Monday, June 20, 2011

Daniele Dondé, the most collected Italian artist in the world. Inventor of "legal fakes" paintings

Daniele Dondé was born in Cremona, the birthplace of so many internationally famous artists, the greatest of whom being the violinmaker Antonio Stradivari.

Dondé, the son of renowned art collectors, learned to love art from an early age, in particular, the contemporary art in his family's art collection. This collection became famous following the death of his father, as Dondé was forced to sell it for financial reasons and in the midst of this crisis he learned that 50% of the works in this prestigious collection, bought from generations of hard work and sacrifices, were in fact fakes. Following this crippling disappointment, Dondé intended to make it the aim of his life to discover who could have tricked his family, by searching out those who had created these beautiful but deceptive fakes.

Once he had tracked down the forgers, he threatened to notify the authorities if they failed to accept his somewhat indecent proposal: they had to agree to work solely for him, not to cheat collectors but rather in order to make great art masterpieces available to all, at prices that the wider public could afford.


This was in 1983 and so he had realised a great dream and at the same time he had exacted revenge on dishonest gallery owners as he had denied them access to those who would create the fakes for them. He had legalised the work of the forgers, bringing it to the light of day and creating a worldwide respected artistic movement that aroused the interest of art collectors from all over the world.

In 1984 he became the undisputed leader of the idea that until that moment had been considered crazy and unachievable. Working constantly and with determination, he took his idea around the world, putting on exhibitions of "legal fakes", in major cities: Milan, Rome, Geneva, Zurich, Munich, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Madrid, Barcelona, Istanbul, Cyprus, Paris, London, New York, Moscow, Sydney, Tokyo, Kyoto, St Moritz, Gstaad, Monte Carlo, etc. In these cities and elsewhere he has organised temporary exhibitions that have attracted millions of art lovers and collectors. The copies on show are of works by Van Gogh, Monet, Renoir, Degas, Modigliani, Sisley, Lautrec, Pissarro, in short all the most highly sought after and valuable masterpieces that have been made accessible to the general public and are no longer reserved for a few multi-millionaires. Dondé's motto is: "give everyone a masterpiece".

In 1990 at his exhibition in Manhattan a New York, Dondé was given the honorary title of Professor and Doctor of modern and contemporary art from the prestigious American University, an honour that few international artists have received.

In 1999 in Geneva he received recognition from another source, "Crystal Globe", which is only given to the most famous Italians in the world.

Dondé, appreciated by internationally famous VIP's like Frank Sinatra, Roger Moore, Sofia Loren, Harnold Swarzenneger, Sultan of Brunei, Albert of Monaco, Mohammed Al Fayed, Flavio Briatore, Gianluca Vialli, etc., is credited with having created the biggest and most popular art movement in the world, in which European, Asian, Australian and American artists have copied and followed the crazy idea that Dondé had and they have all continued to contribute to the diffusion of legalised fakes throughout the world.
His participation has led to this movement also starting in China, where they produce copies that are of poor quality artistically but have a high commercial value. Dondé therefore also has the responsibility or the merit of having suggested to the Chinese forgers that they make copies of great European works of art and so China lives and makes a living thanks to the extraordinary idea that came out of the dream of a young man from a small art town in the provinces, who, through taking revenge on those who wronged his family, accidentally spread the strangest idea ever dreamed all over the world. The world of contemporary art owes a great deal to Dondé.

Dondé now lives and works in his contemporary art studio, art of the future, art that many museums would already like to monopolize; Dondé is the name to invest in now, right now. For more than 25 years Dondé has been the modern world leader in contemporary art. Dondé is the most popular and most collected Italian of all the new artists that have appeared on the world scene; no other living artist has been so widely sought after by the media; over 10,000 interviews in 30 years, over 10,000 photographic sessions with the most important European, Asian, Australian, American and even Chinese media in the world.

Dondé is considered a legend in modern and contemporary art and his works are on show in the homes of the richest families in the world. Any millionaire, VIP or member of the jet set of any importance will boast of having in his collection a work that has been signed by Dondé, the most highly acclaimed and photographed of his VIP collectors.

Dondé currently lives and works between Italy and Switzerland in his studio show-room in Lugano.

Sunday, June 19, 2011

Gheorghe Hagi la Campionatul European: ROMÂNIA - Franța 0-1, 10 iunie 1996

Formatii:

Bogdan Stelea - Miodrag Belodedici , Gheorghe Mihali , Dan Petrescu , Gheorghe Popescu , Tibor Selymes - Gheorghe Hagi , Ionut Lupescu , Dorinel Munteanu - Marius Lacatus , Florin Răducioiu

Trainer: Anghel Iordanescu


Bernard Lama - Laurent Blanc , Marcel Desailly , Éric Di Meco , Lilian Thuram - Didier Deschamps , Youri Djorkaeff , Vincent Guérin , Christian Karembeu , Zinédine Zidane - Christophe Dugarry
Trainer: Aime Jacquet

Saturday, June 18, 2011

Gheorghe Hagi la Campionatul Mondial: ROMÂNIA - Argentina 3-2, 3 iulie 1994

Argentina took to the field with two changes enforced by the absence of Maradona and Caniggia. Coming in to stiffen the midfield was Jose Basualdo, while a youthful Ariel Ortega was handed the responsibility of feeding strike pair Batistuta and Balbo. Romania, meanwhile, set up their stall around a rugged defensive line and a solid midfield geared up to make full use of their speed on the break.


And after surviving two early scares when keeper Florin Prunea needed to be at his agile best to deny Balbo and Batistuta, coach Anghel Iordinescu’s charges took the lead thanks to an 11th-minute free-kick from the left flank by Ilie Dumitrescu, which wrong-footed Albiceleste custodian Luis Islas and sailed into the far corner. Stung by the goal, Argentina struck back within five minutes via a Batistuta penalty, after the powerful forward was brought down by Daniel Prodan just inside the box.

Yet Batigol barely had time to celebrate his fourth strike of the competition. Just two minutes later, Dumitrescu latched onto an inch-perfect pass from the roving Hagi to touch the ball past Islas and into the net – the culmination of a textbook counter-attacking move. Argentina showed spirit to take the fight to Romania for the remainder of the first half, though their European opponents looked capable of extending their lead with each lightning break.

The second period followed a similar pattern, with Basile’s team throwing men forward in search of an equaliser, only to be denied time and again by the reflexes of Prunea and some wayward finishing. They would pay dearly for their profligacy on 58 minutes when a Basualdo misjudgement left his team overrun at the back. Dumitrescu was able to carry the ball half the length of the field and commit several defenders before releasing the onrushing Hagi, whose first-time shot with his weaker right foot flew past the hapless Islas.

Argentina continued to battle bravely despite this latest setback, with Basile throwing on prolific striker Ramon Medina Bello for defender Roberto Sensini in a bid to reduce the deficit. Continually repelled by Prunea, La Albiceleste’s pressure finally paid off after the keeper’s only slip-up of an immense display – a spill from a long-rang Fernando Caceres effort that Balbo tucked away on 75 minutes. Hagi and his men held firm, however, to see out a 3-2 win and seal a place in the quarter-finals.

Goluri 11' 1-0 Ilie Dumitrescu (free-kick)
16' 1-1 Gabriel Batistuta (penalty)
18' 2-1 Ilie Dumitrescu (assist - Gheorghe Hagi)
58' 3-1 Gheorghe Hagi (assist - Ilie Dumitrescu)
75' 3-2 Abel Balbo

Arbitru Pierluigi Pairetto (Italy)

ROMANIA AGE D.O.B. CLUB
1 GK Florin Prunea 25 08 Aug 1968 Dinamo Bucharest
2 DF Dan Petrescu 26 22 Dec 1967 Genoa (ITA)
3 DF Daniel Prodan 22 23 Mar 1972 Steaua Bucharest
4 DF Miodrag Belodedici 30 20 May 1964 Valencia (SPA)
13 DF Tibor Selymes 24 14 May 1970 Cercle Brügge (BEL)
14 DF Gheorghe Mihali 28 09 Dec 1965 Dinamo Bucharest
5 MD Ioan Lupescu 25 09 Dec 1968 Bayer Leverkusen (GER)
6 MD Gheorghe Popescu 26 09 Oct 1967 PSV Eindhoven (NED)
7 MD Dorinel Munteanu 26 25 Jun 1968 Cercle Brügge (BEL)
10 MD Gheorghe Hagi (c) (-85) 29 05 Feb 1965 Brescia (ITA)
11 MD Ilie Dumitrescu (-89) 25 06 Jan 1969 Steaua Bucharest

Substitutes
19 DF Corneliu Papura (+89) 20 05 Sep 1973 Universitatea Craiova
18 MD Constantin Galca (+85) 22 08 Mar 1972 Steaua Bucharest

Coach: Anghel Iordanescu 44 04 May 1950

ARGENTINA AGE D.O.B. CLUB
12 GK Luis Islas 28 22 Dec 1965 Independiente
3 DF Jose Chamot 25 17 May 1969 Foggia (ITA)
4 DF Roberto Sensini (-62) 27 12 Oct 1966 Parma (ITA)
6 DF Oscar Ruggeri (c) 32 26 Jan 1962 San Lorenzo
13 DF Fernando Caceres 25 07 Feb 1969 Real Zaragoza (SPA)
5 MD Fernando Redondo 25 06 Jun 1969 CD Tenerife (SPA)
8 MD Jose Basualdo 31 20 Jun 1963 Velez Sarsfield
14 MD Diego Simeone 24 28 Apr 1970 Sevilla (SPA)
9 FW Gabriel Batistuta 25 01 Feb 1969 AC Fiorentina (ITA)
17 FW Ariel Ortega 20 04 Mar 1974 River Plate
19 FW Abel Balbo 28 01 Jun 1966 AS Roma (ITA)

Substitutes
11 FW Ramon Medina Bello (+62) 28 29 Apr 1966 Yokohama Marinos (JPN)

Coach: Alfio Basile 50 01 Nov 1943

Friday, June 17, 2011

Gheorghe Hagi la Campionatul Mondial: ROMÂNIA - Columbia 1-0, 15 iunie 1998

Adrian Ilie's 15-meter shot 1st half injury time gave Romania a 1-0 victory over Colombia in their Group G opener Monday, 15 June 1998.

The Valencia striker outmaneuvered midfielder Maurizio Serna and defender Everth Palacios and lobbed the ball over advancing goalkeeper Farid Mondragon.


Colombia nearly tied the game in the 85th minute when replacement Adolfo Valencia shot from 30 meters.

The Romanian squad, still built around the core of veterans that played at the 1994 World Cup in the United States, set the pace for much of the match.

At the start of the second half, Colombia's coach Hernan Dario Gomez livened up his attack by substituting ineffective striker Victor Aritsizabal with Valencia.

In the first half, Colombia started briskly, eager to avenge defeat by Romania at the last World Cup. But its passing was ragged and easily intercepted by the Romanians, who quickly established midfield dominance.

Ilie had the first scoring chance on a fast break in the 11th minute, when he beat three defenders in the box and crossed the ball to unmarked Viorel Moldovan, who failedto connect from 7 meters.

Five minutes later, Colombian goalkeeper Farid Mondragon stretched to his right to stop a rasping shot from Dorinel Munteanu from the edge of the box, then knocked away the rebound hit by Ilie.

In the 40th minute, Moldovan intercepted a ricochet in the Colombian box, but his header from 6 meters just missed the right post.

"In the first period we lacked cohesion and clarity. After the break we were much more determined but unfortunately we missed all our scoring opportunities," Gomez told reporters.

Formatii:

Romania: Bogdan Stelea; Dan Petrescu, Gheorghe Popescu, Liviu Ciubotariu; Iulian Filipescu, Dorinel Munteanu, Gheorghe Hagi (Lucian Marinescu, 76), Constantin Galca, Gabriel Popescu (Ovidiu Stinga, 68); Adrian Ilie, Viorel Moldovan (Radu Niculescu, 85)

Colombia: Farid Mondragon; WilmerCabrera, Jorge Bermudez, Everth Palacios, Jose Santa; Maurizio Serna, Harold Lozano, Freddy Rincon, Carlos Valderrama; Victor Aristizabal (Adolfo Valencia, 46), Faustino Asprilla (Leider Preciado, 85).

Arbitru: Lim Kee Chong (Mauritius).

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Dumitru Prunariu, primul - și ultimul :) - cosmonaut român

Dumitru Dorin Prunariu (n. 27 septembrie 1952, Brașov) este primul cosmonaut român. La 14 mai 1981 a devenit primul și singurul român care a zburat vreodată în spațiul cosmic. A participat la misiunea Soiuz 40 din cadrul programului spațial „Intercosmos” și a petrecut în spațiu 7 zile, 20 de ore și 42 de minute. Este de profesie inginer aeronautic. A fost pe rând ofițer inginer în cadrul Comandamentului Aviației Militare, șef al Aviației civile române, președinte al Agenției Spațiale Române, ambasador al României în Federația Rusă, președintele Consiliului de ne-militarizare a spațiului cosmic din cadrul ONU. În prezent are gradul de general maior (cu 2 stele) în rezervă.


Născut în orașul Brașov la 27 septembrie 1952, Dumitru Prunariu a absolvit Liceul de Matematică-Fizică nr.1 din orașul natal în anul 1971. Tatăl său era de profesie inginer, iar mama cadru didactic la o școală generală. Pasiunea lui Prunariu pentru zbor s-a manifestat încă din copilărie.

Micul Prunariu și-a început calea spre stele de la cercul de aeromodelism de la Casa pionierilor din Brașov, unde construia modele de planoare și de avioane, visând să devină constructor de aparate de zbor. Avea 17 ani când a dobândit premiul republican la Concursul de creații tehnice „Minitehnicus”. Cu această ocazie a primit carnetul de membru Minitehnicus nr. 103. 11 ani mai târziu avea să devină cel de-al 103-lea pământean care a ajuns în Cosmos.

A absolvit Facultatea de Inginerie Aerospațială din cadrul Universității "Politehnica" din București în anul 1976 cu specializarea inginerie aeronautică. După finalizarea studiilor universitare, a lucrat ca inginer stagiar la Întreprinderea de Construcții Aeronautice (IAR) din Ghimbav (județul Brașov), între anii 1976-1977. Ulterior, în cartea „La cinci minute după cosmos”, scrisă împreună cu ziaristul Alexandru Stark, Prunariu avea să spună că dacă nu ar fi fost cooptat în detașamentul cosmonauților, ar fi construit la uzină, împreună cu soția, elicopterele și avioanele atât de râvnite în copilărie.


În anul 1974 s-a căsătorit cu Crina Rodica Prunariu, cu care a fost coleg de facultate, actualmente diplomat în cadrul Ministerului Afacerilor Externe, fiind din 2007 ambasadorul României în Armenia. În 1975 s-a născut primul lor fiu, Radu-Cătălin, iar în 1977 al doilea fiu, Ovidiu-Daniel.

În mai 1977, au început să se facă selecționări pentru programul de zboruri cosmice Intercosmos , inițiat de către URSS și adresat țărilor aliate socialiste. Inițial, pentru detașamentul cosmonauților s-au oferit voluntar peste 150 de candidați, majoritatea fiind piloți de avioane supersonice și ingineri. "Programul „Intercosmos” era un program cosmic bine definit, care avea prevederi foarte clare și o evoluție bine precizată: de la experimente care au fost efectuate în regim automat la bordul diferitelor rachete de mare altitudine sau nave cosmice sovietice, până la experimente complexe efectuate de cosmonauți."

În timpul stagiului militar efectuat în cadrul Școlii de ofițeri de rezervă aviație de la Bacău, în mai 1977, comandantul de atunci al unității militare, locotenentul-colonel Ioan Săndulescu Stahie (cel care avea să devină mai târziu general-comandor de aviație și să îndeplinească funcția de comandant al Aviației și Apărării Antiaeriene a Teritoriului până în 1997), a intrat la curs și i-a anunțat pe inginerii militari TR că se fac selecționări pentru programul Intercosmos. 17 dintre ei au acceptat. După efectuarea testelor medicale la București, toți 17 au fost respinși. Motivul respingerii lui Prunariu a fost faptul că la probele de efort, pe fondul unei gripe de moment, i se depistaseră perturbații ale parametrilor inimii. La două luni după respingere, dosarele a cinci candidați între care și Prunariu au fost reluate, acesta reușind de data aceasta să treacă cu succes de toate probele. Din toate grupele de selecție au rămas in acea fază șapte candidați, doi au renunțat din motive personale, iar încă doi au fost eliminați după o pregătire inițială și ultimele faze de testare efectuate în țară.

Dumitru Prunariu finalizează, în septembrie 1977, cursurile Școlii de ofițeri de rezervă aviație din Bacău, cu gradul de sublocotenent în rezervă.


În toamna anului 1977, candidații cosmonauți au fost detașați de la locurile lor de muncă la unitatea militară de aviație de la Bacău, fiind incluși într-un program de pregătire multidisciplinar. Pregătirea a cuprins o serie de cursuri de pregătire teoretică efectuate la Academia Militară din București, câteva zeci de ore de zbor pe avioane MIG 15 efectuate la Bacău și educație fizică și cursuri de limba rusă efectuate la Poiana Brașov. Ofițerul responsabil cu pregătirea fizică primise ordin ca în două luni să scoată din inginerii candidați cosmonauți sportivi de performanță. Pe fondul unor exagerări în solicitările la efort fizic fără perioade adecvate de recuperare, în caracterizarea lui Prunariu s-a scris: "oarecare lipsă de voință în pregătirea fizică“. La data de 1 ianuarie 1978, erau totuși selecționați trei candidați ca membri ai grupului de pregătire a cosmonauților din cadrul Misiunii Spațiale Româno-Sovietice Intercosmos. Cei trei candidați erau ing. Dumitru-Dorin Prunariu, ing. Cristian Guran și căpitanul ing. Mitică Dediu. Înainte de zborul cosmic lui Dediu i s-a schimbat oficial prenumele din Mitică în Dumitru, iar referitor la Dumitru-Dorin Prunariu s-a decis ca în presă să apară doar cu prenumele Dumitru.

Aceștia trei au plecat la Moscova pentru a fi supuși unei evaluări finale de către specialiștii ruși din cadrul Institutului de Cercetări Biomedicale în domeniul aviației și cosmonauticii. Dumitru Dediu era cu 10 ani mai în vârstă decât Prunariu și cu 9 decât Guran și după regulile militare era considerat drept favorit. După testele de la Moscova, Cristian Guran (foarte bine pregătit profesional) a fost eliminat din echipa de potențiali cosmonauți români din cauza unor probleme ale aparatului vestibular.

În cele din urmă, Prunariu și Dediu au fost aleși să efectueze programul întreg de pregătire pentru a deveni cosmonauți. „Condiția mea fizică, adică sportivă, lăsa de dorit. S-a îmbunătățit abia la ruși. Medical, trecuserăm de toate testele”, spune Dumitru Prunariu. Dumitru Dediu, însă, chiar dacă nu avea cele mai bune performanțe la capitolul științific, excela fizic și medical.

Timp de trei ani, în perioada martie 1978-mai 1981, Prunariu și Dediu au urmat o pregătire de specialitate în calitate de candidați cosmonauți la Centrul de Pregătire a Cosmonauților "Iuri Gagarin" din Zviozdnîi Gorodok - „Orășelul Stelar” (aflat în apropiere de Moscova).


A doua grupă Intercosmos care a început pregătirea în martie 1978 în "Orășelul Stelar" a constat din câte doi candidați din cinci țări: Bulgaria, Ungaria, Cuba, Mongolia și România. În acea perioadă zburau deja în cosmos reprezentanții primei grupe Intercosmos, formată din Cehoslovacia, Polonia și Germania Democrată. După un an, pe motive politice, rușii au adus în pregătire și candidați din Vietnam, incluși în a doua grupă Intercosmos. Toți candidații cosmonauți străini au locuit în „Orășelul Stelar” împreună cu familia, condiție impusă de partea rusă, ceea ce a fost un fapt benefic pentru toți, familia având ocazia să-și susțină moral candidatul, să învețe limba și să se integreze mediului de acolo.

La 12 mai 1981, Dumitru Prunariu a fost confirmat în mod oficial ca primul nominalizat în cadrul zborului spațial româno-sovietic, alături de cosmonautul sovietic colonel Leonid Popov - comandant de echipaj. Acesta era un cosmonaut experimentat și mai efectuase un zbor cu o durată de 186 de zile, la bordul stației cosmice „Saliut-6". Cosmonautul român Dumitru Dediu și cosmonautul sovietic Iuri Romanenko au fost numiți ca membri ai echipajului de rezervă. Dumitru Dediu a primit vestea cu resemnare, mai ales că aceasta a venit chiar în ziua lui de naștere: "Nu a fost ușor - recunoaște el - dar asta-i soarta, știam de la început că numai unul dintre noi va zbura". Dintre toți candidații din programul Intercosmos, Prunariu a fost singurul cosmonaut care a obținut la examenele și testările finale calificative maxime, în contradicție cu Dediu care a trebuit să repete unele examene pentru a putea fi declarat calificat măcar în echipajul de rezervă.

„Pentru mine, scopul întregii pregătiri l-a constituit zborul cosmic, așa cum era și normal. În toată perioada de pregătire nu m-am gândit niciodată ce va urma după aceea”, afirmă Dumitru Prunariu.

După avaria majoră care a întrerupt în 1979 zborul primului cosmonaut bulgar, întregul program Intercosmos a fost decalat cu un an. Față de această amânare, decolarea rachetei Soiuz-40 a fost amânată și ea cu câteva zile față de data planificată din cauza unor defecțiuni descoperite înainte de ridicarea pe rampa de lansare.



Cu aproape trei saptămâni înainte de lansare cele două echipaje, principal și de rezervă, au fost aduse din Orășelul Stelar de lângă Moscova la cosmodromul Baikonur din Kazahstan, unde au continuat pregătirea în vederea lansării.

Spre seara zilei de 14 mai 1981, un autobuz special i-a adus pe cei doi cosmonauți din echipajul principal, echipați pentru zbor, către Platforma 17 de la cosmodromul Baikonur: colonelul sovietic Leonid Popov, cel care cu un an în urmă realizase recordul de durată în spațiul extraterestru de 185 de zile, și locotenentul major inginer Dumitru Prunariu. Cu două ore înainte de start echipajul a ocupat poziția de lansare în capsula navei cosmice aflată în vârful rachetei purtătoare, efectuând până la lansarea propriu-zisă o serie de teste ale aparaturii și sistemelor navei. La ora 20 16’ 38” (ora Bucureștiului), de pe cosmodromul Baikonur, a fost lansată racheta purtătoare cu nava cosmică Soiuz-40 (în greutate totală de 300 tone), având la bord echipajul mixt româno-sovietic format din locotenentul major pilot ing. Dumitru Prunariu și colonelul cosmonaut Leonid Ivanovici Popov. După 8 minute și 50 de secunde nava cosmică se desprindea de ultima treaptă a rachetei purtătoare, aflânduse deja la 220 km altitudine, aprox. 3000 km de punctul de lansare și deplasându-se în jurul Pământului cu o viteză de 28000 km/h pe o orbită înclinată față de ecuator cu 51,6o. Prunariu a devenit astfel primul român din istorie care a zburat în spațiu. Conform planificării zborurilor Intercosmos zborul avea să dureze aproape 8 zile, între 14 mai - 22 mai 1981.

Decolarea a decurs fără probleme. După înscrierea pe orbita circumterestră, verificarea parametrilor tehnici ai navei în condiții reale de zbor și efectuarea primei manevre orbitale de ridicare a orbitei, care au durat până la ora 4 dimineața a zilei următoare, cei doi cosmonauți au avut permisiunea să dezbrace costumele de scafandru cosmic, să treacă în modulul orbital și să se odihnească. S-au trezit a doua zi la ora 12, și după ce au mâncat, au efectuat a doua manevră de ridicare și corecție a orbitei navei cosmice în vederea începerii manevrelor de cuplare cu stația orbitală Saliut-6. În momentul cuplării, Soiuz-40 avea o viteză relativă față de stație de 0,3 m/s. "Îi auzim foarte bine pe vecini, echipajul Kovalionok și Savinîh, care se află în cosmos din luna martie“.

La 15 mai, nava cosmică Soiuz-40 se cuplează la complexul orbital Saliut 6 – Soiuz T-4. Momentul cuplării a fost imortalizat pe film din interiorul stației orbitale. Primul care a trecut prin deschizătura trapelor deschise ale celor două obiecte cosmice, a fost Prunariu.


Au petrecut șapte zile pe stația orbitală Saliut 6. Acolo, cei doi cosmonauți s-au întâlnit cu cosmonauții sovietici Vladimir Kovalionok și Victor Savinîh, care se aflau deja pe orbita circumterestră din data de 21 martie 1981.

Pentru o săptămână au lucrat împreună, realizând 22 de experimente științifice, printre care cele denumite „Capilar”, „Biodoza”, „Astro” sau „Nanobalanța”. Biodoza, de exemplu, a fost legat de studiul câmpului magnetic al Pământului și influența lui asupra organismelor vii. Marea majoritate a experimentelor efectuate au fost de concepție românească, iar aparatura realizată în România pentru acest scop s-a remarcat printr-un grad înalt de miniaturizare, fiabilitate și consum redus de energie, funcționând ireproșabil. Acestea au avut drept scop obținerea de informații deosebit de prețioase pentru lărgirea cunoștințelor în domeniul astrofizicii, fizicii nucleare și tehnologiei cosmice, iar experimentele biomedicale contribuie la completarea cunoștințelor existente privind comportarea organismului uman în condițiile specifice zborului cosmic, cât și la progresul cercetărilor fundamentale în domeniul medicinei aeronautice și al biologiei. Rezultatele obținute au fost utilizate pentru pregătirea zborurilor care au urmat.

Complexul cosmic cu echipajele la bord trecea de la noapte la zi și invers de 16 ori în 24 de ore. Tot de atâtea ori în exteriorul aparatelor cosmice se produceau variații de temperatură de aproape 300 grade Celsius (+150 de grade în zonele radiate de Soare și -150 de grade în timpul trecerii prin umbra Pământului). Prunariu ajunsese la performanța de a se îmbrăca în imponderabilitate în costumul de scafandru cosmic care avea 13 kilograme în timpul record de 7 minute. Acesta a înconjurat Pământul de 125 de ori, parcurgând 5.260.000 km, cu viteza de 28.500 km/oră, în 7 zile, 20 de ore, 42 de minute și 52 de secunde.

Pe la ora 19,30-20,00 treceam zilnic pe deasupra României. De acolo, de sus, România se vedea de mărimea unei pâini rumene de casă.

Ca și alți cosmonauți, datorită modificărilor care apar în organismul uman în imponderabilitate, Dumitru Prunariu a avut printre altele dureri de coloană în regiunea lombară aproape pe tot parcursul zborului cosmic. "Mă trezeam aproape regulat pe la 5 - 5,30 dimineața de durere și simțeam nevoia imediată de a mă mișca. În timpul liber, cam o oră și jumătate pe zi mă uitam prin hublourile stației cosmice admirând frumusețile Pământului. Spuneam că mergem "la plajă" pentru că Soarele "bronza" (vezi ardea) rapid și puternic. Televiziunea română ne pregătise și ea un program artistic pe niște benzi de video aflat atunci în fază primitivă, dar nu am apucat să vedem prea mult din el. Uneori udam ceapa verde, "plantată" în cârpe umede".


Programul de cercetare fiind încheiat, a avut loc revenirea din spațiul cosmic în data de vineri, 22 mai 1981, la ora 16,58, ora României. Capsula de coborâre a navei spațiale „Soiuz 40“ (2/3 din navă nu se recuperează) a aterizat în condiții aproape normale pe pământ, conform programului, în zona stabilită de pe teritoriul Uniunii Sovietice, la 225 kilometri sud-est de orașul Djezkazgan, din stepa Kazahstanului. Aterizarea a fost cu unele peripeții, parașuta deschizându-se cu 4 secunde întârziere, la mai puțin de 9.600 km cum era prevăzut, ceea ce a prilejuit tuturor mari emoții. Descriind momentele de imediat după aterizare, Prunariu relatează: "Trecerea la greutatea normală a fost cumplită. Mă trezesc luat pe sus de patru membri ai echipei de căutare și sunt așezat lângă Popov care stătea pe un șezlong. Am impresia că sunt de plumb și că pământul se clatină sub mine. La cinci minute după cosmos, ca o mângâiere, aud vorbindu-se românește“, mărturisea cosmonautul, referindu-se la Alexandru Stark, reporterul acreditat să relateze evenimentul. Așa amețit cum era, ajutat de ceilalți oficiali, Prunariu s-a îndreptat spre capsulă să semneze pe ea, conform obiceiului.

Misiunea a durat 7 zile, 20 de ore, 42 de minute și 52 de secunde, după un parcurs circumterestru de 5.260.000 de kilometri.

La momentul zborului, Dumitru Prunariu a fost cel de-al 103-lea cosmonaut al lumii; de atunci numărul cosmonauților a crescut la peste 450. Acest zbor de importanță epocală pentru România a situat-o în clubul select al țărilor participante direct la explorarea Universului și totodată atestă tradiția contribuțiilor marilor înaintași români la zborul omului printre stele.

Pentru realizarea cu succes a zborului cosmic, atât Prunariu, cât și Popov au fost decorați cu cele mai înalte ordine ale României și URSS. Din punct de vedere material, pentru realizarea sa istorică, Dumitru Prunariu a primit ca recompensă echivalentul a trei salarii sub formă de primă, acordată de ministrul apărării și a fost înaintat cu un an inainte de termen la gradul de căpitan. Autorităților de atunci le-a fost frică să nu fie refuzate de Ceaușescu în cazul în care ar face și alte propuneri de recompensare. În aceste condiții, trebuind să se mute cu familia în București unde a primit un post în cadrul Comandamentului Aviației Militare, Prunariu a fost obligat să locuiască jumătate de an la un cămin militar până să obțină o locuință, făcând apoi numeroase împrumuturi pentru a-și aranja apartamentul obținut și pentru stabilirea definitivă cu familia în capitala țării.

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Dan Petrescu - perioada Southampton

Daniel Vasile Petrescu (born 22 December 1967 in Bucharest) is a Romanian football manager and former player, currently the manager of Kuban Krasnodar in the Russian Premier League.

He is famous for having played for Steaua Bucureşti in the 1989 Champions League Final and winning the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup and UEFA Super Cup with FA Premier League club Chelsea. Petrescu also received 95 international caps for the Romanian national side.


After playing for Steaua Bucureşti's youth teams, Dan Petrescu was promoted into the first team in 1986 in a game played by Steaua just one month after winning the European Cup. Petrescu was loaned to FC Olt for the 1986–87 season, but asked to come back to Steaua Bucureşti in 1987.

He was an important part of the team which reached the semifinals of the European Cup in 1988 and the final in 1989. Also in 1989 he played for the Romanian national team for the first time, but missed the World Cup of the following year due to an injury.

In 1991 he was bought by Foggia of Italy, in a period when the club saw promotion to Serie A. In 1993 he moved to Genoa.

Petrescu signed for Sheffield Wednesday in 1994 from Genoa, after a successful World Cup for Romania. After one season at Hillsborough he signed for Chelsea and featured prominently there for the next five years. During his term at Chelsea, he was a member of the teams which won the FA Cup in 1997 and the League Cup and Cup Winners' Cup (both in 1998). After falling out with Chelsea manager Gianluca Vialli after a defeat to Manchester United, Petrescu never played for the club again and was not even selected as a substitute for the 2000 FA Cup Final against Aston Villa. Turning down a move to Southampton in August 2000, he instead moved to Bradford City for £1 million, scoring once against West Ham.

In January 2001, Petrescu's former Chelsea manager, Glenn Hoddle eventually persuaded him to join Southampton for a "nominal" fee. He initially settled in well at The Dell, scoring against Leicester and Manchester City in his first few matches. In March, Hoddle left "the Saints" to take up the managerial reins at Tottenham Hotspur and his replacement Stuart Gray dropped Petrescu, replacing him with Hassan Kachloul for the rest of the season. After making only two substitute appearances in the 2001–02 season, Petrescu was released and returned to Romania.

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Dan Petrescu - perioada Sheffield Wednesday

Daniel Vasile Petrescu (born 22 December 1967 in Bucharest) is a Romanian football manager and former player, currently the manager of Kuban Krasnodar in the Russian Premier League.


He is famous for having played for Steaua Bucureşti in the 1989 Champions League Final and winning the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup and UEFA Super Cup with FA Premier League club Chelsea. Petrescu also received 95 international caps for the Romanian national side.

After playing for Steaua Bucureşti's youth teams, Dan Petrescu was promoted into the first team in 1986 in a game played by Steaua just one month after winning the European Cup. Petrescu was loaned to FC Olt for the 1986–87 season, but asked to come back to Steaua Bucureşti in 1987.

He was an important part of the team which reached the semifinals of the European Cup in 1988 and the final in 1989. Also in 1989 he played for the Romanian national team for the first time, but missed the World Cup of the following year due to an injury.

In 1991 he was bought by Foggia of Italy, in a period when the club saw promotion to Serie A. In 1993 he moved to Genoa.

Petrescu signed for Sheffield Wednesday in 1994 from Genoa, after a successful World Cup for Romania. After one season at Hillsborough he signed for Chelsea and featured prominently there for the next five years. During his term at Chelsea, he was a member of the teams which won the FA Cup in 1997 and the League Cup and Cup Winners' Cup (both in 1998). After falling out with Chelsea manager Gianluca Vialli after a defeat to Manchester United, Petrescu never played for the club again and was not even selected as a substitute for the 2000 FA Cup Final against Aston Villa. Turning down a move to Southampton in August 2000, he instead moved to Bradford City for £1 million, scoring once against West Ham.

In January 2001, Petrescu's former Chelsea manager, Glenn Hoddle eventually persuaded him to join Southampton for a "nominal" fee. He initially settled in well at The Dell, scoring against Leicester and Manchester City[4] in his first few matches. In March, Hoddle left "the Saints" to take up the managerial reins at Tottenham Hotspur and his replacement Stuart Gray dropped Petrescu, replacing him with Hassan Kachloul for the rest of the season. After making only two substitute appearances in the 2001–02 season, Petrescu was released and returned to Romania.

Friday, June 10, 2011

Easy Rider : Jack Nicholson & Peter Fonda

Easy Rider is a 1969 American road movie written by Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper, and Terry Southern, produced by Fonda and directed by Hopper. It tells the story of two bikers (played by Fonda and Hopper) who travel through the American Southwest and South with the aim of achieving freedom. The success of Easy Rider helped spark the New Hollywood phase of filmmaking during the late sixties. The film was added to the Library of Congress National Registry in 1998.


A landmark counterculture film, and a "touchstone for a generation" that "captured the national imagination," Easy Rider explores the societal landscape, issues, and tensions in the United States during the 1960s, such as the rise and fall of the hippie movement, drug use, and communal lifestyle. Easy Rider is famous for its use of real drugs in its portrayal of marijuana and other substances.

The protagonists are two freewheeling hippies: Wyatt, nicknamed "Captain America" (Fonda), and Billy (Hopper). Fonda and Hopper said that these characters' names refer to Wyatt Earp and Billy the Kid. Wyatt dresses in American flag-adorned leather, while Billy dresses in Native American-style buckskin pants and shirts and a bushman hat.

After smuggling cocaine from Mexico to Los Angeles, Wyatt and Billy sell their contraband to "Connection," a man (played by Phil Spector) in a Rolls-Royce and score a large sum of money. With the money from the sale stuffed into a plastic tube hidden inside the Stars & Stripes-adorned fuel tank of Wyatt's California-style chopper, they ride eastward in an attempt to reach New Orleans, Louisiana, in time for Mardi Gras.

During their trip, Wyatt and Billy meet and have a meal with a rancher, whom Wyatt admires for his simple, traditional farming lifestyle. Later, the duo pick up a hitch-hiker (Luke Askew) and agree to take him to his commune, where they stay for a day. Life in the commune appears to be hard, with hippies from the city finding it difficult to grow their own crops in a dry climate with poor soil. (One of the children seen in the commune is played by Fonda's four-year-old daughter Bridget.) At one point, the bikers witness a prayer for blessing of the new crop, as put by a communard: A chance "to make a stand," and to plant "simple food, for our simple taste." The commune is also host to a traveling theater group that "sings for its supper" (performs for food). The notion of "free love" appears to be practiced, with two women seemingly sharing the affections of the hitch-hiking communard, and who then turn their attention to Wyatt and Billy. As the bikers leave, the hitch-hiker (known only as "Stranger on highway" in the credits) gives Wyatt some LSD for him to share with "the right people."


While jokingly riding along with a parade in a small town, the pair are arrested by the local authorities for "parading without a permit" and thrown in jail. In jail, they befriend ACLU lawyer and local drunk George Hanson (Jack Nicholson). George helps them get out of jail, and decides to travel with Wyatt and Billy to New Orleans. As they camp that night, Wyatt and Billy introduce George to marijuana. As an alcoholic and a "square," George is reluctant to try the marijuana ("It leads to harder stuff", and "I don't want to get hooked"), but he quickly relents.
George Hanson (Jack Nicholson) with Wyatt (Peter Fonda)

While attempting to eat in a small rural Louisiana restaurant, the trio's appearance attracts the attention of the locals. The girls in the restaurant want to meet the men and ride with them, but the local men and police officer make mocking, racist, and homophobic remarks. One of the men menacingly states, "I don't believe they'll make the parish line." Wyatt, Billy, and George leave without eating and make camp outside of town. The events of the day cause George to comment: "This used to be a hell of a good country. I can't understand what's gone wrong with it." He observes that Americans talk a lot about the value of freedom, but are actually afraid of anyone who truly exhibits it.

In the middle of the night, the local men return and brutally beat the trio with baseball bats while they are sleeping. Billy luckily manages to scare the men off by pulling a switchblade on them. Wyatt and Billy suffer minor injuries, but George is killed by a machete strike to the neck. Wyatt and Billy wrap George's body up in his sleeping bag, gather his belongings, and vow to return the items to his parents.

They continue to New Orleans and find the brothel George had intended to visit. Taking prostitutes Karen (Karen Black) and Mary (Toni Basil) with them, Wyatt and Billy decide to go outside and wander the parade-filled street of the Mardi Gras celebration. They end up in a cemetery, where all four ingest LSD. They experience a psychedelic bad trip infused with Catholic prayer, represented through quick edits, sound effects, and over-exposed film.
Peter Fonda's American Flag Patch, sold for $89,625 in 2007.


Making camp afterward, Wyatt declares: "We blew it." Wyatt realizes that their search for freedom, while financially successful,[clarification needed] was a spiritual failure. The next morning, the two are continuing their trip to Florida (where they hope to retire wealthy) when two Rednecks in a pickup truck spot them and decide to "scare the hell out of them" with their shotgun. As they pull alongside Billy, one of the men lazily aims the shotgun at him and threatens and insults him by saying "Want me to blow your brains out?" and "Why don't you get a haircut?" When Billy flips his middle finger up at them, the hillbilly fires the shotgun at Billy who immediately hits the pavement, seriously wounded in the side. As the truck then takes off past Wyatt down the road, Wyatt turns around and races back to put his jacket over his fatally injured friend already covered in blood before riding off for help. But by this time, the same pickup truck has turned around and closes on Wyatt. Not wanting any witnesses to report them to the police, the hillbilly fires at Wyatt as he speeds by the pickup, hitting the bike's gas tank and causing it to instantly erupt into a fiery explosion. Wyatt lands by the side of the road, dead. As the murderous hillbillies drive away, the film ends with a shot of the flaming bike in the middle of the deserted road, as the camera ascends to the sky. The duo's journey has ended.

Thursday, June 9, 2011

Succes 2011: Juliette Lewis, Natural Born Actress

Juliette Lewis (born June 21, 1973) is an American actress and musician. She gained international fame for her role in the 1991 thriller Cape Fear for which she received an Academy Award and Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actress. This followed with major roles in What's Eating Gilbert Grape, Natural Born Killers, The Evening Star, and From Dusk Till Dawn. Her work in television has resulted in two Emmy nominations.


Juliette Lewis was born in Los Angeles, California to Geoffrey Lewis, an actor, and Glenis Duggan Batley, a graphic designer. She has four siblings – brothers Lightfield and Peter, and sisters Deirdre and Brandy.

She appeared in The Wonder Years as Wayne's girlfriend in Episodes 24, 34 and 36. Lewis first garnered international attention and acclaim in 1991 with her turn as Danielle Bowden in Martin Scorsese's remake of Cape Fear, for which she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 1991.



Over the next few years, she won further critical support in Woody Allen's "Husbands and Wives," Peter Medak's Romeo Is Bleeding, and opposite Brad Pitt in Kalifornia. In 1993, she acted alongside Leonardo DiCaprio and Johnny Depp in the drama film What's Eating Gilbert Grape. She played Mallory Knox in Oliver Stone's Natural Born Killers. She played a rock singer in the film Strange Days, doing her own singing on covers of two songs written by PJ Harvey, revealing her musical ability.

She received an Emmy nomination for her performance in Hysterical Blindness in 2003. She also appeared in the HIM music video for "Buried Alive By Love" in 2003.


Lewis appeared in Rockstar Games' Grand Theft Auto IV, providing the voice of "Juliette," the host of fictional radio station "Radio Broker." She starred in the video for the Melissa Etheridge song "Come To My Window," and has also appeared in a GAP commercial in which she was dancing with Daft Punk to the tune of the song "Digital Love." She also hosted the UK pop quiz show "Never Mind the Buzzcocks" in 2010.

Lewis launched a career as a solo singer and musician, leading American rock band Juliette and the Licks until 2009. After splitting with the Licks, she has formed a new band The New Romantiques, with whom she has recorded an album entitled Terra Incognita.


Lewis features on the track "Bad Brother" by the band The Infidels, from The Crow: Salvation Soundtrack album, which was released on April 2000. She is working with rock songwriter Linda Perry, among others. Lewis has also appeared on three tracks by Electronic Music group The Prodigy's 2004 CD Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned ("Spitfire", "Get Up Get Off", and "Hot Ride"). In 2006, Blender magazine included her in their hottest women of rock music list while saying, " she delivered sonically varnished melodic punk replete with purring vocals and lyrics that bash porn, pharmaceutical companies and rotten lovers. (in no particular order)".


Lewis says of her acting and music, "I was always using music in my acting to prepare for roles. To me, cinema and music go hand in hand. Now I’m just giving attention to the other side of my art.”

In 2009, Juliette played at Przystanek Woodstock in Poland.

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Campioni mondiali la fotbal: Carlos Dunga, căpitanul echipei Braziliei în 1994

Carlos Caetano Bledorn Verri (born October 31, 1963 in Ijuí, Rio Grande do Sul), commonly known as Dunga (pronounced Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈdũɡɐ]), is a former Brazilian football defensive midfielder and a World Champion for Brazil in the 1994 World Cup. Dunga coached the national team in the 2010 FIFA World Cup and was dismissed by the Brazilian Football Confederation following the team's elimination in the quarter finals.

His nickname is derived from the Portuguese translation of Dopey, a dwarf from the Snow White tale, and was given to him by his uncle due to his short height during his childhood. It was believed that he would be a short adult and the nickname remained in use even after he grew up and became taller. He is of Italian and German descent.

At the club level, Dunga played for Internacional (1980–84, 1999–2000), Corinthians (1984–85), Santos (1985–87), Vasco da Gama (1987), Pisa (1987–88), Fiorentina (1988–92), Pescara (1992–93), VfB Stuttgart (1993–95), and Jubilo Iwata (1995–98).


Internationally, Dunga played 91 times for Brazil, scoring six goals. His international career began in 1983 at the u-20 World Cup. Dunga captained the young Brazilian squad, winning the tournament against Argentina in the final. A year later, he helped Brazil to win a silver medal at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, California. Dunga then started to get calls for Brazil's main squad, winning the 1989 Copa América by defeating Uruguay at the Maracanã Stadium.

In 1990, he was a starter for Brazil at the World Cup 1990. After a lackluster tournament and the subsequent elimination in the second round by arch rivals Argentina, Dunga was held responsible more so than his teammates for the worst campaign at a World Cup since 1966. In the following years, he would be consistently targeted by Brazilian press due to his supposedly thuggish style of playing. This period in Brazil's football history was called "Era Dunga," as according to fans and journalists he symbolized the less than thrilling, slow, and defensive style of the team. In spite of that, Brazil's new coach Carlos Alberto Parreira kept Dunga as one of the starting XI throughout the 1994 World Cup Qualifiers and Finals.

Raí actually started the 1994 World Cup as Brazilian captain but after being allegdly the responsible for Brazil's poor performances, he was dropped altogether for Mazinho. Dunga took the captaincy and went on to lift the trophy.

Four years later, although playing in the lower standard J. League in Japan, he captained Brazil once more to the final where they lost to France.


Dunga played the anchor role in midfield extremely effectively. Many other players in this position lunged into tackles and put themselves about, but Dunga rarely went to ground to make a tackle, instead using his anticipation and timing.

In 1994, he often served as the captain of the team. Dunga scored the third penalty kick in the finals against Italy. He assumed the captain role for the next four years until the 1998 FIFA World Cup. The 1998 tournament was notable for the lack of teamwork. It was often visible as Dunga got into a fight with teammate Bebeto in the first round match against Morocco, forcing the rest of the team to break them up. Dunga also scored in the fourth penalty kick in the shootout eventually won by Brazil against the Netherlands in the semi-finals.

Honours as a player

Internacional

* Rio Grande do Sul State League: 1982, 1983, 1984

Vasco da Gama

* Rio de Janeiro State League: 1987
* Guanabara Cup: 1986

Júbilo Iwata

* J. League: 1997

Brazil U-20

* FIFA U-20 World Cup: 1983
* South American Youth Championship: 1983

Brazil

* FIFA World Cup: 1994
* FIFA Confederations Cup: 1997
* South American Pre-Olympic Tournament: 1984

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Succes 2011: Victor Wooten, american bass player, composer, author, and producer. Owner of five Grammy Awards

Victor Lemonte Wooten (born September 11, 1964) is an American bass player, composer, author, and producer, and has been the recipient of five Grammy Awards.

Wooten has won the "Bass Player of the Year" award from Bass Player magazine three times in a row, and was the first person to win the award more than once. In addition to a solo career and collaborations with various artists, Wooten has been the bassist for Béla Fleck and the Flecktones since the group's formation in 1988.


In 2008, Wooten joined Stanley Clarke and Marcus Miller to record an album. The trio of bassists, under the name SMV, released Thunder in August 2008 and began a supporting tour the same month.

Wooten was also a judge for the 4th annual Independent Music Awards to support independent artists' careers.

Wooten is most often seen playing Fodera basses, of which he has a signature model. His most famous Fodera, a 1983 Monarch Deluxe which he refers to as "number 1", sports a Kahler Tremolo System model 2400 bridge. Fodera's "Yin Yang" basses (designed/created for Wooten) incorporate the Yin Yang symbol - which Wooten often uses in various media - as a main focal point of the top's design and construction. It is often mistakenly thought that the Yin Yang symbol is painted onto the bass, but in reality, the symbol is created from two pieces of naturally finished wood (Ebony and Holly, for example), fitted together to create the Yin-Yang pattern.

Though Wooten's basses receive much attention, his most frequent and consistent response when asked by his fans about his equipment (or equipment in general) is that "the instrument doesn't make the music ... you do". He'll often go on to state that the most important features to look for in a bass are comfort and playability. During a question and answer session at a 1998 concert, Wooten stated that "If you take a newborn baby and put them on the instrument, they're going to get sounds out of it that I can't get out of it, so we're all the best." This philosophy seems closely related to Wooten's approach to music in general, which is that music is a language. According to Wooten, while speaking or listening, one doesn't focus on the mouth as it is forming words; similarly, when a musician is playing or performing the focus shouldn't be on the instrument.

As well as playing electric bass (both fretted and fretless) and the double bass, Victor also played the cello in high school. He still plays cello occasionally with the Flecktones. This is the instrument to which he attributes his musical training.

Monday, June 6, 2011

Internaționali români de fotbal: Gheorghe Hagi

Gheorghe Hagi (Romanian pronunciation: [ˈɡe̯orɡe ˈhad͡ʒi]; born February 5, 1965 in Săcele) is a former Romanian footballer. He was famous for his passing, close control, long shots and was regarded as one of the best attacking midfielders in Europe during the 1980s and 1990s. Galatasaray fans called him 'Commandante' (The Commander).

Nicknamed "The Maradona of the Carpathians", he is considered a hero in his homeland as well as in Turkey. He has won his country's "Player of the Year" award six times, and is regarded as one of the best football players of the 20th century.


He played for the Romanian national team in three World Cups in 1990, 1994 and 1998, as well as in three European Football Championships in 1984, 1996 and 2000. He won a total of 125 caps for Romania, being ranked second after Dorinel Munteanu, and scored 35 goals, being ranked first.

In November 2003, to celebrate UEFA's Jubilee, he was selected as the Golden Player of Romania by the Romanian Football Federation as their most outstanding player of the past 50 years.[4] Hagi is one of the few footballers to have played for both the Spanish rival clubs Real Madrid and FC Barcelona.
In March 2004, he was named the 25th among the top 125 living footballers by Pelé.
He started his career playing for the youth teams of Farul Constanţa in the 1970s, before being selected by the Romanian Football Federation to join the squad of Luceafărul Bucureşti in 1980 for two years. In 1982 he returned to Constanţa, but one year later, aged 18, he was prepared to make the step to a top team. He was originally directed to Universitatea Craiova, but chose Sportul Studenţesc of Bucharest instead.

In the winter of 1987 Hagi was transferred to Romanian giants Steaua Bucureşti as the team prepared for their European Super Cup final against FC Dynamo Kyiv. The original contract was for one game only, the final. However after winning the trophy, where Hagi scored the only goal of the game, Steaua did not want to release him back to Sportul Studenţesc and retained him. During his Steaua years (1987–1990), Hagi played 97 Liga I games, scoring 76 goals. He and the team reached the European Cup semifinal in 1988 and the final in the following year. Hagi and Steaua were the champions of Romania in 1987, 1988 and 1989 and as well as winning the Romania Cup in 1987, 1988 and 1989.

After the 1990 World Cup, he was signed by Real Madrid. The La Liga side paid $4.3 million to Steaua Bucureşti for him. Hagi played two seasons with Real Madrid and then was sold to Brescia Calcio.


Hagi started the season 1992–1993 with Brescia Calcio but in the first season the club was relegated to Serie B; in the next season Hagi helped Brescia Calcio win the Italian Serie B and get promoted to Serie A. After performing memorably during the 1994 World Cup, Hagi was signed by FC Barcelona.

After two years at FC Barcelona, Hagi signed for Galatasaray S.K.. At Galatasaray, he was both successful and highly popular among the Turkish supporters. Hagi and manager Fatih Terim built a team that would win four league titles. Over the years, Galatasaray, led by Hagi, managed to win the UEFA Cup after defeating Arsenal in the finals. This was followed by the capture of the European Super Cup with a historic win against Hagi's former club Real Madrid. Both feats were firsts, and remain unmatched in Turkish soccer history.

The mass hysteria caused by these wins in Istanbul raised Hagi's popularity even further with the fans and made French ex-international Luis Fernández to say that "Hagi is like wine, the older it gets, the better it is". In 2000, at the age of 35, Hagi had the best days of his career winning every possible trophy with Galatasaray. When he retired in 2001, he remained one of the most beloved players in the Turkish and Romanian championships.

Hagi made his debut for the Romania national team at the age of 18 in 1983 in a game against Norway played in Oslo. He was part of the Romanian team until 2000.


Hagi led the Romanian team to its best ever international performance at the 1994 World Cup, where the team reached the quarterfinals before Sweden ended their run after winning the penalty shoot-out. Hagi scored three times in the tournament, including a memorable goal in their 3–2 surprise defeat of South American powerhouse and previous runners-up Argentina. In the first of Romania's group stage matches, against Colombia, Hagi scored one of the most memorable goals of that tournament, curling in a 40-yard lob over Colombian goalkeeper Oscar Córdoba who was caught out of position. He was named in the Team of the Tournament.


Four years later, after the 1998 World Cup, Hagi decided to retire from the national team, only to change his mind after a few months and play at the 2000 European Football Championship, during which he was sent off in the quarter-final loss against Italy.

Hagi retired from professional football in 2001, age 36, in a game called "Gala Hagi" on the 24th of April. He still holds the record as Romanian national team top scorer.


Honours as player

Sportul Studenţesc

* Romanian League: Runner-up 1985–86

Steaua Bucureşti

* Romanian League: 1987–88, 1988–88, 1988–89
* Romanian Cup: 1986–87, 1987–88, 1988–89
* European Super Cup: 1986
* European Cup: Runner-up 1988–89

Real Madrid

* Supercopa de España: 1990
* La Liga: Runner-up 1991–92
* Spanish Cup: Runner-up 1991–92

Brescia

* Anglo-Italian Cup: 1993–94

FC Barcelona

* Supercopa de España: 1994
* Spanish Cup: Runner-up 1995–96

Galatasaray

* Turkish Super League: 1996–97, 1997–98, 1998–99, 1999–00
* Turkish Cup: 1998–99, 1999–00
* Turkish Super Cup: 1996, 1997
* UEFA Cup: 1999–00
* UEFA Super Cup: 2000

Individual

* Romanian League: Top Scorer 1985, 1986
* European Cup: Top Scorer 1988
* Romanian Footballer of the Year: 1985, 1987, 1993, 1994, 1997, 1999, 2000
* FIFA World Cup All-Star Team: 1994
* FIFA 100

As manager

Galatasaray

* Turkish Cup: (2005)

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Gheorghe Hagi (n. 5 februarie 1965, Săcele, Constanța, jud. Constanța) este un fost fotbalist român, de origine aromână, supranumit Regele fotbalului românesc și Maradona din Carpați. Este cel mai bun marcator din istoria naționalei României cu 35 de goluri înscrise.



Gheorghe Hagi a început să joace fotbal la vârsta de 10 ani, la Farul Constanța, echipă la care a și debutat în Divizia A, la 17 ani. În cariera sa, Hagi a mai evoluat la Sportul Studențesc, Steaua București (cu care a câștigat trei titluri de campion al României, două Cupe și Supercupa Europei, în perioada 1987-1990), Real Madrid, Brescia, Barcelona și Galatasaray (patru titluri de campion al Turciei, o Cupă UEFA și o Supercupă a Europei)[1]. La echipa națională, Hagi a reușit să bifeze 125 de prezențe, cu 35 de goluri marcate.


Ca jucător, Hagi a fost un purtător clasic de număr 10 (conducător de joc) care se remarca în teren prin claritatea paselor trimise către atacanți și șuturile nimicitoare la poartă, atunci când se afla el însuși în poziție de finalizare. Câteva din golurile sale au intrat în istoria fotbalului. Hagi își depășea ușor adversarii prin dribling și găsea deseori de unul singur soluția de rezolvare a unui meci. Deși nu excela la capitolul viteză, se orienta excelent în teren și reușea să fie prezent în cele mai bune poziții, care îi permiteau fie să paseze decisiv, fie să șuteze de la distanță.

Hagi era și un excelent executant de lovituri libere, înscriind numeroase goluri din poziții fixe.

Cariera lui Hagi ca jucător profesionist (sau semi-profesionist - în cazul regimului comunist) poate fi împărțită în mai multe perioade:

1. 1982-1983: debutul. Hagi este remarcat la nivel de juniori, debutează în Divizia A și la echipa Națională.
2. 1983-1988: consacrarea la nivel național, jucând la 2 echipe bucureștene de top. Mai ales la Sportul Studențesc, unde juca rol de "copil teribil", Hagi face câteva meciuri de-a dreptul senzaționale, contribuind decisiv în 1985 la câștigarea titlului de vicecampioni (cea mai bună performanță de până azi a clubului din Regie).


3. 1988-1990: consacrarea la nivel internațional. Hagi joacă o semifinală (în 1988) și o finală de Cupa Campionilor în 1989 (fiind desemnat al doilea jucător ca valoare din competiție, după Marco van Basten) și participă cu România la Cupa Mondială din 1990 - Italia.
4. 1990-1998: anii de maturitate. Hagi este liderul incontestabil al echipei României și contribuie decisiv la cele mai mari succese din istoria Naționalei.
5. 1998-2001: perioada târzie, marcată de o anumită labilitate psihică rezultată, probabil, și din stresul acumulat de-a lungul timpului. Din evenimentele "ciudate" ale acestei perioade putem aminti prima retragere din echipa națională din 1998), decizie asupra căreia Hagi va reveni în 1999 și conflictele tot mai dese cu arbitrii. Hagi a fost eliminat în 2 meciuri foarte importante, finala UEFA din 2000 (câștigată de Galatasaray) și sfertul de finală de la Campionatul European 2000 (pierdut de România, 0-2 cu Italia) și a provocat un scandal imens în Turcia, în 2001, când a fost pe punctul de a bate un arbitru, fiind suspendat 6 etape pentru acest lucru.
În ciuda finalului de carieră, în general Hagi a fost totuși un jucător fair-play, care era penalizat foarte rar de arbitri.

Hagi a debutat la echipa națională la vârsta de 18 ani, pe 10 august 1983 la Oslo, în meciul amical Norvegia - România. Până atunci jucase pentru România în echipa de juniori sub 16 ani (4 meciuri), echipa de juniori sub 17 ani (13 meciuri, 1 gol), echipa de juniori sub 18 ani (32 meciuri, 9 goluri) și echipa olimpică (4 meciuri).
În 1985, pe 16 octombrie, Mircea Lucescu, pe atunci antrenor al echipei naționale, l-a desemnat pentru prima oară pe Hagi căpitan al echipei naționale. Hagi avea doar 20 de ani și meciul, disputat pe stadionul 23 August împotriva Irlandei de Nord, era decisiv pentru calificarea la Campionatul Mondial de Fotbal din Mexic - 1986. Evoluția lui Hagi a fost foarte ștearsă și mulți au criticat la acea vreme decizia lui Lucescu. Cert este că vreme de câțiva ani căpitanul "de drept" al echipei naționale a devenit portarul Silviu Lung, un jucător mult mai matur și mai experimentat decât Hagi. Totuși, după retragerea lui Silviu Lung (în 1990), Hagi a devenit repede căpitanul de drept al naționalei. A fost de 65 de ori căpitanul echipei naționale, conducând din teren echipa României la 2 Cupe Mondiale (1994 - USA și 1998 - Franța) și la 2 Campionate Europene (1996 - Anglia și 2000 - Belgia și Olanda).

De asemenea, a mai participat cu România și la Campionatul European din 1984 - Franța (ca rezervă) și la Cupa Mondială din 1990 - Italia (ca titular). Pe 24 aprilie 2001 Gheorghe Hagi se retrage din echipa națională de fotbal României. La ultimul meci al lui Hagi pentru România au participat 80.000 de fani din toată țara.