Marcel Sabou
Personal information
Date of birth (1965-08-22) 22 August 1965
Place of birth Timișoara, Romania
Position(s) Midfielder
Youth career
Politehnica Timișoara
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1985–1986 Politehnica Timișoara 46 (9)
1986–1989 Dinamo București 48 (0)
1989–1990 Real Madrid Castilla 7 (0)
1990–1991 Tenerife 20 (0)
1991–1993 Racing Santander 66 (9)
1993–1996 Sporting Gijón 72 (6)
1996–1998 Desportivo Chaves 59 (10)
Total 318 (34)
International career
1986–1987 Romania U-21 7 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Marcel Sabou (born 22 August 1965) is a Romanian retired footballer who played for amongst others, Romanian side Dinamo București, Spanish sides CD Tenerife, Racing Santander and Sporting de Gijón, and Portuguese side Desportivo Chaves.[1][2] In 2013 he was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a disease that causes the death of neurons controlling voluntary muscles.[3]

Escape from Communist Romania

Sabou is one of the few footballers who managed to escape from Romania's communist regime, at that time defection from the country being illegal.[4][5][6]

His escape was in 1989 while he was playing for Dinamo București in a friendly tournament held in Madrid, Spain.[5] Together with teammate Gheorghe Viscreanu, he sneaked out of the hotel and went to the airport.[6] They bought tickets to Frankfurt where Sabou said he had a friend who would help them, but when they arrived they didn't have an entrance visa so they were sent back to Madrid.[5] When they got back at the airport from Madrid, they found out that their visa for Spain was no longer available.[5] A police commissioner from the airport understood their situation and allowed them to stay in the airport for two days and introduced them to some people he knew from Rayo Vallecano.[5] They signed three-year contracts with Rayo, but did not play in the first one because in those times there was a rule that every footballer who ran away from the communist bloc would be suspended for one year before being allowed to play again.[4][5] Viscreanu and Sabou made an agreement that they would not sign a contract one without the other, but Sabou did not respect this pact as he signed with Real Madrid Castilla without thinking of Viscreanu's situation, a fact that ruined their friendship.[6]

Honours

Politehnica Timișoara

References

  1. ↑ "E pe locul 4 în topul românilor cu cele mai multe meciuri în Primera! "Am bătut şi Barça, şi Realul!" [He is ranked 4th in the Romanians top with most matches in Primera! "I beat both Barça and Real!"] (in Romanian). prosport.ro. Retrieved 16 April 2018.
  2. ↑ "Marcel Sabou: "Cred ca stie mult mai multa lume de mine in Spania decat in Romania."" [Marcel Sabou: "I think that more people know about me in Spain than in Romania."] (in Romanian). sptfm.ro. Retrieved 16 April 2018.
  3. ↑ "REPORTAJ EMOȚIONANT – Povestea tulburătoare a lui Marcel Sabou: de la transferul la Real Madrid la 6 ani în vârtejul ALS, o boală incurabilă" [EXCITING REPORT – Marcel Sabou's disturbing story: from the transfer to Real Madrid to 6 years in the whirlwind of ALS, an incurable disease] (in Romanian). Sptfm.ro. 16 January 2020. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
  4. 1 2 "Gheorghe Viscreanu, singurul fotbalist roman care a fugit de doua ori din tara, in comunism: "Vorbeam de doua ori pe saptamana cu Hagi, dupa ce a venit la Madrid"" [Gheorghe Viscreanu, the only Romanian footballer who fled the country twice, during communism: "I used to talk twice a week with Hagi, after he came to Madrid"] (in Romanian). Sptfm.ro. 25 November 2014. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Gheorghe Viscreanu, fost jucător la Steaua și Dinamo, face o incursiune răscolitoare prin viața sa: "Australia m-a extrădat în baza unui pact secret cu Ceaușescu"" [Gheorghe Viscreanu, former player at Steaua and Dinamo, makes a tumultuous foray through his life: "Australia extradited me on the basis of a secret pact with Ceausescu"] (in Romanian). Gsp.ro. 27 January 2020. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
  6. 1 2 3 "A doua parte a confesiunilor lui Gheorghe Viscreanu: "Chef de pomină cu colegi de la Dinamo, Steaua și 22 de balerine" + "Am spart banii la cazinou ca să nu-i împart cu soția la divorț"" [The second part of Gheorghe Viscreanu's confessions: "Party with colleagues from Dinamo, Steaua and 22 ballerinas" + "I broke the money at the casino so as not to share it with my wife at divorce"] (in Romanian). Gsp.ro. 27 January 2020. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
  7. ↑ Marcel Sabou at RomanianSoccer.ro (in Romanian)


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