The Cup – a replay of the battle of the strongest both on the field and in the political shadowy realm. The Bucharest bitter derby Steaua vs Dinamo. Ladislau Boloni scored the only goal of the final in the 25th minute. And since Boloni played for Steaua… it did not matter than his given name is sometimes Ladislau, sometimes Lazslo.
Dinamo (Bucharest) lost both the championship and the cup this season – a bitter pill to swallow for their numerous fans. Perhaps even bitterer pill for Securitate. In football terms, though… Dinamo had great squad at the time, excellent coach too, but they were somewhat shallower team than their rivals, who were at their peak. Objectively speaking, Dinamo was weaker and it was fair to lose.
Steaua won a double this season. In total, their 12th title and 15th Cup. One may argue this was their best season ever and the squad was at its peak – but such things are relative. One may also argue that the son of Ceausescu was simply too much to oppose behind the scene, but that would not explain the international success of his pet project. Unfortunately, the unhealthy political intrigues were giving food for rumours lasting for years: the hero of the European Champions Cup final of 1986, Helmut Ducadam, was missing. That was noticed, of course, and persisting rumour was born: that he rebelled against Ceausescu’s son and was punished right away. Erased. Once rumour starts circulating details can be added at will… seemingly, the boasting of Ducadam after the final against Barcelona that he is the best Romanian goalkeeper brought the wrath of younger Ceausescu and Dukadam was banished from playing football at all or even jailed, or worse… So was the evil power of Communist rule… so was the suppression of minorities under Communist rule (Hungarians – Boloni would not be written under his real name – and Germans – such was presumably Ducadam)… So was the brutality of Communist rule that even when they aimed at concurred the world, they were ready to jeopardize conquest in order of suppressing independence, however minor – what was the point of weakening the team by banishing their great goalkeeper, if not the iron rule of suppression? Well, Steaua could afford it – they had Stingaciu, a long time national team member, to play between the goalposts. Years later it was uncovered that Ducadam was out because of injury, but suspicion never disappeared: he simply disappeared, practically never played football again, and so trivial matter as injury was revealed only years after Communism went down the drain. All that had nothing to do with Steaua’s play and achievements, but political games were part of it, a norm at the time, casting dark shadow on otherwise great period of Romanian football – and rightly so, since few years later UEFA will cancel the Golden Boot award largely because of Romanian schemes for winning it. And Belodedici will run away and ask political asylum in Yugoslavia… It is not fair to this great squad of Steaua, but the dark side cannot be dismissed.
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