One of the greatest footballers in the history of Romania, Nicolae Dobrin, watched from the stands all three games of our band at the World Championship in Mexico 1970. The coach at that time, Angelo Niculescu took with him the mystery of the unused team of the team, and over the 55 years a lot have been launched.
Gicu Dobrin, a genius of Romanian football. Photo archive
Former great striker Emeric Dembrovschi (79 years old) revealed, in an interview for the Sports Gazette, the key to one of the great enigmas in the history of Romanian football: why did he not play the great Dobrin at Mexico 1970.
“I can only tell you what I know, what I saw. Honestly, at the take -off to Mexico, Dobrin was a holder in the national offensive compartment, along with Lucescu, me and Dumitrache. But on the plane he drank a lot, got drunk and started to make a scandal. These.
He also had back, that he was supported by the press, by Eugen Barbu and Fănuș Neagu, who immediately jumped, that why not play Dobrin. That was the first episode. At the hotel or during our stay there, I don't know. Many were said to drink, because he was leaving the canton, but I have never seen him drunk there. Then there was also the problem of accommodating with the climate, with the conditions.
Could not run to workouts
At the training matches in Mexico, or at training, Dobrin was only in the circle in the middle of the field. Could not run. I know how it is, that it happened to me a year before, in the tournament in Brazil, when I was asking for the change in the 20th minute. I could not stand, I could leave football. That's how Dobrin happened. He was a huge footballer, but he was still a man. And then the question arose to play who can, who resists, who is able to run, face.
Remember, it was that terrible group, with England, the world champion, with Czechoslovakia, future European champion, with Brazil, who won the world title at that edition. With Dobrin I understood very well, I respect each other, I never had problems. Maybe with him in the field we would have been even stronger. But everything is history, 55 years have passed ”explained Emeric Dembrovschi, for gsp.ro.
Angelo Niculescu: had to be given totally
In the 55 years of age from the famous matches with England (0-1), Czechoslovakia (2-1) and Brazil (2-3), there have been statements and assumptions for the non-use of Gicu Dobrin. The main hero of this mystery, Angelo Niculescu, was bordered to declare: “He knew I was a more severe guy, plus that he should have given himself completely. It was just not to stay all day to pray for him, to the detriment of others. He was always complaining. I said: Dobrines, an umbrella footage was not born”.
On the other hand, Cornel Dinu said that Dobrin only played well in home parties, where he had the public support. “My opinion is that there was a certain mental ankylosis, a stubborn. 3 good moving matches.
Cornel Dinu and Mircea Angelescu convinced me to return to national
In Mexico, I think it was a more delicate moment for him and for the delegation. Not all the players could resist. At a training match, Angelo Niculescu told Dobrin to let the ball faster, and Dobrin told him that “what to let go of the ball, that we are barely in boots.” On Gică at the interest of the presence in training.
After the World Championship in Mexico, he said he would no longer come to the national team. The one who went with Mircea Angelescu to Pitesti to bring him back to the national team. That is, the Dinamo group. There are many evils that continue and after decades and it is a shame that the witnesses there are not listened to ”said Cornel Dinu a few years ago.
