Biography
He played for Universitatea Craiova from 1976 to 1990, scoring 34 goals in 304 top-flight matches, plus 8 goals in 38 European games. For Romania he scored 3 times in 24 matches. The goal of his career came in Bratislava: it took Romania to the 1984 European Championship finals as winners of a qualifying group that included world champions Italy, Czechoslovakia, Sweden and Cyprus. After that goal, the chant “From Pielești to Bratislava / From Craiova to Glasgow / All of Europe is humming / Come on Geolgău, Geolgău, Geolgău!” rang out countless times at the old Central stadium.
Geolgău scored another priceless goal in extra time against Bordeaux. In the 101st minute the Craiova forward struck to make it 2–1 and knock out the French side, prompting the writer Fănuș Neagu’s headline: “Zaibăr has beaten Bordeaux” – a nod to the local Oltenian wine.
