Club President Returns to Play at 61 Years Old

SadaNews - Football in Romania witnessed an extraordinary event as the president of a club returned to play in an official match despite surpassing the age of 60.

Aurelian Ghișa, president of the Romanian club Sănătatea Cluj, became the oldest player to participate in an official match in the history of football in the country.

The French newspaper "Le Parisien" reported that Ghișa played in his team's match against Universitatea Craiova last Wednesday as part of the first round of the group stage in the Romanian Cup, at the age of 61.

Ghișa was listed in the team's roster and made headlines by entering the game in the 89th minute, which ended with his team losing 4-1.

Ghișa commented on his participation in the match in an interview with the Romanian newspaper "Digisport," saying, "It was exceptional, and at this age, I tried to help the team as much as I could."

He added, "I have always wanted to be close to the players and offer them support; perhaps I could inspire them with some confidence and maybe some desire to perform at their best."

This match was Ghișa’s first in 14 years, as he had not played any official matches since 2011, according to the French newspaper.

Despite this, Ghișa has not announced his retirement; instead, he insists on undergoing medical tests alongside his players annually before the start of the new season.

Regarding the secret of his fitness and his desire to continue in football, Ghișa said, "I try to train with the team once or twice a week; that’s the secret. I exercise as much as possible every week."

He concluded by affirming that passion is the biggest motivator: "I get excited from the love of football above all and from my refusal to give up. I want to prove that even in the third division, we can present outstanding performances."

It is worth mentioning that the Sănătatea Cluj club competes in Romania's third division and currently occupies the fifth position in the standings of Group Eight, with 16 points collected from 10 matches.

Source: Online websites