Ilie Datcu: key obituary facts
Is Ilie Datcu dead? Yes. Ilie Datcu died on October 5, 2026, at age 89.
Cause of death: Ilie Datcu's cause of death has not been publicly confirmed.
What was Ilie Datcu known for?
He was a Romanian footballer and coach (born 1937).
More about Ilie Datcu
Born: 20 July 1937.
Place of birth: Bucharest.
Gender: male.
Occupation: association football player, association football coach.
Nationality: Romania.
Also known as: İlyas Datça.
Ilie Datcu, a Romanian footballer and coach who played as a goalkeeper, died on October 5, 2026, aged 89.
Born in Bucharest, he began playing in the junior ranks of Constructorul București in 1950, moving four years later to Metalul Câmpina and then to Progresul CPCS București. Datcu started his senior career in 1958 with Dinamo Obor București, then in Divizia B.
During his three seasons there, the club reached the 1960 Cupa României final. He joined Dinamo București and made his Divizia A debut on August 20, 1961, in a 4–3 away defeat by Dinamo Pitești. In his first season, he made 20 league appearances as Dinamo won the title, working with coaches Traian Ionescu, Constantin Teașcă and Nicolae Dumitru. Across the following three seasons, Datcu and the club secured three more titles. His career also included spells with Fenerbahçe and Romania’s national team. As a goalkeeper and later coach, he was associated with clubs in Romania and Turkey, with Dinamo București and Fenerbahçe among the sides most closely linked to his playing career.