Article by David Istrate – Published Friday, 09 January 2026, 13:45 / Updated Friday, 09 January 2026 13:55
Radu Voina (75), the former handball player and legendary coach of Romania, underwent heart surgery at the end of 2025. After spending several weeks at the Monza hospital in Bucharest, the 1974 world champion was left at home, his condition being stable.
The end of 2025 was complicated for Radu Voina, one of the most important personalities in the history of Romanian handball. Having reached the age of 75, the former handball player and coach went through an emergency operation caused by some heart problems.
Radu Voina, emergency operation at the Monza hospital: “I hope no further problems arise”
Voina was admitted to the Monza hospital in Bucharest, where he underwent a heart operation, and he hopes that he got rid of what was more difficult. In a short dialogue with Golazo, Voina confirmed the heart surgery, preferring not to give many details.
“I was in the hospital for quite a long time, but things like this still happen. Recovery will come in time, but I hope no other problems, complications will arise“, said the triple medalist at the Olympic Games.
“Such moments shake you. You consider that nothing can touch you, but life proves to you that things like this still happen. Now I have regular check-ups. I passed one just these days. Then I have two months, six and so on. In any case, I can only thank the doctors and the other people who took care of me”, he concluded.
Radu Voina
Radu Voina, enviable track record: 3 Olympic medals and a world title with the Romanian national team
Radu Voina was born in Saeș, a village in Apold commune, Mureș countyon July 29, 1950. He started handball at the Voința Sighișoara club and then made the move to Bucharest University, with which he debuted in the senior championship.
Voina spent most of his career at CSA Steaua Bucharest, becoming one of the greatest handball players in Romanian history. As a player, he conquered 3 Olympic medals (bronze in Munich in 1972 and in Moscow in 1980 and silver in Montreal in 1976) and a world title (1974).
In 1981, after retiring from the activity, Voina went directly to the technical bench, becoming the coach of Stella, which he led for 10 years. In the last decade of the last century, the world champion took the step abroad and trained RC Strasbourg and HC Selestat.
Then, two decades after “hanging up his boots”, Voina returned to Romania and took over the men's national team. Throughout his career, he trained players such as Dumitru Berbece, Vasile Stângă, Marian Dumitru or Constantin Petre.
Voina also coached the Romanian women's national team, but also Oltchim Râmnicu Vâlcea, which he took, in 2010, to the Champions League final. Viborg HK prevailed in the round with 28-21 and in return with 32-31, securing the supreme trophy of Europe.
Radu Voina was awarded several times with the “Sports Merit” Order and was declared an “honorary citizen of the city of Sighișoara”.
Radu Voina: “Only when we got home did we realize the importance of winning the world title”
The atmosphere was extraordinary at the national team, with players from Steaua, Dinamo and Timișoara University. We were among the favorite teams for the title along with GDR, Yugoslavia, USSR and Czechoslovakia.
Everything was going perfectly, we were in great shape and had a lot of confidence in ourselves, even though we had lost the match against Sweden. In the game with Czechoslovakia, everything went smoothly, everyone knew what they had to do with their eyes closed, and I couldn't wait for the final with the German Democratic Republic.
After the final we hung out at the hotel, but it wasn't until we got home that we realized the importance of winning the world title. All the press wrote about our success, we were received by the authority in charge of sports (CNEFS) and we were awarded 10,000 lei each.
In those days we had a nice life and enjoyed some facilities, which meant a lot to us as athletes, as people
– Radu Voina, in an interview for GSP.ro
