RRI Live!

Listen to Radio Romania International Live

Romanian Footballer Helmut Duckadam

Romanian goalkeeper Helmut Duckadam made history with his side, Steaua Bucharest, in the 1986 finals of the European Champions Cup

Helmut Duckadam (Photo: Agerpres)
Helmut Duckadam (Photo: Agerpres)

, 24.02.2025, 13:45

The former Romanian goalkeeper, Helmut Duckadam, known as the «Hero of Seville», left us in December, last year, at the age of only 65. This famous footballer had faced several health issues in recent years and, according to newspapers in Bucharest, in the autumn of 2024 he was subjected to an open-heart surgery.

On May 7, 1986, Romanian eleven, Steaua Bucharest, obtained the most important performance in the history of the Romanian football, the European Champions’ Cup. Steaua made history that year in Seville by defeating the Spanish champions, FC Barcelona, in the penalty shootout.

Marius Lăcătuş and Gabi Balint scored for Steaua, but the real hero of the Romanian side that night was its goalie, Helmut Duckadam, who managed to save all the four shots of the opponents and brought home the trophy.

Helmut Duckadam was born on April 1, 1959, in Arad county, western Romania, in a locality first documented in 1256. He made his debut in football with the local side, Semlacana, then he joined the School Football Club Gloria Arad. He made his debut in senior competitions in 1977, as the goalie of third-leaguer Constructorul Arad. In the first Romanian football league he played in September 1978, in a game against CS Târgovişte, his side, UTA, lost 2-0.

He was part of the UTA lineup for four years after which he signed up with Steaua Bucharest, the best Romanian football side at that time.

With Steaua he won the national championship twice, in 1985 and 1986. After the famous victory in the European Champions Cup, he had to give up his sports career after a surgery in his right arm caused by an aneurysm. He came back to the pitch in 1989, with the second leaguer Vagonul Arad, where he stayed for two seasons. After the end of his sporting career, he joined the Border Police where he worked for a while before his departure to the United States, where he spent one year. Upon his return to Romania he joined the sports world again by serving as honorary president of the former football club, Steaua Bucharest, today known as FCSB.

(bill)

Sports Roundup
Sport Thursday, 03 April 2025

Sports Roundup

The Romanian women’s volleyball side Alba Blaj has again lost the CEV Cup finals. The Romanians conceded a 3-0 home defeat against Italian side...

Sports Roundup
Photo: pixabay.com
Sport Wednesday, 02 April 2025

RRI Sports Club – Handball

At the level of national clubs, Romanian women’s handball remains at the top of European rankings. Three Romanian teams this year reached the...

RRI Sports Club – Handball
Julia Sauter (Photo: facebook.com/CSMCoronaBrasov)
Sport Tuesday, 01 April 2025

Athlete of the Week

Romania has got its first plane ticket to the Winter Olympic Games due next year in Milan and Cortina D’Ampezzo, Italy. Julia Sauter, a figure...

Athlete of the Week
Sports Roundup
Sport Friday, 28 March 2025

Sports weekend

Four Romanian teams this coming weekend will prove their mettle in European women’s handball competitions. In a second-leg confrontation CSM...

Sports weekend
Sport Thursday, 27 March 2025

Sports flash

Skater Julia Sauter, a German athlete competing for Romanian has qualified to the Winter Olympic Game, to be held in Italy’s Milan in 2026. She...

Sports flash
Sport Wednesday, 26 March 2025

RRI Sports Club

The debut of Romania’s football side in the preliminaries of World Cup 2026 was below par. Last Friday, the trainees of headcoach Mircea Lucescu...

RRI Sports Club
Sport Monday, 24 March 2025

Sports Roundup

The Romanian tennis player Anca Todoni has won the WTA 125 tournament in Antalya, with 115 thousand dollars in prize money. The Romanian has...

Sports Roundup
Sport Friday, 21 March 2025

Sports weekend

China’s Nanjing these days plays host to the World Indoor Athletics Championships. A five-strong Romanian delegation will prove its mettle in the...

Sports weekend

Partners

Muzeul Național al Țăranului Român Muzeul Național al Țăranului Român
Liga Studentilor Romani din Strainatate - LSRS Liga Studentilor Romani din Strainatate - LSRS
Modernism | The Leading Romanian Art Magazine Online Modernism | The Leading Romanian Art Magazine Online
Institului European din România Institului European din România
Institutul Francez din România – Bucureşti Institutul Francez din România – Bucureşti
Muzeul Național de Artă al României Muzeul Național de Artă al României
Le petit Journal Le petit Journal
Radio Prague International Radio Prague International
Muzeul Național de Istorie a României Muzeul Național de Istorie a României
ARCUB ARCUB
Radio Canada International Radio Canada International
Muzeul Național al Satului „Dimitrie Gusti” Muzeul Național al Satului „Dimitrie Gusti”
SWI swissinfo.ch SWI swissinfo.ch
UBB Radio ONLINE UBB Radio ONLINE
Strona główna - English Section - polskieradio.pl Strona główna - English Section - polskieradio.pl
creart - Centrul de Creație Artă și Tradiție al Municipiului Bucuresti creart - Centrul de Creație Artă și Tradiție al Municipiului Bucuresti
italradio italradio
Institutul Confucius Institutul Confucius
BUCPRESS - știri din Cernăuți BUCPRESS - știri din Cernăuți

Affiliates

Euranet Plus Euranet Plus
AIB | the trade association for international broadcasters AIB | the trade association for international broadcasters
Digital Radio Mondiale Digital Radio Mondiale
News and current affairs from Germany and around the world News and current affairs from Germany and around the world
Comunità radiotelevisiva italofona Comunità radiotelevisiva italofona

Providers

RADIOCOM RADIOCOM
Zeno Media - The Everything Audio Company Zeno Media - The Everything Audio Company