Dan Păltinișanu (23 March 1951 – 4 March 1995) was a Romanian footballer who played as a defender.

Dan Păltinișanu
Personal information
Date of birth (1951-03-23)23 March 1951
Place of birth Bucharest, Romania
Date of death 4 March 1995(1995-03-04) (aged 43)
Place of death Timișoara, Romania
Height 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Position(s) Centre-back
Youth career
1962–1965 TM București
1965–1970 Dinamo București
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1970–1972 FC Brașov 1 (0)
1972–1973 Metrom Brașov 26 (0)
1973–1983 Politehnica Timișoara 271 (24)
1983–1985 Unirea Sânnicolau Mare
Total 298 (24)
International career
1976 Romania U23 1 (0)
1976 Romania B 1 (0)
1978–1979 Romania 3 (0)
Medal record
Representing  Romania
Universiade
Gold medal – first place 1974 Nice Team
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

He was mostly known for his spell at Politehnica Timișoara with whom he won the 1979–80 Cupa României, scoring the victory goal in the final against Steaua București, also scoring the goal that helped them eliminate Celtic in the 1980–81 European Cup Winners' Cup.

Club career

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Dan Păltinișanu, nicknamed "Tata Mare" (Big Daddy) was born in on 23 March 1951 in Bucharest, Romania, starting to play football in 1962 at the youth system of TM București, after three years moving to Dinamo București.[1][2] He started his senior career at FC Brașov, making his Divizia A debut on 11 June 1972 in a 0–0 with Politehnica Iași.[1] After playing only one Divizia A match for FC Brașov, Păltinișanu went to play one season in the second division for Metrom Brașov.[1] In 1973, Păltinișanu signed with Politehnica Timișoara where in his first season the team reached the Cupa României final where coach Ion Ionescu used him all the minutes in the 4–2 loss in front of Jiul Petroșani.[3] In 1975 he would make a successful couple in the central defense with Gheorghe Șerbănoiu, their first performance being a third place in the 1977–78 season.[1][4] Afterwards he made his debut in European competitions, playing in three games from the 1978–79 UEFA Cup campaign as they eliminated MTK Hungária in the first round against whom he scored a goal, being eliminated by Budapest Honved in the following one in which he also scored once.[1][5] He won the only trophy of his career, the 1979–80 Cupa României, being used by coach Ionescu all the minutes of the final with Steaua București in which he scored the decisive goal of the 2–1 victory.[1][2][6][7] He then scored a goal that helped the club eliminate Celtic in the first round of the 1980–81 European Cup Winners' Cup, being eliminated with 4–1 on aggregate in the following one by West Ham United against whom he scored in the 1–0 win from the second leg.[1][6][8][9] In the following years he helped Poli reach two more Cupa României finals, which were both lost in front of Universitatea Craiova, Păltinișanu appearing in only one of the finals, the one from 1981 when coach Ionescu used him all the minutes in the 6–0 loss.[1][10][11] He made his last Divizia A appearance on 4 May 1983 in a 3–1 away loss in front of Dinamo București, having a total of 272 appearances with 24 goals scored in the competition and 9 matches with four goals in European competitions.[1] Dan Păltinișanu ended his career in 1985, after playing two years for Unirea Sânnicolau Mare in the third league.[1]

For his performances achieved at Politehnica Timișoara, the Dan Păltinișanu Stadium from Timișoara was named in his honor.[12]

Păltinișanu won the Universiade gold medal with Romania's students football team in the 1974 edition of the tournament that was held in France, playing alongside László Bölöni, Gheorghe Mulțescu, Romulus Chihaia and Paul Cazan.[13]

International career

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Dan Păltinișanu made appearances in 1976 for Romania's under 23 and B squads.[14]

Păltinișanu played three games at international level for Romania's senior team, making his debut on 31 May 1978 under coach Ștefan Kovács in a 1–1 with Bulgaria at the 1977–80 Balkan Cup.[15][16] His following two games were friendlies, a 1–0 loss in front of East Germany and a 3–1 loss against Soviet Union.[15]

Personal life and death

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His son, who is also named Dan Păltinișanu, was a basketball player who played for Romania's national basketball team and won the Romanian Basketball Cup while playing for BCM Elba Timișoara in 2010.[12][17][18]

He died on 4 March 1995, two weeks before turning 44.[1][2] After his death, his former coach, Ion Ionescu wrote an article in the Fotbal Vest newspaper about Păltinișanu, describing him as:"Coming modestly and shyly from the bohemia of Bucharest, two houses from the Mărțișor of Arghezi, Pălti was assimilated to the Banat with immense love and joy. Where, in turn, he found his joy and immortality. Dan Păltinișanu enters the gallery of the greatest players of Timișoara and Politehnica. Symbol of football in these lands. Symbol of the devouring will for victory. For which he burned strongly.. And, perhaps, that is why so quickly".[2]

Honours

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Politehnica Timișoara

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Dan Păltinișanu at RomanianSoccer.ro (in Romanian)
  2. ^ a b c d "23 martie, ziua in care se nastea o legenda a Timisoarei: Dan Paltinisanu" [March 23, the day a legend of Timisoara was born: Dan Paltinisanu] (in Romanian). Radiotimisoara.ro. 4 March 2020. Retrieved 16 July 2024.
  3. ^ "Romanian Cup – Season 1973–1974". RomanianSoccer. Retrieved 16 July 2024.
  4. ^ "S-a mai stins o stea polista" [A Poli star has died] (in Romanian). Debanat.ro. 25 March 2013. Retrieved 16 July 2024.
  5. ^ "Dan Păltinișanu. Europa League 1978/1979". WorldFootball. Retrieved 16 July 2024.
  6. ^ a b "23 martie, ziua in care se nastea o legenda a Timisoarei: Dan Paltinisanu" [March 23, the day a legend of Timisoara was born: Dan Paltinisanu] (in Romanian). Opiniatimisoarei.ro. 23 March 2020. Retrieved 4 November 2021.
  7. ^ "Romanian Cup – Season 1979–1980". RomanianSoccer. Retrieved 16 July 2024.
  8. ^ "Remember Poli – Celtic Glasgow: în urmă cu 31 de ani Timişoara a zguduit Europa" [Remember Poli - Celtic Glasgow: 31 years ago Timisoara shook Europe] (in Romanian). Adevarul.ro. 3 October 2011. Retrieved 4 November 2021.
  9. ^ "Dan Păltinișanu. Cup Winners Cup 1980/1981". WorldFootball. Retrieved 16 July 2024.
  10. ^ "Romanian Cup – Season 1980–1981". RomanianSoccer. Retrieved 14 July 2024.
  11. ^ "Romanian Cup – Season 1982–1983". RomanianSoccer. Retrieved 14 July 2024.
  12. ^ a b "Dan Păltinişanu, un nume de legendă: bunicul fotbalist, tatăl baschetbalist. Ce va fi nepotul?" [Dan Paltinisanu, a legendary name: the footballer grandfather, the basketballer father. What will the nephew be?] (in Romanian). Adevarul.ro. Retrieved 5 October 2017.
  13. ^ "Au fost odată campioni mondiali" [Once they were world champions] (in Romanian). Prosport.ro. 20 July 2009. Retrieved 5 October 2017.
  14. ^ "Dan Păltinișanu profile". 11v11. Retrieved 16 July 2024.
  15. ^ a b "Dan Păltinișanu". European Football. Retrieved 9 April 2020.
  16. ^ "Bulgaria - Romania 1:1". European Football. Retrieved 9 April 2020.
  17. ^ "Legenda baschetului timișorean, Dan Păltinișanu, va conduce Academia BC Timișoara" [The basketball legend of Timişoara, Dan Paltinisanu, will lead the BC Timişoara Academy] (in Romanian). Voceatimisului.ro. 6 August 2014. Retrieved 5 October 2017.
  18. ^ "Dan Păltinișanu Junior: "Mă bucur când oamenii îmi vorbesc și astăzi de tata!" FOTO/VIDEO" [Dan Paltinisanu Junior: "I'm glad that people talk to me about my father even today!" PHOTO / VIDEO] (in Romanian). Renasterea.ro. Archived from the original on 5 October 2017. Retrieved 5 October 2017.
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