*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 25 January 2020
Carol Haidu (3 June 1942 – 11 July 2022) was a Romanian footballer who played as a goalkeeper.[1][2]
Club career
Carol Haidu was born on 3 June 1942 in Râșnov, Romania under the name of Karol Haydu, but the communist authorities made him change it to Carol Haidu, in order to "sound more Romanian".[3] He started to play junior level football in 1958 at Luceafarul Brașov, afterwards moving at Steagul Roșu Brașov where he made his Divizia A debut on 1 April 1962 under coach Silviu Ploeșteanu in a 3–1 away loss against Dinamo Pitești.[1][3] He went to play for Steaua București in 1964, a team with whom he won the 1967–68 Divizia A title in which coach Ștefan Kovács used him in 20 matches, also helping the club win five Cupa României.[1][3][4] During his period spent with The Military Men he also played 9 games (including one appearance in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup) in European competitions, taking part in the 1971–72 European Cup Winners' Cup campaign, playing three games as the team reached the quarter-finals by eliminating Hibernians and Barcelona, being eliminated after 1–1 on aggregate on the away goal rule by Bayern Munich.[1][3][5][6][7] Haidu's last Divizia A appearance took place on 9 December 1973, playing for Steaua in a 1–0 away loss against SC Bacău, having a total of 158 appearances in the competition.[1][3] After he retired from football, he had a period when he suffered from poverty, not having a place to sleep.[3][8][9] Carol Haidu died on 11 July 2022 at age 80.[10]
International career
Carol Haidu played five games at international level for Romania, including three at the 1966 World Cup qualifiers.[11] He received goals in only one game, a 2–1 loss against Portugal, with both goals being scored by Eusébio.[12]