“Perfect chemistry between us and him. Great coach, great man!”

Iovan learned from the GSP reporter about the death of Emeric Ienei, who at 88 was facing health problems. The former defender was stuck for a few seconds and wanted to confirm the news.

Pressed, his voice breaking, he later stated that “this man, nea Imi, had a huge merit in what we achieved. If it wasn't for him, what happened in the 80s, with winning the Champions Cup and the other performances, wouldn't have happened.”

Ștefan Iovan, the captain of Stela in Sevilla, reaction after the death of Emeric Ienei: “There was a perfect chemistry between us”

John developed: “He was the right man in the right place, the man who, with tact and wisdom, knew how to keep us together. We were still doing stupid things, some were threatening to kick us out, and he was against it.

He said: “If you fire them, bring in others like them or better, otherwise not!”. He talked, explained the tactics to us, and we understood very quickly. That means there was perfect chemistry between us and him. Great coach, great man! May God rest him!”.

I'm confused. He was a special man, a coach who pulled with his teeth for the team, for the players, he set everything in motion. What I can say is that, if it wasn't for him, the greatest performance of Romanian football would not have happened. I can't say anything more.

– Stefan Iovan, for GSP.ro

Emeric Ienei passed away due to a concussion, in his home in Oradea.

10 landmark statistics from Emeric Ienei's coaching career:

• 386 matches in the first division with Steaua, FC Bihor, CS Târgovişte and U Craiova. Record: 218 wins, 79 draws, 89 losses
• 6 championship titles, all with Steaua: 1975/76, 1977/78, 1984/85, 1985/86, 1986/87, 1993/94. In 1976 he stopped a streak of 8 years without a title, the longest in the history of the red-blues
• 4 Romanian Cups: 1975/76, 1984/85, 1991/92, 1998/99
• European Champions Cup 1985/86
• 51 of matches for the Romanian national team: 23 wins, 14 draws, 14 failures
• He qualified Romania for the WC 1990, after a break of 20 years
• It was Romania's coach at EC 2000, the first victory in a continental final tournament, 3-2 with England, is also linked to his name
• He succeeded the first qualification from the groups of a world tournament (CM 1990) and the first of the groups of a European tournament (EC 2000)
• He led Steaua in 31 European games. Record: 13 wins, 8 draws, 10 losses. The final with FC Barcelona was the 13th match
• It's the technician with most Derbies Steaua – Dinamo, 23 (19 in the championship and 4 in the Cup)