Biography
Nicknamed “the Minister of Defence”, Costică Ștefănescu joined Universitatea Craiova from Steaua in 1973, in an exchange for Sameș. His first season in white and blue also brought Universitatea’s first league title. He captained the side for more than a decade, through the peak years of Craiova Maxima, and wore the Știința shirt from 1973 to 1986. He made 490 top-flight appearances, scoring 19 goals, and won 66 caps for Romania. He won three league titles with Universitatea and lifted the Romanian Cup four times.
The writer Ioan Chirilă said of him: “You always have the impression that he has left his attaché case on a conference table in Geneva or Stockholm. He speaks little, especially in the years since he became captain of Craiova and of the national team. He weighs his words carefully. In his presence, jokes always become more modest. Even Cârțu obeys this rule. He often gives the impression of being the leader of a shock brigade fighting to keep the dyke standing during a flood.”
