Second day in a row with very sad news: this morning another famous Polis international of the 60s passed away. He is Cicerone Manolache (87). He was one of the most famous Romanian internationals in the first half of the 1960s. After making a name for himself as a coach, leading two national teams and winning the African Champions Cup, “Nea Cici”, as he was known, retired to small-sided football, managing teams in Timiș county for about three decades.

He was born on 16 May 1936 in Păunești (Vrancea county), but started playing football with Metalul Reșița in 1950. After playing for children and juniors, in 1957 he made the step to the senior team in the second division.

In 1959 he transferred to Știința Timișoara (Poli), playing for the students’ team in the first two divisions. At the beginning of the 60s the famous Polist forward line was: Igna – Remus Lazăr – Manolache – Lereter – Mițaru.
Photo: Manolache (in white) player at Știința Timișoara

 

Manolache was the spearhead of Romania’s national team in the famous victory over Spain. 3-1 on 25 November 1962, at home (at the 23 August stadium in Bucharest, in front of 80,000 spectators), in the EC preliminaries. Manolache scored a goal in the 8th minute to make it 1-0. It was the first goal scored by a Polist for the national team! Spain would go on to win the European title in that edition (1964)! A bulldozer striker, he collected 7 caps (3 goals) for Romania (between 1962-1963).

In 1965, Manolache left for Farul Constanta. He returned to Politehnica Timișoara (in Division B) in 1968, and the following year he moved to the local CFR. It was also in the second division, but managed an unexpected promotion to Division A! It was here that Cicerone played his last matches in the elite. He finished his playing career in 1971 at UMT (in D2).

That year he became coach. At CFR Timișoara (D2) (1971-1972), then in Africa, in Congo, where he managed the CARA Brazzaville club (1972-1974) and the national team (1974-1976). He won the African Champions Cup (1974) on the CARA bench.
Photo: Manolache (first from left, top) coach in Africa

Back in Romania, he coached in western Romania, at UTA (1976-1977), UMT (D2) (1977-1978), FCM Reșița (D2) (1978-1979, 1980-1981), Politehnica Timișoara (1982), at the latter he was also a junior coach at times. Between 1983-1984 he returned to the bench of an African national team, coaching the Libyan national team.

For a long period (1985-2006), he coached only in the lower echelons (including teams such as AS Covaci, in D4, in 2006). He ended his coaching career at Agronomia Timișoara (D6) (2009-2016).

In 2016, at the Great Hall of the Senate of the Rectorate of Politehnica Timișoara University, polite players from almost all generations of the last half century celebrated Ion V. Ionescu and Cicerone Manolache on their 80th birthday.

Manolache was also a passionate pigeon fancier. God rest your soul, Cici.