Ion Oblemenco

Birth date: May 13th 1945, Corabia-Olt

1958-1960: played for Dunarea Corabia

1960-1962: played for CFR Electroputere Craiova

1962-1964: played for CS Craiova

1964-1966: played for Rapid Bucuresti

1966-1977: played for Universitatea Craiova

1974: Champion Of Romania

1977: Cup Of Romania winner

1977-1978: played for FCM Galati

1978-1979: vice-president of Universitatea Craiova

1979-1980: assistant coach of Universitatea Craiova

1980: Champion Of Romania

1980-1982: trainer of Universitatea Craiova

1981: Champion Of Romania, Cup Of Romania winner

1982-1985: trainer of Chimia Ramnicu-Valcea

1985: trainer of FC Olt

1992-1993: trainer of Universitatea Craiova

1996: trainer of Hassania Agadîr

Death date: September the 1st 1996

Games played in "Divizia A": 285 / 170 scored goals

4 times most valuable scorer of Romania: 1966/67, 1969/70, 1971/72, 1972/73

Honour citizen - post mortem - of Craiova City

Ion Oblemenco was a legend. He was also called "The Gunner" because he scored many times for Universitatea Craiova. His colegue Petre Deselnicu said: "I've kissed Oblemenco more than my wife, because he scored so much goals for our team".

October 28th 1972. The Nr.1 Hospital from Craiova. A man between life and death. A young man, 26 years old. Four days ago he suffered first surgical intervention. Yesterday he suffered another one. Doudenal ulcer with perforation. Today this man between life and death speaks all alone. He is delirious. He cries. He asks for water: "Water, water, water!" The nurse stand up and go hurry to find someone. His wife is right near Oblemenco's bed. She doesn't know what to do. What's happen with his husband? He's speaking again: "Water, water! Let's go fellows! We must score right now!" He doesn't know if he will rise again. But he speaks a familiar language. a language of passion, of a hobby of an entire life: Football. Even when he is delirious he things about goals, about scoring. A man like him can not die so easy. "Please, God, let him alive!", "Please, God, don't let him die!", "Do you hear me, Ion?" And Ion was alive. He recovered very fast. He played again, and he scored again. Some people need a story to write a book. Ion Oblemenco lived such a story. And there is a book written about him: "Ion Oblemenco si Campioana unei mari iubiri" - Ion Oblemenco and The Champion Of A Great Love. This was the name of the team in which Ion Oblemenco played. Universitatea Craiova - The Champion Of A Great Love. He fought with the death and he wonn against it. He was really a winner.

He was twice on the surgery table, and this happened in only 60 hours. He was twice half dead, half alive but he survived. And he came back on the football field despiting the death.

He came back scoring goals. He scored after this intervention 15 goals on 4 months and he was again the most valuable striker of Romania. He wonn this tile 4 times in his carrier. That is a record which resited until nowadays.

Ion Oblemenco had a great popularity in Craiova and in Oltenia (district of Craiova). When he was in that hospital, people went there as at a curch, when the people goes to see the saints. The fans of Universitatea Craiova come everyday there and they never turn back home until they know if ion Oblemenco is better or not. And their number was bigger and bigger again. Because all the people wanted to make sure this man, saw as a rescuer of our team, was OK. After this episode, nobody can not say if Oblemenco will play again. He was the only one who wanted to come back on the football field and fight again for our team. Universitatea Craiova was the second on the final table in that year and finaly wonn his firs title in history next year. Ion Oblemenco was his captain and he was the most valuable striker in Romania for the seasons 1966-1967, 1969-1970, 1971-1972, 1972-1973.

Ion Oblemenco was born in Corabia-Olt, on May 13th 1945. He played for Universitatea Craiova from 1966 until 1978 and he was the trainer of this team in 1980-1982. He died on September the 1st 1996 in Agadir, Maroq. May God rest him in peace.