“This bothered Alecsandrescu”

It is well known, among star players and not only, that The “Armenian” helped assemble the generation that triumphed with Steaua in the European Champions Cup in 1986.

The demanding Halagian, the man installed by the generals between two mandates of Iena, regimented among the star players some of the holders of the final awarded in 1986, his merits oscillating even today, in the perception of voices from the phenomenon, between “minor” and “indisputable”.

Florin Halagian and his role in the Steaua '86 “puzzle”.

Halagian spent only a few months as head coach at Steaua: he was appointed in mid-June 1984, in place of Ienei, and was changed on October 10, 1984, even with Emeric Ienei, in a move shrouded in mystery even today. He left the team in first place, undefeated for seven stages.

The “Armenian” had brought to Steaua three players he appreciated: Adrian Bumbescu, Ilie Bărbulescu and Ladislau Boloni. Previously, he had recommended the club's directors to also award Victor Pițurcă, whom he knew from Scornicești! So, four starters from the standard “11” of Stella '86.

“Why did I need the thanks of Alecsandrescu and Iena? My immense professional satisfaction was that I contributed to a team's path to a European trophya performance that I don't know if it will ever be repeated. The rest of the discussions? Rainwater,” said Halagian, in an interview-event given for GSP in 2014.

Cornelia Halagian: “Alecsandrescu was disturbed and brought back Ienei”

Even if the historic triumph of four decades ago is irreparably linked to the name of Emeric Ienei, the period when the “speedsters” were at the hands of the “tough” Halagian remains a chapter worth mentioning in the epic of the great team of that time.

Mrs. Cornelia, Florin Halagian's wife for almost 60 years, accepted the invitation to recall the short period her partner spent at the helm of the most famous club in the history of Romanian football.

Cornelia Halagian in 2022, at the event that marked 50 years since the first title won by FC Argeș. His husband then trained the people of Pitesti / PHOTO: Gazeta Sporturilor Archive

“He had been a coach at Scornicesti, he had also been successful there, it seems to me that he had achieved a pretty good place at the end of the championship, so he was proposed to come to Steaua. He had already proposed that Victor Pițurcă come to them as a player.

He came to Steaua, but he had a conflict with Alecsandrescu, who was president (no. Ion Alecsandrescu – “The Sphinx”). He wanted to impose himself (no Halagian)that was his style, to impose himself, if he was a coach. He knew what this imposition of his was based on, that is, on successes.

He brought players from Scornicești, he took Radu II from Pitesti, he brought about 6 players then.

He also wanted to take Boloni, who didn't really want to leave (no from ASA Târgu Mureș). They had a match in Târgu Mureș, I know that for sure, and my husband didn't want the team from Târgu Mureș to win, because he wanted to convince Boloni to come to Steaua. This bothered Alecsandrescu a bit.

I don't know what discussions there were between them, but I know that was on Sunday, and on Monday, when he was supposed to go to training, he didn't go. He thought he was fine with this anger, but Alecsandrescu was disturbed and brought back Ienei“, Cornelia Halagian told Gazeta.

After the matches, he was very thoughtful. I think he was going through all the phases, everything that wasn't done right. He analyzed the match in his head. He wasn't harsh, he was demanding. It was weighted.

– Cornelia Halagian

Cornelia Halagian, with the two daughters she has with her former coach, Iuliana and Gabriela / PHOTO: Gazeta Sporturilor Archive

“It is known that my husband is the one who made the team”

Speaking about the construction of that team, the former coach's wife has no doubts:

“He made the team, he brought in many of the players who won the Champions Cup! Ienei took it ready madebut Ienei had been before him. I don't know why they changed it…

Then, if he had this conflict with Alecsandrescu, he brought back Ienei. It is known that my husband is the one who made the team, in the sea”.

“He also brought the goalkeeper, Duckadam. Until then, Vasile Iordache had been goalkeeper at Steaua. (No. Dukadam arrived in Ghencea in 1983, a year before Halagian). And it was good that he brought it…”, she added.

I was so angry… At my husband's funeral, Bărbulescu had also come. To hear a few months later that he died too! I couldn't believe it!

– Cornelia Halagian

When he came to Steaua, I was employed in the Army, in accounting at the Army's Household Directorate. There was a general there who liked him very much. I retired from the Ministry of Defence.

– Cornelia Halagian

Florin Halagian's wife also said that she did not receive any invitation to the event in Ghencea that marked the four-decade anniversary of the founding of the CCE: “No, no. They probably knew he was gone even then…”.

The voice of the critics: what Halagian would have done wrong at Steaua

At the same time, there is also a trend that does not agree with the idea that Halagian laid the foundations for Steaua '86.

Supporters of the red-blue contemporary with those times claim that Halagian used a completely different core of players in his short tenure and that he would have tried to remove Miodrag Belodedici and Tudorel Stoica from the team.

After the final in Seville, no one from Steaua called me to say a good word to me either. But I know that part of that victory belongs to me too.

– Florin Halagian, in 2009

*Graphic source: Gazeta Sporturilor (2020)

Florin Halagian, in 2014: “Generals Olteanu and Ilie Ceauşescu kept looking for me to take me to Steaua”

Halagian claimed in 2014 that he contributed to almost half of the team with which Steaua won the CCEthat he was brought to Ghencea with great interventions and that he feels “an immense professional satisfaction that I helped a team from Romania to reach a European trophy”.

“Until 1984, I also sent and recommended other footballers to Steaua, who they kept insisting on bringing me as a coach from Scornicesti, but I didn't really want to. It is about Piţurcă, first of all, but also others such as Petcu, Eduard, Tătăran.

I had realized that Steaua had a great potential since Generals Olteanu and Ilie Ceauşescu kept looking for me and told me that they wanted to make a big team. I went and brought Bumbescu, Boloni, Stângaciu, Bărbulescu, Marin Radu II there,” Halagian told Gazetă 12 years ago.

Let it be clear to everyone, I was the coach of the Star that brought the European Champions Cup! Helped by Iordănescu. Even if several people contributed, the management, especially the players, I have the great credit for this triumph. A coach takes over what the previous technician does to the team. And Halagian had his merits, but the truth is that I and Iordănescu won this trophy”

– Emeric Ienei, many years ago

The way we, Steaua, judged football could only be ensured by a coach who had the confidence to give freedom to his players. This was Ienei. Look how it was with Halagian. He was stern, but he didn't last.

– Ladislau Boloni

When Valentin Ceaușescu wanted to perform, he obtained some conditions. He brought Halagian, may God rest him, the one who said: “You give me a free hand, yes?”. And Halagian told me that he made the Stella team in '86. This is to be very clear! After that I don't know what happened there. In the end… Mr. Ienei took the laurels, but the team in general and minor is all created by Halagian!

– Florin Călinescu, in 2020

Victor Pițurcă, 40 years after Sevilla: “Halagian also had a contribution”

The past few days, in a extensive interview given to GSP reporter Marius Mărgăriton the occasion of the 40th anniversary of winning the CCA, Victor Pițurcă brought up the contribution of Halagian in the construction of that team.

“That team was born by accident. Sure, I'm just saying it like that, because actually there were some people there, Ion Alecsandrescu and Emeric Ienei. There was Halagian before, who also had an input. He brought Loti Boloni, Radu II, Bărbulescu to Steaua.

There were some who played around the province, me, Lăcătuș, Iovan, players who didn't say anything back then. I was a League 1 player, I also scored at Scornicesti. And we gathered around 17-18 in Ghencea, for five years we played with the same players.

Maybe one or two more came, like that, along the way, but otherwise we were the same. And let me tell you another secret: a great player is one who doesn't get injured. Look at Messi, at Ronaldo! How many times have they been injured? Very rare. Likewise, we didn't get injured in those years.”

Halagian kept us in the camp for three days each. He wanted to know us with him, there. Great coach! I can even hear some with “The fire at them”, cheap ironies! He was a great coach and made FC Argeș the champion.

– Victor Pițurcă, in 2021, at “Friends of Ovidiu”

When Mr. Halagian came [la Steaua]Bărbulescu, Bumbescu, Radu II and Loti came. I remember and I'm sorry to say this, but Ilia, may God forgive him!, when he heard that coach Halagian was coming, he didn't want to come to Steaua anymore. But in the end, Ion convinced him. The craftsman of the Star since 1986 is Ion Alecsandrescu!

– Marius Lăcătuș, in 2021

878 matchesas a coach on the first stage, he gathered Florin Halagian, the 1st place seconded in the all-time ranking. In second place is Ilie Oană, with 572 games

Steaua 86 infographic