Article by Cosmin Nistor – Published on Thursday, 28 May 2026, 22:55 / Updated on Thursday, 28 May 2026 22:56
Died in November 2025, Emeric Ienei remained in the history of Romanian football as the coach who brought the European Champions Cup to Bucharest in 1986, in the final between Steaua and Barcelona, 2-0 after penalty kicks, but one of his grandsons chose a completely different path.
Darius Manciu, aged 22, currently works at the great rival Dinamo, the club he has supported since childhood. The youngster was recently employed in the commercial department of the “dogs” after a period of around six months in which he was active as a volunteer within the club.
How Emeric Ienei's nephew got to rival Dinamo
Darius started collaborating with Dinamo without initially having a contract. After several months of pro bono work and convincing the club's management, he was officially hired about two months ago.
For the young man, the experience also has a strong emotional charge, considering that he has been a supporter of the team from Ștefan cel Mare since childhood.
The story is all the more interesting as Darius comes from a family closely connected to the Star. His grandfather, Emeric Ienei, is considered the most important coach in the history of the Ghencea club.
“I was born in Piața Iancului, my father being a Dynamo fan, and my grandfather on his side, an older Dynamo fan. And I caught the bug with Dinamo, so I didn't need anything else. The colors, the history, everything this club means. For me, being able to work at Dinamo is a dream come true.
I'm glad that I wake up in the morning and can be part of the reconstruction of the club, in the return of the team to where it belongs”, he said, according to prosport.ro.
He was watching the Dinamo – Steaua derby together with Emeric Ienei
Darius says that the great coach never tried to change his favorite team. The two watched together the derbies between Dinamo and Steaua, and the grandson still remembers how Emeric Ienai reacted.
“He was a gentleman by definition, a gentle man and he never tried to change my love for Dinamo. On the contrary, he was happy that I like football.
We were watching the matches between Dinamo and Steaua together. I was agitated, I jumped from the couch when Dinamo scored, he was always calm, and if Steaua scored he just glanced at mehe was smiling and encouraging me, telling me not to lose my confidence, that he is still in the game.”
Darius Manciu, at the funeral of Emeric Ienei // Photo source: Facebook
“I didn't realize I was talking to Emeric Ienei”
The grandson of the former selector also told one of the most special moments spent with his grandfather.
“I remember a very nice episode. Grandfather had his schedule, with lunch, rest, and one day I sat with him on the sofa from 12 to 19.
He forgot all about this ritual. I asked him, fascinated, about absolutely everything, he told me about the difficulties he had in training, about all the moments he went through. At the end, being his nephew, I didn't realize that I was talking to Emeric Ienei.”
