15 Facts About Ilie Balaci

Ilie Balaci was a product of Universitatea Craiova's youth system, where he started to play football at age 9.

Ilie Balaci went on to play twelve seasons with Universitatea Craiova, being part of the "Craiova Maxima" generation, helping them win two consecutive league titles in 1980 and 1981, at the first he contributed with 29 appearances and six goals and at the second with 29 appearances and 12 goals.

Ilie Balaci spent two seasons at Dinamo, under the leadership of Mircea Lucescu, appearing in 32 Divizia A games in which he scored one goal, making three appearances in European competitions.

However, Ilie Balaci did not win any major trophies whilst he was playing for Dinamo and he went as a player-coach for two years in the second league, after which he ended his playing career.

Ilie Balaci took charge of Tunisia's Club Africain and Moroccan club Olympique Casablanca in the early 1990s guiding them to their first African Champions League, the league title and the Tunis Cup.

Ilie Balaci then managed UAE, Qatari and Saudi Arabian clubs Al Shabab, Al Nassr, Al Hilal, Al Ain and Al Sadd winning the championship and domestic cup with each side.

On 22 July 2009, Ilie Balaci was named head coach of Kuwait club Kazma.

Ilie Balaci had an impressive start with the Kuwaiti side at the 2010 AFC Cup.

On 4 June 2013, Ilie Balaci signed a contract with newly promoted Saudi Premier League side Al-Nahda saving the club from relegation.

Ilie Balaci was sacked in September 2016 after the team clinched the title with three games left to play.

Ilie Balaci thought that the club's owners did not want the title win associated with his name.

In July 2017, Ilie Balaci was unveiled as the new manager of Omani side Al-Suwaiq.

Ilie Balaci said that he was born on 8 September 1956 but his birth date was declared by his relatives to the People's Council only on 13 September 1956.

Ilie Balaci had two daughters; the older one Lorena was married to footballer Eugen Trica and is divorced since 2015, and the younger one, Liana Ungur is a professional tennis player and she is married to Adrian Ungur.

Ilie Balaci died on 21 October 2018, aged 62, while at home in Craiova with his mother.