# Marcel Pușcaș

Marcel Pușcaș (born 12 October 1960) is a Romanian former professional footballer who played as a midfielder, currently president at Liga II club Ceahlăul Piatra Neamț.

## Club career

Marcel Pușcaș was born on 12 October 1960, starting his football career in his native Oradea at FC Bihor, making his Divizia A debut on 3 December 1978 in a 1–0 home loss in front of Sportul Studențesc București. At the end of his first season, the team relegated to Divizia B but he stayed with the club, helping it promote back to the first league after two seasons.
In 1983 he was transferred to Steaua București, where he won The Double in the 1984–85 for which he contributed with two goals scored in the 21 league appearances given to him by coaches Florin Halagian and Emerich Jenei, also in the same season he played in the both legs of the 1–0 aggregate loss in front of A.S. Roma from the first round of the European Cup Winners' Cup. In 1985, Pușcaș left Steaua to play for Rapid București, where in a match against Politehnica Timișoara, he had his leg broken by Marcel Sabou, an injury that kept him off the field for about two years. After he recovered from the injury, Pușcaș played only a few matches for Rapid, including his last Divizia A appearance which took place on 18 October 1987 in a 3–2 win over ASA Târgu Mureș, having a total of 85 matches with 13 goals scored in the competition.
Afterwards he went to second division club CS Târgoviște where he was a player-coach. Pușcaș ended his playing career after spending the 1988–89 season at Divizia B club, Steaua Mizil.

## International career

Marcel Pușcaș played one friendly game at international level for Romania, being used by coach Mircea Lucescu to replace Aurel Țicleanu in the 72nd minute of a 1–0 victory against East Germany.

## Managerial career

Marcel Pușcaș started coaching in 1988 at Divizia B club CS Târgoviște where he was also an active player. In 1993 Pușcaș was coach at Rapid București, managing to qualify the team in European competitions for the first time after 18 years, leading the team in the double defeat against Inter Milan in the 1993–94 UEFA Cup.

## After retirement

After his experience as coach at Rapid, Pușcaș abandoned his coaching career at started his career as a football official at AJF Bihor, after which he became president at Viitorul Oradea. From 1996 until 1998 he was president at Steaua București, a period in which the club won two league titles, one cup and one supercup. From 2002 until 2004 he worked as a sports agent. In March 2014 Pușcaș ran for president of the Romanian Football Federation, but gave up his candidacy during the General Assembly of the elections in order to support Răzvan Burleanu, who would eventually win the elections and Pușcaș was co-opted into Burleanu's administrative team at the federation. In April 2018 Pușcaș ran again for president of the Romanian Football Federation, this time losing in favor of Răzvan Burleanu. From November 2018 until July 2020, he was president at FC U Craiova 1948, a period in which the club won a promotion to the second league.

## Personal life

Pușcaș graduated the National University of Physical Education and Sport (ANEFS) and the University of Mechanics.
On 27 October 2020, Marcel Pușcaș released an autobiographical book called Fotbalul în cârje (Football on crutches). On 26 March 2021 he released his second book called Cum devii fotbalist (How do you become a footballer).

## Honours

Bihor Oradea
* Divizia B: 1981–82
Steaua București
* Divizia A: 1984–85
* Cupa României: 1984–85