andCezar Dinu.[2] Iosif remarked years later that both of the players (Hîldan and Dinu) died tragically, when they were still young.
Between 1996 and 1998 he was part of the golden generation of Chindia, team that was nicknamed at the time as "the Little Ajax". Iosif played in the Divizia B andDivizia A for the team situated underChindia Tower, then moved toFC Drobeta-Turnu Severin.
In 1999, Iosif decided to retire from football after he suffered from almost permanentlyvertigo, affection that will torment him for no less than two years.[2]
Mihai Iosif started his manager career in 2016 at AFC Rapid (a club detached fromRapid București) then in 2017 moved toRapid București, out of a desire to help his favourite club to return in the top-flight (after a bankruptcy and a relegation in the county leagues). In this years Iosif was the manager, assistant manager, caretaker manager of the first and second teams of Rapid. In 2021, his dream came true,Rapid București promoted back in theLiga I with Iosif as a manager, he began to cry with joy immediately after the promotion match againstFC U Craiova.[3]He was sacked on 2 March 2022 following a 3:2 away defeat toU Craiova 1948, which left Rapid sitting 9th with 2 wins in 15 games.
In 2009, Iosif gave an interview forGazeta Sporturilor in which he gave his thoughts on his stay atChindia Târgoviște, a period he claims that ended his career and put his life in danger. Iosif hinted there was a link between doping used during the 1990s and the deaths of the two players,Cătălin Hîldan andȘtefan Vrăbioru. Hîldan also played for Chindia in that period, Iosif and Hîldan were at that time part of a player exchange between Dinamo and the team based inTârgoviște.[2]
"In the training camp before the match, pills. Many, 10-12 at a time, at each meal. Multicolored and anonymous. At Rapid and Dinamo we took all kinds of reinforcements, but I knew what I was putting in my mouth. Not here! Why didn't I ask? Out of stupidity, I was a restless kid. Then, before the games, the tea in which Silaghi passed and put a few drops from a vial: "Aaa, Efe has come!", The oldest members of the team made fun. They knew or suspected that they were being givenephedrine: "I felt more alive, I had false energy. Years later, after I got rid of my health problems, I thought about them. I don't want to offend anyone, to hurt their families, but I was convinced that I had to go through their destiny."[2]
Vasile Silaghi, assistant manager of Chindia in that period denied everything:"Stories, sir! How come nothing came out at 15-20 checks as many as we were given? The pill under the tongue isPlacebo, it induces a condition. It was anything,Vitamin C, Scobutil (N-butylscopolammonium bromide), just to make them think that all will be good. My story was that I also had some schooling, I was a smart boy and those who only knew how to play football commented to me."[2]
His son, Sabin Iosif (born 26 October 2001), is also a footballer, currently under contract withRapid București. Sabin also played forLucchese andASU Politehnica Timișoara.[4] His uncle,Ion Pop, was also a footballer who played atRapid București.[5]
Rapid București
Chindia Târgoviște
Individual