Michael Klein (footballer, born 1959)
Romanian footballer (1959–1993)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Michael "Mișa" Klein (10 October 1959 – 2 February 1993) was a Romanian footballer who played as a left-back.[3]
|
Klein in 1990 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 10 October 1959 | ||
| Place of birth | Amnaș, Romania | ||
| Date of death | 2 February 1993 (aged 33) | ||
| Place of death | Krefeld, Germany | ||
| Height | 1.77 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||
| Position | Left-back | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1973–1977 | Corvinul Hunedoara | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1977–1988 | Corvinul Hunedoara | 313 | (37) |
| 1978 | → Aurul Brad (loan) | 15 | (3) |
| 1989–1990 | Dinamo București | 40 | (2) |
| 1990–1993 | Bayer Uerdingen | 62 | (0) |
| Total | 430 | (42) | |
| International career | |||
| 1979–1981 | Romania U21 | 17 | (1) |
| 1984[1] | Romania Olympic | 1 | (0) |
| 1981–1991[2] | Romania | 89 | (5) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Early years
Club career
Klein began playing football at Corvinul Hunedoara's youth center in 1973.[4][8] He made his debut for the senior team on 24 August 1977 under coach Ștefan Coidum in a Divizia A match that ended in a 2–2 draw against Argeș Pitești.[4][8][9] In the following season he was loaned to Divizia B team Aurul Brad but in the middle of the season he was recalled to Corvinul by new coach Mircea Lucescu.[4][8] At the end of that season, the team was relegated to Divizia B, but Klein stayed with the club, helping it get promoted back to the first division after one year.[4] Afterwards he helped the club finish third in the 1981–82 Divizia A.[4] He also appeared in all four games in the 1982–83 UEFA Cup campaign, scoring once as they got past Grazer AK in the first round, being eliminated in the following one by FK Sarajevo.[4][10] For the way he played in 1985, Klein was placed fifth in the ranking for the Romanian Footballer of the Year award.[11]
After 11 and a half seasons spent with The Ravens, in the middle of the 1988–89 season he was transferred to Dinamo București where he reunited with his former Corvinul manager Mircea Lucescu.[4][8][12] In his first season spent with The Red Dogs, he didn't win any trophies but he played in both legs of the 1988–89 European Cup Winners' Cup quarter-finals, where they were eliminated on the away goals rule after 1–1 on aggregate by Sampdoria.[4][6][7][12][13]
In the following season, Klein won The Double with the club, Lucescu giving him 23 appearances in which he scored two goals in the league, and he also played the entire match in the 6–4 win over rivals Steaua București in the Cupa României final.[4][12][14] In the same season he played seven matches in the 1989–90 European Cup Winners' Cup, scoring once against Panathinaikos, the team reaching the semi-finals where they were eliminated after 2–0 on aggregate by Anderlecht.[4][6][7][12][15]
Afterwards, Klein joined Bayer Uerdingen in Germany, making his Bundesliga debut on 14 September 1990 when coach Horst Wohlers used him the entire match in a 2–0 away loss to Karlsruher SC.[4][5][6][7][16] The team was relegated at the end of his first season, but he stayed with the club, helping it get promoted back after one year.[4][8] Also during his period spent in Germany he was teammates with compatriot Daniel Timofte.[17]
International career
Klein played 89 matches and scored five goals for Romania, making his debut on 9 September 1981 when coach Valentin Stănescu sent him in the 49th minute to replace Aurel Beldeanu in a 2–1 friendly loss to Bulgaria.[1][18]
His next appearance was a 0–0 draw against Switzerland in the 1982 World Cup qualifiers.[1] He scored his first two goals in a friendly that ended with a 3–2 victory over Chile.[1] Klein made seven appearances in the successful Euro 1984 qualifiers in which he scored one goal in a 2–0 win against Sweden.[1] Coach Mircea Lucescu used him for the entirety of all three games in the final tournament which were a draw against Spain and losses to West Germany and Portugal, as his side failed to progress from their group.[1][19] Klein played seven matches in the 1986 World Cup qualifiers and six matches with one goal scored in a 1–0 away victory against Albania during the Euro 1988 qualifiers.[1] Afterwards he made five appearances in the successful 1990 World Cup qualifiers.[1] He was used by coach Emerich Jenei for the entirety of all four matches in the final tournament, as Romania got eliminated by Ireland in the round of 16.[1][20] Klein played six games in the Euro 1992 qualifiers and in the last one of them, he made his final appearance for the national team which took place on 13 November 1991 in a 1–0 victory against Switzerland.[1]
Death and legacy
On 2 February 1993, Klein died of a heart attack during a training session with Bayer Uerdingen at the age of 33.[5][6][7][21][22]
Klein has a total of 322 matches with 36 goals in Divizia A, 37 matches in Bundesliga, 25 games in 2. Bundesliga and 13 appearances with two goals in European competitions.[4][5][8]
The Stadionul Michael Klein in Hunedoara is named in his honor, and a statue of Klein is displayed in front of the stadium.[6][7][21] A book about him was written by Nicolae Stanciu, titled Klein, căpitanul lui Lucescu. Cronici sentimentale (Klein, Lucescu's captain. Sentimental chronicles).[7][23]
Career statistics
International
- Scores and results list Romania's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Klein goal.[1]
| # | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 18 May 1982 | Estadio Nacional de Chile, Ñuñoa, Chile | 7 |  Chile | 1–0 | 3–2 | Friendly |
| 2 | 2–0 | ||||||
| 3 | 15 July 1982 | Stadionul Areni, Suceava, Romania | 8 |  Japan | 1–0 | 4–0 | Friendly |
| 4 | 8 September 1982 | Stadionul 23 August, Bucharest, Romania | 11 |  Sweden | 2–0 | 2–0 | Euro 1984 qualifiers |
| 5 | 28 October 1987 | Flamurtari Stadium, Vlorë, Albania | 59 |  Albania | 1–0 | 1–0 | Euro 1988 qualifiers |
Honours
Corvinul Hunedoara
Dinamo București
Bayer Uerdingen
Individual
- Gazeta Sporturilor Romanian Footballer of the Year (fifth place): 1985[11]
