Costel Radulescu
Encyclopedia
Constantin 'Costel' Rădulescu (October 5, 1896 – December 31, 1981) was a footballer and manager from Romania who rose to prominence in the 1920s and 1930s. At one time or another Rădulescu had been associated with the Romania national team
as either coach, manager or administrator within the Romanian Football Federation
between 1923 and 1938.
between 1916 and 1918 in which he had received injuries to his right arm and in 1919 he featured as a goalkeeper for the Romanian combination at the Inter-Allied Games
held at the Pershing Stadium, in Paris
.
After the end of the War Rădulescu played football for SC Olympia Bucureşti and Tricolor Bucureşti until 1923 http://www.labtof.ro/diviziaa/arbitru/Costel%20Radulescu. After 1923 Rădulescu switched to refereeing, coaching and administration and was involved in the development of the Romanian football federation in 1930, a development which put an end to the practice of the game being run in his country by a commission. He was manager of the national team on 18 occasions and coach on a further 24 occasions between 1923 and 1940. In the second World Cup he acted as a selector and at the third World Cup he was employed as the trainer of the side. He was a referee for 20 years, directing 200 first-division matches as well as 102 international matches between clubs and 11 between countries. He assisted as a linesman on other occasions when Romania were playing in the 1930s.
when they played in the first three FIFA World Cup
s in Uruguay
, Italy
and France
was assured when he assumed the post (for the second time) in 1929 taking charge of the team after Teofil Morariu's side lost heavily in Yugoslavia
in May 1928, and lead the Romanians from the start of the 1929-31 Balkan Cup campaign, which Romania eventually won, losing only in Sofia but scoring healthily in all matches and defeating fellow World Cup entrants Yugoslavia
in October 1929. For the World Cup Rădulescu was assisted by Octav Luchide. Prior to the tournament, following defeat to Yugoslavia
in May, 1930, he dropped Emerich Vogl
as his captain and replaced him with Rudolf Wetzer
, the Juventus Bucureşti forward.
in matches featuring Argentina
and Uruguay
on those match days when the Romanians were not playing. (Ulises Saucedo
, the Bolivian coach, also acted as a match referee during the Finals). He assisted as a linesman on other occasions when Romania were playing in the 1930s.
The apocryphal influence of King Carol
on the selection of the first team is disputed. FIFA
accept that "a decree from King Carol gave the players three months off from their jobs and a guarantee that they [would] be re-employed on their return. The king himself [was] also active as coach ..."
But there is nothing to substantiate such claims and the King, absent from the nation since 1925 only returned to Romania on June 8, 1930.
at the 1936 Winter Olympics
in Garmisch-Partenkirchen
, finishing 15th in the two-man event and not finishing in the four-man event.
Romania national football team
The Romania national football team is the national football team of Romania and is controlled by the Romanian Football Federation.Romania is one of only four national teams, the other three being Brazil, France, and Belgium, that took part in the first three World Cups.However, after that...
as either coach, manager or administrator within the Romanian Football Federation
Romanian Football Federation
The Romanian Football Federation is the governing body of football in Romania. It organizes the Romania national football team and most of the Romanian football competitions. It is based in the Romanian capital city of Bucharest...
between 1923 and 1938.
First World War
Rădulescu had served as an officer for the Romanian army during the First World War at the front in the Battle of MărăştiBattle of Marasti
The Battle of Mărăşti was one of the main battles to take place on Romanian soil in World War I. It was fought between July 22 and August 1, 1917, and was an offensive operation of the Romanian and Russian Armies intended to encircle and destroy the German 9th Army...
between 1916 and 1918 in which he had received injuries to his right arm and in 1919 he featured as a goalkeeper for the Romanian combination at the Inter-Allied Games
Inter-Allied Games
The Inter-Allied Games was a one-off multi-sport event held from June 22nd - July 6th 1919 at the newly constructed Pershing Stadium just outside Paris, France following the end of the First World War. The forum for the games, Pershing Stadium, had been built near the Bois de Vincennes by the U.S....
held at the Pershing Stadium, in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
.
After the end of the War Rădulescu played football for SC Olympia Bucureşti and Tricolor Bucureşti until 1923 http://www.labtof.ro/diviziaa/arbitru/Costel%20Radulescu. After 1923 Rădulescu switched to refereeing, coaching and administration and was involved in the development of the Romanian football federation in 1930, a development which put an end to the practice of the game being run in his country by a commission. He was manager of the national team on 18 occasions and coach on a further 24 occasions between 1923 and 1940. In the second World Cup he acted as a selector and at the third World Cup he was employed as the trainer of the side. He was a referee for 20 years, directing 200 first-division matches as well as 102 international matches between clubs and 11 between countries. He assisted as a linesman on other occasions when Romania were playing in the 1930s.
National Team Coach
His position of coach of the Romania national football teamRomania national football team
The Romania national football team is the national football team of Romania and is controlled by the Romanian Football Federation.Romania is one of only four national teams, the other three being Brazil, France, and Belgium, that took part in the first three World Cups.However, after that...
when they played in the first three FIFA World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
s in Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
was assured when he assumed the post (for the second time) in 1929 taking charge of the team after Teofil Morariu's side lost heavily in Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
in May 1928, and lead the Romanians from the start of the 1929-31 Balkan Cup campaign, which Romania eventually won, losing only in Sofia but scoring healthily in all matches and defeating fellow World Cup entrants Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
in October 1929. For the World Cup Rădulescu was assisted by Octav Luchide. Prior to the tournament, following defeat to Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
in May, 1930, he dropped Emerich Vogl
Emerich Vogl
Imre Vogl -Emeric Vogl- was a Romanian football player of Hungarian ethnicity who was a member of Romanian team which participated at the 1930 FIFA World Cup in Uruguay and 1934 FIFA World Cup in Italy.- Club career :Emerich Vogl played as a youth for Chinezul Timişoara...
as his captain and replaced him with Rudolf Wetzer
Rudolf Wetzer
Rudolf 'Rudy' Wetzer was the captain and team-coach alongside Octav Luchide, under the management of Costel Rădulescu of the first Romanian side to participate in a FIFA World Cup. He was a Jewish-Romanian footballer....
, the Juventus Bucureşti forward.
Uruguay, 1930
The reasons for Romania's entry into the first World Cup are not known; however, during the competition, Rădulescu twice officiated as a linesmanAssistant referee (association football)
In association football, an assistant referee is one of several officials who assist the referee in controlling a match. Two officials, traditionally known as linesmen , stand on the touchlines, while a fourth official assists administrative or other match related tasks as directed by the referee...
in matches featuring Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
and Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
on those match days when the Romanians were not playing. (Ulises Saucedo
Ulises Saucedo
Ulises Saucedo was a Bolivian football coach and referee. He coached the Bolivian national team during the first FIFA World Cup in Uruguay in 1930, and also acted as a referee during the tournament....
, the Bolivian coach, also acted as a match referee during the Finals). He assisted as a linesman on other occasions when Romania were playing in the 1930s.
The apocryphal influence of King Carol
Carol II of Romania
Carol II reigned as King of Romania from 8 June 1930 until 6 September 1940. Eldest son of Ferdinand, King of Romania, and his wife, Queen Marie, a daughter of Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, the second eldest son of Queen Victoria...
on the selection of the first team is disputed. FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
accept that "a decree from King Carol gave the players three months off from their jobs and a guarantee that they [would] be re-employed on their return. The king himself [was] also active as coach ..."
But there is nothing to substantiate such claims and the King, absent from the nation since 1925 only returned to Romania on June 8, 1930.
1936 Winter Olympics
Rădulescu competed in bobsleighBobsleigh
Bobsleigh or bobsled is a winter sport in which teams of two or four make timed runs down narrow, twisting, banked, iced tracks in a gravity-powered sled that are combined to calculate the final score....
at the 1936 Winter Olympics
1936 Winter Olympics
The 1936 Winter Olympics, officially known as the IV Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1936 in the market town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen in Bavaria, Germany. Germany also hosted the Summer Olympics the same year in Berlin...
in Garmisch-Partenkirchen
Garmisch-Partenkirchen
Garmisch-Partenkirchen is a mountain resort town in Bavaria, southern Germany. It is the administrative centre of the district of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, in the Oberbayern region, and the district is on the border with Austria...
, finishing 15th in the two-man event and not finishing in the four-man event.