Marin Ion

Marin Ion
Personal information
Date of birth (1955-03-25) 25 March 1955
Place of birth Ciorogârla, Romania
Height 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in)
Position Centre-back
Team information
Current team
 Romania U18 (head coach)
Youth career
1971–1972 Rapid București
1972–1973 Dinamo București
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1973–1984 Dinamo București 249 (5)
1985 Bihor Oradea 28 (1)
1986 Victoria București 13 (0)
1986–1987 Rapid București 26 (1)
1988–1989 Pandurii Târgu Jiu
Total 316 (7)
International career
1975–1978 Romania U21 7 (0)
1976 Romania U23 2 (0)
Managerial career
1989 Pandurii Târgu Jiu
1991–1992 Flacăra Moreni
1992–1996 Petrolul Ploiești
1996–1997 Farul Constanța
1998–1999 Petrolul Ploiești
2000–2001 Astra Ploiești
2001–2002 Dinamo București
2002 Bihor Oradea
2003–2004 Farul Constanța
2004–2005 Universitatea Cluj
2005 Bihor Oradea
2006 Dinamo București
2006 Farul Constanța
2007 Farul Constanța (caretaker)
2007–2009 Farul Constanța
2009 Dinamo București (assistant)
2009 Dinamo București (caretaker)
2009–2011 Al-Ettifaq
2011 Dubai Club
2012 Dinamo II București
2012–2014 Kuwait SC
2014–2015 Al Dhafra
2015 Dubai Club
2015–2016 Zakho
2016–2017 Al-Mina'a
2018–2019 Qadsia
2021–2022 Romania women U19
2022–2023 Romania U17
2023–2024 Romania U18
2024–2025 Romania U19
2025– Romania U18
* Club domestic league appearances and goals

Marin Ion (born 25 March 1955) is a Romanian professional football coach and a former player, currently the head coach of the Romania national under-18 team.

Club career

Ion was born on 25 March 1955 in Ciorogârla, Romania.[1][2] He began playing junior-level football for the club from his local town, alongside his brother Hristache.[2] In 1971, he joined Rapid București's junior center, one year later moving to Dinamo București.[1] While training with Dinamo's senior squad, Ion was nicknamed "Săpăligă" (the Romanian word for a small agricultural hoe) by Lică Nunweiller after a rough tackle.[2]

Ion made his Divizia A debut on 5 April 1975 at age 20, as coach Nicolae Dumitru sent him in the 70th minute to replace Gabriel Sandu in a 2–2 draw against Argeș Pitești.[1][2][3][4] His performance in that match was well-received in the press, with journalist Gheorghe Nicolaescu giving him a grade 7 in the Sportul newspaper and praising his performance.[3] Ion made six appearances until the end of that season, as Dinamo won the title.[1][2][3][5] He repeated the performance in the 1976–77 season, this time playing 21 matches and scoring once under coach Ion Nunweiller.[1][2][3][5] From 1982 to 1984, Ion earned three consecutive Divizia A titles.[1][2][3][5] In the first one, coach Valentin Stănescu gave him 30 appearances.[1][5] In the following two, he worked again with Dumitru and played 29 matches in the first season and 28 in the second.[1][5] Ion also won two Cupa României with Dinamo.[1][2][3] He played the full 90 minutes under Stănescu in the 3–2 win over FC Baia Mare in the 1982 final and in the 1984 final he played the entire match under Dumitru in the 2–1 victory against rivals Steaua București.[1][6] Ion played a total of 30 games in European competitions for The Red Dogs, making some notable performances such as helping the club eliminate Inter Milan in the 1981–82 UEFA Cup.[1][2][3][7] He appeared in eight games in the 1983–84 European Cup, as the club eliminated title holders Hamburg in the campaign, reaching the semi-finals where they were defeated by Liverpool.[1][2][3][8]

In the middle of the 1984–85 season, Ion was transferred from Dinamo to Bihor Oradea in exchange for Ion Adrian Zare.[1][3] One year later, he switched teams again, going to Victoria București.[1][3] Subsequently, Ion went to Rapid for the 1986–87 season, during which he made his last Divizia A appearance on 13 May 1987 in a 1–0 win over Oțelul Galați, totaling 316 matches with seven goals in the competition.[1][2][3] He ended his career after playing a few matches for Pandurii Târgu Jiu in Divizia B.[3]

International career

From 1975 to 1978, Ion made several appearances for Romania's under-21 and under-23 teams.[1][9] However, he never played for Romania's senior team and on 13 May 2020, Gazeta Sporturilor included him in a first XI of best Romanian players who never played for the senior national team.[10]

Managerial career

Ion began his managerial career at Pandurii Târgu Jiu in 1989.[11][12] Subsequently, he worked for Flacăra Moreni.[11] From 1992 to 1996, Ion led Petrolul Ploiești, helping them win the 1994–95 Cupa României by defeating Rapid București in the final.[2][11][12][13][14] In the following years, he coached Farul Constanța, Petrolul once again and Astra Ploiești.[11][12][13] Afterwards, he was coach at Dinamo București, managing to win the 2001–02 Divizia A title.[2][5][11][13] However, with a few rounds before the end of the season, the club's officials insisted that Cornel Dinu be a part of the coaching staff.[2][5][11]

Between 2002 and 2005, Ion oscillated between the Romanian first and second leagues, including two tenures at Bihor Oradea and a stint at Universitatea Cluj—both in Divizia B—while also guiding Divizia A club Farul for one and a half seasons.[11][12][13][15] In 2006, he coached Dinamo for a short while, following Esteban Vigo's departure.[13][16] From 2006 to 2009, he had several spells at Farul.[11][12][13][17] In July 2007, Ion went to Nigeria to observe a trial from which he selected four players, including Kehinde Fatai.[18] Because the players were minors, he had to become their parent in order to transfer them to Farul.[18] In August 2009, Ion became Dario Bonetti's assistant at Dinamo.[19] Two months later, after Bonetti's departure, he was the club's caretaker manager.[13][20]

Ion left Dinamo at the end of October 2009 to join Saudi Pro League club Al-Ettifaq.[12][21][22][23] The team was in last place, but he managed to help them avoid relegation.[22] He was dismissed by Al-Ettifaq in March 2011.[24] Subsequently, Ion coached Dubai Club where in his first game, that occurred in the 2011–12 UAE League Cup, his side defeated Al Wasl 5–0, which was managed by Diego Maradona.[21][25][26] After the match, Maradona told him: "You're great!".[27] In 2012, he came back to Romania, coaching Dinamo's satellite team for seven months.[12][28] In July 2012, Ion was hired as manager by Kuwait SC and during his first season in charge, he won the Kuwaiti Premier League title undefeated and the AFC Cup after defeating Arbil 4–0 in the final.[2][12][21][29][30] In 2013, he was named Kuwaiti Coach of the Year after winning his second AFC Cup title, this time earning a 2–0 victory against Qadsia in the final.[2][12][21][29][31] In April 2014, Ion stepped down as head coach of Kuwait SC, but the team still managed to win the 2013–14 Kuwait Emir Cup.[21][29][32] On 30 September 2014, he became the head coach of the United Arab Emirates club Al Dhafra.[12][21][33] In January 2015 he parted ways with the club.[21] Afterwards, in April 2015 he returned for a short spell at Dubai Club.[21] In April 2016, he was appointed manager of Iraqi side Zakho, replacing Ilie Stan and having compatriot Mihai Leca as one of his players.[12][21][29][34] In 2016, Ion was hired by Iraqi club Al-Mina'a, but stepped down in April 2017.[12][21] In May 2018, he moved back to Kuwait to coach Qadsia.[21][35] His first trophy won there was the 2018 Kuwait Super Cup, achieved by defeating Kuwait SC 2–1, his former team.[12][36] Subsequently, the club won the 2018–19 Kuwait Federation Cup, after a penalty shoot-out victory over Al-Shabab in the final.[12]

In February 2021, Ion was appointed to coach Romania's women under-19 national team.[12][21][37][38] In 2022, he returned to men's football, successively coaching Romania's under-17, under-18 and under-19 national teams.[12][37][39] With the under-19 side, he reached the semi-finals of the 2025 European Championship where they were defeated by the Netherlands.[21][37][40]

Honours

Player

Dinamo București

Manager

Petrolul Ploiești

Dinamo București

Kuwait SC

Qadsia

  • Kuwait Super Cup: 2018[36]
  • Kuwait Federation Cup: 2018–19[36]

Individual

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Marin Ion at RomanianSoccer.ro (in Romanian)
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p "Ion Marin, la borna 70! De unde vine porecla "Săpăligă" și când a debutat ca fotbalist omul cu 5 titluri aduse pentru Dinamo ca jucător și unul ca antrenor: "Și-a văzut cu seriozitate de treabă"" [Ion Marin, at age 70! Where does the nickname "Săpăligă" come from and when did the man with 5 titles for Dinamo as a player and one as a coach debut as a footballer: "He took his job seriously."] (in Romanian). Prosport.ro. 25 March 2025. Retrieved 20 April 2026.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "46 de ani de la debutul dinamovistului cu 5 titluri de campion, cu o semifinală de Cupa Campionilor Europeni, dar cu 0 meciuri la națională" [46 years since the debut of Dinamo with 5 championship titles, a European Champions Cup semi-final, but 0 national team matches] (in Romanian). Gsp.ro. 5 April 2021. Retrieved 20 April 2026.
  4. ^ "Dinamo Bucuresti in 1974–75". Romaniansoccer.ro. Retrieved 20 April 2026.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h "Romania National Champions". Romaniansoccer.ro. Retrieved 20 April 2026.
  6. ^ "Romanian Cup – Season 1981–1982". Romaniansoccer.ro. Retrieved 20 April 2026.
    "Romanian Cup – Season 1983–1984". Romaniansoccer.ro. Retrieved 20 April 2026.
  7. ^ "Când Dinamo elimina marele Inter – Cupa UEFA, turul II, 4 noiembrie 1981" [When Dinamo eliminated the great Inter – UEFA Cup, round II, 4 November 1981] (in Romanian). Tikitaka.ro. 4 November 2017. Retrieved 20 April 2026.
  8. ^ "Dinamo marchează 30 de ani de la semifinala cu Liverpool din Cupa Campionilor" [Dinamo marks 30 years since the semifinal with Liverpool in the Champions Cup] (in Romanian). Digisport.ro. 11 April 2014. Retrieved 20 April 2026.
  9. ^ "Marin Ion profile". 11v11. Retrieved 20 April 2026.
  10. ^ "Ion Oblemenco ar fi împlinit azi 75 de ani! Legendarul jucător nu a prins niciodată naționala. Care sunt cei mai buni fotbaliști fără vreun minut pentru România" [Ion Oblemenco would have turned 75 today! The legendary player never caught the national team. Who are the best footballers without any minutes for Romania] (in Romanian). Gsp.ro. 13 May 2020. Retrieved 20 April 2026.
  11. ^ a b c d e f g h "A antrenat Dinamo și recunoaște: "Nu pot să spun că nu s-a participat la Cooperativă. Înțelegeți, erau niște ordine de sus!"" [He coached Dinamo and admits: "I can't say that there was no participation in the Cooperativa. You understand, there were orders from above!"] (in Romanian). Gsp.ro. 4 May 2024. Retrieved 20 April 2026.
  12. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p "FC Botoșani – Dinamo 2-1. Ion Marin, campion de șase ori cu echipa din "Ștefan cel Mare" ca jucător și antrenor, analizează dezastrul care duce "câinii" înapoi la retrogradare: "Ceva se petrece atunci!". Cifrele incredibile ale meciului uluitor care împinge și mai tare Dinamo spre Liga 2! EXCLUSIV" [FC Botoșani – Dinamo 2-1. Ion Marin, six-time champion with the team from "Ștefan cel Mare" as a player and coach, analyzes the disaster that leads the "dogs" back to relegation: "Something is happening then!". The incredible numbers of the amazing match that pushes Dinamo even harder towards League 2! EXCLUSIVE] (in Romanian). Prosport.ro. 23 April 2024. Retrieved 20 April 2026.
  13. ^ a b c d e f g "Marin Ion profile". Labtof. Retrieved 20 April 2026.
  14. ^ a b "Romanian Cup – Season 1994–1995". Romaniansoccer.ro. Retrieved 20 April 2026.
  15. ^ "Universitatea Cluj 2004–05 season" (in Romanian). 4everucluj.ro.
  16. ^ "La aproape 20 de ani distanță, fostul antrenor de la Dinamo dezvăluie: "Am fost demis fiindcă i-am folosit pe Ștefan Radu și Ropotan! Au încercat să intervină"" [Almost 20 years later, the former Dinamo coach reveals: "I was fired because I used Ștefan Radu and Ropotan! They tried to intervene"] (in Romanian). Gsp.ro. 1 May 2024. Retrieved 20 April 2026.
    "Ion Marin a fost numit noul antrenor al lui Dinamo" [Ion Marin was named the new coach of Dinamo] (in Romanian). Hotnews.ro. 13 May 2020. Retrieved 20 April 2026.
  17. ^ "Ion Marin, noul antrenor la Farul" [Ion Marin, new coach at Farul] (in Romanian). Gsp.ro. 28 November 2007. Retrieved 10 February 2023.
  18. ^ a b "Copiii lui Mos Marin" [Santa Marin's children] (in Romanian). Gsp.ro. 20 December 2007. Retrieved 20 April 2026.
    "Ion Marin a fost cu punga în Nigeria să-l cumpere pe Fatai" [Ion Marin went to Nigeria with the bag to buy Fatai] (in Romanian). Libertatea.ro. 5 August 2014. Retrieved 20 April 2026.
  19. ^ "Ion Marin va fi noul secund al lui Bonetti pe banca tehnica a lui Dinamo" [Ion Marin will be Bonetti's new second on Dinamo's technical bench] (in Romanian). Romaniansoccer.ro. 11 August 2009. Retrieved 20 April 2026.
  20. ^ "Dario Bonetti a fost demis, Ion Marin va asigura interimatul" [Dario Bonetti was dismissed, Ion Marin will provide the interim] (in Romanian). Romaniansoccer.ro. 4 October 2009. Retrieved 20 April 2026.
    "Ion Marin este noul antrenor al lui Dinamo" [Ion Marin is the new coach of Dinamo] (in Romanian). Mediafax.ro. 4 October 2009. Retrieved 20 April 2026.
    "Dinamo Bucureşti dismiss Bonetti". Uefa.com. 4 October 2009. Retrieved 20 April 2026.
  21. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p "S-a impus în străinătate fără să știe o boabă de engleză, apoi a învins o boală teribilă. Secretele lui Ion Marin, selecționerul care a dus România în semifinalele Euro U19" [He established himself abroad without knowing a grain of English, then overcame a terrible illness. The secrets of Ion Marin, the coach who took Romania to the semi-finals of the Euro U19] (in Romanian). Adevarul.ro. 23 June 2025. Retrieved 20 April 2026.
  22. ^ a b "Ion Marin: "Actualii antrenori nu au curajul să promoveze jucătorii tineri". Ce spune despre Mircea Lucescu" [Ion Marin: "Current coaches don't have the courage to promote young players." What he says about Mircea Lucescu] (in Romanian). Sport.ro. 24 November 2023. Retrieved 20 April 2026.
  23. ^ "Ion Marin si-a reziliat contractul cu formatia din Stefan cel Mare" [Ion Marin terminated his contract with the band from Stefan cel Mare] (in Romanian). Romaniansoccer.ro. 23 October 2009. Retrieved 20 April 2026.
  24. ^ "Ion Marin, dat afară de la Al Ettifaq chiar de ziua lui" [Ion Marin, kicked out from Al Ettifaq on his birthday] (in Romanian). Gsp.ro. 25 March 2011. Retrieved 20 April 2026.
  25. ^ Ahmed Rizvi (3 October 2011). "Pro League club Dubai unveil Ion Marin as new coach". The National. Retrieved 13 October 2011.
  26. ^ "Ion Marin: "Maradona e băiat simpatic, dar cînd dă peste români o pățește"" [Ion Marin: "Maradona is a nice guy, but when he comes across Romanians, he gets hurt"] (in Romanian). Gsp.ro. 9 October 2011. Retrieved 20 April 2026.
    "Maradona a luat cinci "Săpăligi"! Ion Marin a zdrobit la debutul pe banca lui Dubai Club echipa argentinianului" [Maradona took five "Săpăligi"! Ion Marin crushed the Argentine's team in his debut on the bench of Dubai Club] (in Romanian). Prosport.ro. 9 October 2011. Retrieved 20 April 2026.
    "Ion Marin: "L-am bătut puțin cam aspru pe Maradona". Mihali s-a fotografiat cu "Zeul"" [Ion Marin: "I beat Maradona a little harshly". Mihali took a picture with "God"] (in Romanian). Evz.ro. 10 October 2011. Retrieved 20 April 2026.
    "Cine este românul care l-a umilit pe Maradona într-un meci oficial? "Era ca un star de Hollywood"" [Who is the Romanian who humiliated Maradona in an official match? "He was like a Hollywood star"] (in Romanian). Orangesport.ro. 27 November 2020. Retrieved 20 April 2026.
  27. ^ "Maradona și românii. Cum a fost când Diego a pierdut, 0-5, în fața lui Ion Marin: "Mister, m-ai omorât!"" [Maradona and the Romanians. What it was like when Diego lost, 0-5, to Ion Marin: "Mister, you killed me!"] (in Romanian). Gsp.ro. 26 November 2020. Retrieved 20 April 2026.
    "Ion Marin a umilit echipa marelui Diego: "Maradona mi-a zis: You're great"" [Ion Marin humiliated the great Diego's team: "Maradona told me: You're great"] (in Romanian). Gsp.ro. 10 October 2011. Retrieved 20 April 2026.
    "Românul care l-a spulberat pe Maradona. I-a dat cinci goluri, iar Diego era uluit: "Tu cine ești, de unde vii? Grande, ai fost mare!"" [The Romanian who shattered Maradona. He scored five goals, and Diego was stunned: "Who are you, where do you come from? You're great, you were great!"] (in Romanian). Libertatea.ro. 27 November 2020. Retrieved 20 April 2026.
  28. ^ "Dinamo II, cantonament în Antalya" [Dinamo II, training camp in Antalya] (in Romanian). Liga2.prosport.ro. 5 February 2012. Retrieved 20 April 2026.
    "Ion Marin, despre intenția "câinilor" de a-l readuce în Ștefan cel Mare: "Nu ne jucăm!" Îl convinge Dinamo?" [Ion Marin, about the "dogs'" intention to bring him back to Ștefan cel Mare: "We're not playing around!" Will Dinamo convince him?] (in Romanian). Iamsport.ro. 30 November 2023. Retrieved 20 April 2026.
  29. ^ a b c d "Cum l-a umilit Ion Marin pe Maradona și cum a stat 7h de vorbă cu Guardiola: "Am avut un singur subiect"" [How Ion Marin humiliated Maradona and how he spent 7 hours talking with Guardiola: "We had only one topic"] (in Romanian). Gsp.ro. 15 December 2021. Retrieved 20 April 2026.
  30. ^ "EXCLUSIV Un interviu inedit cu Ion Marin. A dat peste un Gigi Becali arab în Kuweit și i-a transmis lui Cornel Dinu: "Nimeni nu te plătește pentru ce ai fost"" [EXCLUSIVE A unique interview with Ion Marin. He came across an Arab Gigi Becali in Kuwait and told Cornel Dinu: "Nobody pays you for what you were"] (in Romanian). Adevarul.ro. 10 October 2013. Retrieved 20 April 2026.
    "Marin marvels at magnificent victory". The-AFC.com. 3 November 2012. Archived from the original on 31 May 2014. Retrieved 5 November 2012.
  31. ^ "Ion Marin a cîştigat iar Cupa AFC, cu formaţia Kuwait SC! Antrenorul, la Radio GSP: "Am jucat pe mulţi bani!"" [Ion Marin won the AFC Cup again, with Kuwait SC! The coach, on Radio GSP: "I played for a lot of money!"] (in Romanian). Gsp.ro. 2 November 2013. Retrieved 20 April 2026.
    "Ion lauds historic Kuwait SC title". The-AFC.com. 3 November 2013. Archived from the original on 31 May 2014. Retrieved 7 November 2013.
  32. ^ "Emir Cup Kuwait Final 2014. Al Al Qadsia 1 (3 - 4) 1 Kuwait SC". Besoccer.com. Retrieved 20 April 2026.
  33. ^ "Al Dhafra appoint Marin Ion to replace sacked Karabeg". Sport360.com. 30 September 2014. Retrieved 1 October 2014.
  34. ^ "Ion Marin e rege în Irak! Un jucător de la Al-Zakho l-a pupat!" [Ion Marin is king in Iraq! A player from Al-Zakho kissed him!] (in Romanian). Libertatea.ro. 22 January 2016. Retrieved 23 April 2026.
  35. ^ الروماني إيوان مارين مدربًا للقادسية [Romanian Ion Marin appointed as coach of Al-Qadisiyah] (in Arabic). Kooora. 24 May 2018. Retrieved 5 July 2018.
  36. ^ a b c "Kuwait 2018/19". RSSSF. Retrieved 20 April 2026.
    "46 de ani de la debutul dinamovistului cu 5 titluri de campion, cu o semifinală de Cupa Campionilor Europeni, dar cu 0 meciuri la națională" [46 years since the debut of Dinamo with 5 championship titles, a European Champions Cup semi-final, but 0 national team matches] (in Romanian). Gsp.ro. 5 April 2021. Retrieved 1 May 2023.
  37. ^ a b c "ProSport, confirmat! Ion Marin a revenit pe bancă, după plecarea de la naționala U19" [ProSport, confirmed! Ion Marin returned to the bench after leaving the U19 national team] (in Romanian). Prosport.ro. 2 September 2025. Retrieved 20 April 2026.
  38. ^ "O nouă numire spectaculoasă la loturile naționale de fotbal feminin ale României. Stoichiță: "Am adus un antrenor matur"" [A new spectacular appointment in Romania's women national team staff. Stoichiță: ”We brought a mature coach"]. frf.ro (in Romanian). Retrieved 16 June 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  39. ^ "Ion Marin e șef în bucătărie! Selecționerul României U17 îi învață pe tinerii fotbaliști să mănânce sănătos" [Ion Marin is the boss in the kitchen! The Romanian U17 coach teaches young footballers to eat healthy] (in Romanian). As.ro. 6 December 2022. Retrieved 20 April 2026.
  40. ^ ""O să vă surprind". Anunțul lui Ion Marin, după ce România U19 s-a calificat în semifinale la EURO" ["I'll surprise you." Ion Marin's announcement after Romania U19 qualified for the EURO semifinals] (in Romanian). Digisport.ro. 19 June 2025. Retrieved 20 April 2026.
    "Ion Marin, reacție neașteptată după semifinala cu Olanda U19: "I-am luat în brațe la final, dar primul gol a fost penibil"" [Ion Marin, unexpected reaction after the semifinal with the Netherlands U19: "I hugged them at the end, but the first goal was embarrassing"] (in Romanian). Gsp.ro. 23 June 2025. Retrieved 20 April 2026.
    "Ion Marin revine! Ce echipă va antrena tehnicianul care a făcut minuni cu echipa naţională U19 a României" [Ion Marin is back! Which team will the technician who worked wonders with the Romanian U19 national team coach?] (in Romanian). Orangesport.ro. 2 September 2025. Retrieved 20 April 2026.
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