Gabi Balint

Gavril Balint

Personal information
Full name	Gavril Pele Balint
Date of birth	(1963-01-03) 3 January 1963
Place of birth	Sângeorz-Băi, Romania
Height
Position(s)	Striker
Youth career
1974–1978	Hebe Sângeorz-Băi
1978	Luceafărul București
1978–1980	Gloria Bistrița
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1980–1990	Steaua București	234	(69)
1990–1993	Real Burgos	83	(28)
Total		317	(97)
International career
1982–1992	Romania	34	(14)
Managerial career
1994–1998	Romania (assistant)
1998–1999	FC Bihor
1999–2000	Sportul Studențesc
2000	Romania (assistant)
2000–2001	Galatasaray (assistant)
2001	Romania (assistant)
2002–2003	Sheriff Tiraspol
2003–2004	Sportul Studențesc
2004–2005	Galatasaray (assistant)
2005–2006	FCU Politehnica Timișoara (assistant)
2008–2009	FC Timișoara
2010–2011	Moldova
2013	FC Vaslui
2014	CS U Craiova
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Gavril Pele "Gabi" Balint (born 3 January 1963 in Sângeorz-Băi, Bistrița-Năsăud, Romania) is a Romanian football manager and former player.

Club career

Born in Sângeorz-Băi, Bistrița Balint made his Divizia A debut with Steaua București in 1981 where he played until 1990 winning the league title in 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988 and 1989, the Romanian Cup in 1985, 1987, 1988 and 1989, the 1985–86 European Cup in 1986 and the European Super Cup in 1987. At the end of the 1989–90 season Balint became top goalscorer of Divizia A with 19 goals. He scored the second and last goal at the penalties shoot-out during the 1986 European Cup final, helping his team, Steaua to win the trophy.

In 1990, he was bought by Real Burgos for $1,000,000. He played for the Spanish side until his retirement in 1993.

International career

Balint was capped 34 times by Romania, and scored 14 goals. He played at the 1990 World Cup where he scored twice, against Cameroon and Argentina.

International goals

Romania's goal tally first.

Gavril Balint – International goals
#	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	29 July 1984	Stadionul Emil Alexandrescu, Iași, Romania	China PR	4–0	4–2	Friendly
2	31 July 1984	Stadionul Gloria, Buzău, Romania	China PR	1–0	1–0	Friendly
3	15 November 1989	Stadionul Steaua, Bucharest, Romania	Denmark	1–1	3–1	1990 FIFA World Cup Qual.
4	15 November 1989	Stadionul Steaua, Bucharest, Romania	Denmark	3–1	3–1	1990 FIFA World Cup Qual.
5	28 March 1990	Cairo International Stadium, Egypt	Egypt	2–0	3–1	Friendly
6	28 March 1990	Cairo International Stadium, Egypt	Egypt	3–1	3–1	Friendly
7	25 April 1990	Kiryat Eliezer Stadium, Haifa, Israel	Israel	4–1	4–1	Friendly
8	14 June 1990	Stadio San Nicola, Bari, Italy	Cameroon	1–2	1–2	1990 FIFA World Cup
9	18 June 1990	Stadio San Paolo, Napoli, Italy	Argentina	1–1	1–1	1990 FIFA World Cup
10	17 April 1991	Estadio Príncipe Felipe, Cáceres, Spain	Spain	2–0	2–0	Friendly
11	6 May 1992	Stadionul Steaua, Bucharest, Romania	Faroe Islands	1–0	7–0	1994 FIFA World Cup Qual.
12				4–0
13				7–0
14	20 May 1992	Stadionul Steaua, Bucharest, Romania	Wales	4–0	5–1	1994 FIFA World Cup Qual.

Managerial career

Balint started his coaching career in 1994, aged 31, when he was appointed as assistant coach of Romania under Anghel Iordănescu's regime. Four years later comes his first chance as head coach after taking the charge at Sportul Studențesc, but in May 2000 he is called again to join the coaching team of Romania as the squad prepared for the UEFA Euro 2000.

In the summer of 2000 Balint was requested by Mircea Lucescu as his assistant to Galatasaray, however left the job after only one season, to join again Romania as assistant coach, this time under Gheorghe Hagi's regime.

After Hagi resigned, Balint went to Sheriff Tiraspol for his second job as head coach, taking the team in 2002.

In 2003, he returned to Romania and signed to Sportul Studențesc, now in Liga II but helped the team win promotion back to Liga I.

Balint returned as assistant coach to Galatasaray in 2004 to work again with Gheorghe Hagi.

In 2005, he was appointed assistant coach of FCU Politehnica Timișoara, working again with Hagi. When Hagi left, a few months later, Balint resigned also. Two years later, Balint returned to FC Timișoara, this time as a head coach.

In 2010, he became head coach of the Moldova national team, but after the campaign for the UEFA Euro 2012, his contract ended and wasn't renewed. He then became television pundit, signing a contract with Digi Sport.

In April 2013, Balint returned to coaching, singning a contract for one and a half years with FC Vaslui.

Career statistics

• Divizia A: 264 games, 70 goals
• La Liga: 83 games, 28 goals
• European Cup: 30 games, 6 goals
• Cup Winners' Cup: 2 games, 0 goals
• Romania national football team: 34 caps, 14 goals

As a manager

Team	Nat	From	To	Record
				G	W	D	L	GF	GA	Win %
Sheriff Tiraspol		01.06.2002	03.06.2003	28	20	5	3	50	16	71.43
Sportul Studentesc		23.12.2003	01.06.2004	13	9	2	2	39	12	69.23
FC Timisoara		29.12.2008	01.06.2009	18	12	2	4	32	18	66.67
Moldova		20.01.2010	19.12.2011	16	5	1	10	17	23	31.25
FC Vaslui		09.04.2013	16.05.2013	9	5	3	1	15	8	55.56
CS U Craiova		17.03.2014	10.06.2014	15	11	2	2	28	9	73.33
Total				99	62	15	22	181	86	62.63

Honours

As a player

• Steaua Bucureşti
  • Liga 1:
    • Winner: 1984–85, 1985–86, 1986–87, 1987–88, 1988–89
  • Romanian Cup:
    • Winner: 1984–85, 1986–87, 1987–88, 1988–89
  • European Cup:
    • Winner: 1985–86
    • Runner-up: 1988–89
  • European Super Cup:
    • Winner: 1986
  • Intercontinental Cup:
    • Runner-up: 1986
• Romania U-20
  • 1981 FIFA World Youth Championship 3rd-Place

Trivia

• Balint has a passion for music and Harley Davidson. He even produced his own CD.

External links

• Balint's Official site
• RomanianSoccer.ro – profile and stats
• BDFutbol profile

Sporting positions
Preceded by Gheorghe Hagi	Steaua Top Scorer 1989–1990	Succeeded by Dan Petrescu
Preceded by Dorin Mateuț	Divizia A Top Scorer 1989–1990	Succeeded by Ovidiu Cornel Hanganu