Victor Pițurcă, Stela's scorer from the 80s, turns 70 today, May 8, a day away from the 40th anniversary of the historic moment when the team from Ghencea managed to win the European Champions Cup in Seville.
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Yesterday, May 7, it was 40 years since the historic evening in Seville, when Steaua won the European Champions Cup, after the penalty kicks, defeating Barcelona 2-0, thanks to the successes of Lăcătuș and Balint.
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Thus, the formation from Ghencea entered among the great teams of the continent, and Duckadam in the legend, with the 4 penalties defended
Four decades since Steaua put Romania in the place of honor, Victor Pițurcă accepted the invitation of GSP.ro to recall what happened in Seville, offering an extensive interview, which can be read here.
Among the statements, he also revealed what happened to the shirt worn on that magical night in Spain, admitting that he did not want to trade it, but just keep it as a memory. But the plan did not work to the end.
Victor Pițurcă, about the equipment worn in Seville
“In the final, I didn't want to exchange shirts with anyone from Barcelona. It was as if Miguel, their central defender, wanted to exchange, but I said that this equipment will stay with me for the rest of my life. After a few years, when I took it out of the closet, it had gotten into the water badly, it was like a child.
I think I got angry and I don't know what I did, I don't know what happened to him, that he disappeared. Told you we were backwards then! I mean, in this room we were supposed to have pictures from that whole campaign and the ones that followed. We have nothing, I have nothing! Just the matches. And the memories. No one can take away our memories!”, said Victor Pițurcă, four decades later.
Victor Pițurcă, now and then, photo: Gazeta Sporturilor
On penalties, I don't know if I've ever seen Duckadam like this. Know that what he did is also thanks to the exercises he did with us. That there were 2-3 of us who gave him penalties, after training. He pulled off that amazing feat, but don't think it was by accident!
No, he was very good at penalty kicks. And his concentration was incredible. Fantastic. He seemed in a trance in Seville. It was as if he was hypnotizing the Barcelona players who took the penalty. Yes, it was incredible!
– Victor Pițurcă, recalling the moments in Seville
Do you want me to tell you something? Even after the final, then, in the evening, I didn't know. It was also my birthday. But I was angry that I didn't score! I mean, I was happy that we won, but I was upset that I hadn't scored. Well, I sat at the table with everyone for an hour and went to my room and went to bed! No, we didn't know how to enjoy ourselves, we didn't know how to… The next evening, at the airport, was something else.
The management had informed us that people had come, on foot, from the city, that they had been waiting for us for several hours. What happened there was something incredible, something incredible! Think it was crowded from the airport to the street. I don't even know how many people there were.
– Victor Pițurca
INTERVIEW | Victor Pițurcă: “The greatest players are from Steaua '86. Then come Hagi, Dobrin…”
