Romanian coaching veteran Florin Halagian mourned
Tuesday, August 13, 2019
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Florin Halagian, who holds the record for most top-flight matches as a coach in Romania and also took charge of the national team as caretaker manager, has died at the age of 80.
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One of Romanian football's best-known coaches, Florin Halagian, has passed away aged 80 after a long illness.
The coaching stalwart won three national championships – two with FC Argeș, in 1972 and 1979, and one with Dinamo București, in 1992 – yet it is perhaps greater testimony to his reputation and life's work that he continued to coach up until retirement in 2010. Halagian also took the national-team helm, albeit for one game only as caretaker back in 1979.
A widely respected figure, he holds the record for most top-flight matches – 898 – as a head coach, the fruit of spells managing a litany of clubs: Argeș, Dinamo, Steaua, Victoria, FC Național, Inter Sibiu, FCM Bacău, Olt, Ceahlăul Piatra Neamț, Gloria Bistrița and Brașov.
Born in 1939, Halagian's football story began as a midfielder with Dinamo București, Progresul București, Pompierul București, Dinamo Pitești, Petrolul Ploiești, Minerul Baia Mare, Politehnica București and Vagonul Arad.
However, it was success with Argeș that brought nationwide acclaim, something he was later able to repeat with Dinamo.