Virgil Dridea
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.jpg) Dridea in 1966 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Virgil Sebastian Dridea | ||
| Date of birth | 17 November 1940 | ||
| Place of birth | Ploiești, Romania | ||
| Date of death | 29 May 2022 (aged 81) | ||
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||
| Position | Midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1950–1958 | Petrolul Ploiești | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1958–1968 | Petrolul Ploiești | 82 | (12) |
| 1959–1961 | → Știința București (loan) | ||
| 1968–1970 | Metalul Plopeni | ||
| Managerial career | |||
| 1970–1976 | Metalul Plopeni (assistant) | ||
| 1977–1983 | Metalul Plopeni | ||
| 1983–1985 | Petro do Huambo | ||
| 1985–1988 | Prahova Ploiești | ||
| 1988–1992 | Petrolul Ploiești | ||
| 1992–1993 | Syria | ||
| 1994–1995 | Dacia Unirea Brăila | ||
| 1995–1996 | Metalul Plopeni | ||
| 1996–1997 | Al-Jaish | ||
| 1997–1999 | Midia Năvodari | ||
| 1999–2000 | Petrolul Ploiești | ||
| 2000–2001 | Midia Năvodari | ||
| 2001–2002 | Cimentul Fieni | ||
| 2002–2003 | Chindia Târgoviște | ||
| 2003–2004 | Metalul Plopeni | ||
| 2004 | Petrolul Ploiești | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Virgil Dridea (17 November 1940 – 29 May 2022), also known as Puiu Dridea, was a Romanian football player and manager.[1]
Dridea was born on 17 November 1940 in Ploiești, Romania and began playing junior-level football at local club, Petrolul where his first coach was Mihai Cristache, later working with Emil Avasilichioaie.[1] On 24 August 1958 he made his senior debut under coach Ilie Oană in a 3–0 Divizia A victory against Jiul Petroșani, that being his only appearance in that season as the club won the title.[1][2] From 1959 until 1961 he played for Știința București in Divizia B.[1] Afterwards he returned to Petrolul where he won the 1962–63 Cupa României.[1] Dridea won another title in the 1965–66 season where he was used by coach Constantin Cernăianu in 18 matches in which he scored six goals, including a goal from a corner kick in a 1–0 victory against Rapid București.[1][2][3][4][5] He also played two games for The Yellow Wolves in the first round of the 1966–67 European Cup against Liverpool which included a 3–1 victory, but they did not manage to qualify to the next round.[1][6] His last Divizia A game took place on 3 September 1968 in Petrolul's 3–1 victory against Jiul Petroșani, totaling 82 matches with 12 goals in the competition.[1][3] Afterwards, Dridea went to play for two years in Divizia C at Metalul Plopeni where he ended his career.[1][3]
Managerial career
Dridea started coaching at Metalul Plopeni as an assistant from 1970 until 1977 under head coaches Gheorghe Bărbulescu, Marian Alexandru, Nicolae Marinescu and Adalbert Marosi.[1][3] He was named head coach of Metalul in the second half of the 1976–77 Divizia B season, leading them until 1983.[1][3] During this time the team was relegated to Divizia C, but he stayed with the club, helping it get promoted back to the second league after one season.[1][3] In 1983, Dridea went to work abroad in Angola at Petro do Huambo until 1985, then he returned to Romania at Prahova Ploiești which he led for three years in Divizia B.[1][3] In 1988 he took charge of Petrolul Ploiești, taking it from Divizia B to Divizia A and later to the 1990–91 UEFA Cup where they were eliminated by Anderlecht.[1][3][7] In 1992 he had his second experience abroad going to coach for one year the Syrian national team.[8] Afterwards he went back to Romania at Dacia Unirea Brăila with whom he earned a second place in the 1994–95 Divizia B season.[1][3] In the following years he went for a second spell at Metalul Plopeni, had a second experience in Syria at Al-Jaish and earned another second Divizia B place with Midia Năvodari.[1][3] Dridea returned to Divizia A football during his second spell at Petrolul in the 1999–2000 season in which he earned two historical victories against Steaua București, a 5–1 at home and a 4–1 at the Ghencea stadium, and also a 4–2 home victory against Mircea Lucescu's Rapid București who were the title holders.[1][3][9] Afterwards he went to coach in the lower leagues, starting with a second spell at Midia, then going to Cimentul Fieni, Chindia Târgoviște and for a third spell at Plopeni.[1][3] He retired after a third spell at Petrolul which took place from July until December 2004.[1][3] Dridea has a total of 134 games managed in Divizia A, all of them at Petrolul, consisting of 58 victories, 23 draws and 53 losses.[3][10]
Personal life
Dridea's brother, Mircea, was also a footballer and a manager, they played together at Petrolul Ploiești, winning two Divizia A titles.[1][2][4] They were opponents as managers in the 1981–82 Divizia B season when Virgil coached Metalul Plopeni and Mircea coached Petrolul.[1][2][4][11]
Death
Dridea died on 29 May 2022 at age 81.[1]