Costică Toma


Costică Toma was a Romanian [Romania national association football|football team|international] football goalkeeper and later manager.

Playing career

He was born in Brăila, into a family coming from Muralto, Switzerland. Toma began his football career in 1940, when he played for FC Suter as a striker. After a period when he played as a youth for Capșa București, he moved to Iași. He played only a season at CS ta, and after two months at Câmpulung Moldovenesc, he moved to Steaua București. He played twelve years for the Army club, and was a part of the Steaua Golden Team. He had at Steaua a famous and a fair-play rivalry with Ion Voinescu. It was said that Toma and Voinescu were the best couple of goalkeepers that a Romanian football club ever had. Toma won also 16 caps for Romania.
Toma retired from professional football in 1961.

Coaching career

Despite being a great goalkeeper, Toma was not a successful manager. He managed only lower league sides and also a large number of youth teams.

Honours

;Steaua București

Personal life

Toma was married and had two children living today in Geneva, Switzerland. He died in Bucharest in 2008, and was buried in the city's Ghencea Military Cemetery.