Marcel Răducanu

Who is Marcel Răducanu?

Marcel Răducanu is a former footballer who played for Steaua Bucureşti, Borussia Dortmund, FC Zürich and the Romanian national team.

Between 1976 and 1981, he played 21 games for Romanian national team, during which he scored three goals. He played nearly 80 matches scoring many goals for Romania's Under-16, U-18, national youth sides, respectively for the U-21 and U-23, being the team's best all-around player and also made two appearances for the Olympic team.

In 1980, he was voted as the best Romanian football player.

After playing for Steaua Bucureşti in the '70s, when he won two championships and also two Romanian Cups, Răducanu defected following a match in Dortmund, West Germany in 1981. In his native Romania this act was considered a desertion, as he was a Captain in the Romanian army. Therefore he was sentenced to nearly six years in prison in his absence.

Once in Germany he signed with both Hannover 96 and Borussia Dortmund clubs, and as a result was suspended by UEFA for one year. In order to have his services, Borussia Dortmund paid half a million deutschmarks to the Hannover club, and Răducanu made his debut in Bundesliga in 1982.