Introduction
Daniel Timofte (born 1 October 1967) is a retired Romanian football midfielder and currently a manager. He is today a legend in Samsun and remains a fan favourite.
Club career
He debuted in Divizia A with Jiul Petroșani in 1986. The team was relegated that season, but Timofte helped them earn promotion again before he joined Dinamo București in 1989. The following season, he won the double with Dinamo. He later played in Germany and Turkey, and he retired in 2000 after his third spell with Dinamo.
Timofte made his debut for the Romanian national team in 1990 against Egypt, scoring in his debut match. At the 1990 FIFA World Cup he had a penalty kick saved in the penalty shootout against Ireland by Packie Bonner in the round of sixteen, which caused Romania's exit from the tournament. Timofte got 22 caps in total, the last in 1995, and scored 2 goals.
Timofte played for Dinamo București against St Patrick's Athletic in the European Cup 1990–91. In Tolka Park, Dublin, the Irish home fans gave him mocking cheers for his shootout miss. A Bayer Uerdingen scout was at the match, which led to his transfer to Germany.
His football career was cut short by a knee injury. He returned to Petroșani and opened a number of bars, the first named "Penalty".
Between June and September 2013 he was the assistant coach of Liga I giants Dinamo București being part of the managing team led by Gheorghe Mulțescu.
Honours
Player
- Jiul Petroșani
- Romanian Second League: 1988–89
- Dinamo București
- Romanian League Championship: 1989–90, 1999–00
- Romanian Cup: 1989–90, 1999-00
- Bayer Uerdingen
- German Second League: 1991–92
- Samsunspor
- Balkans Cup: 1993–94
Coach
- Dacia Unirea Braila
- Romanian Third League: 2009–10