FC Argesh are marking the 16th anniversary of Nikolaj Dobrin’s death, with the Pitesti outfit announcing on Thursday that they are retiring their number 10 shirt for good.

FC “Arjesh” ends his career at number 10, 16 years after the death of Nikolay Dobrin

“Today, October 26, 2023, the day we pay tribute to 16 years since Nikolaj Dobrin left us, FC Argesh announces the permanent retirement of the number 10 shirt.

The proposal was initiated by the mayor of the city, Christian Gentea. Together, we have taken this decision to properly honor the work that Nikolae Dobrin has done in Arges, thus becoming a symbol of excellence, passion and loyalty to the white and purple club.

He was a symbolic figure for FC Argesh and Romanian football. He was not only a great football player, but also the ambassador of Romania. His dribbling not only silenced entire stadiums, but also caused his name and Romania’s name to be written in newspapers around the world.

His contribution to the success of FC Argesh both domestically and internationally can never be forgotten. Taking off the shirt with number 10, our club wants to make sure that the memory and spirit of Nicolae Dobrin live forever in the hearts of all football fans in Romania.

On this solemn day, we want to express our feelings of gratitude and respect to the family of Nikolay Dobrin, as well as to all Argeşi fans.

Nicolae Dobrin will always remain one of the main pillars on which this club builds its future, and his legacy will certainly continue to inspire future generations of Romanian footballers.

He was the biggest and he was ours. We will always love you!”, the press release of the FC Argeș club says.

L’Equipe: “Nicolae Dobrin, the most valuable Romanian player in history”

In 2016, L’Equipe recognized Nicolae Dobrin as the best Romanian footballer in history. French journalists made a portrait of a “Gascan”.

“An incomparable technician, the first star of Romanian football, he made his debut in the first division at the age of 14 years and 10 months at FC Argeş, where he played almost his entire career.

In 1972, Dobrin was on the verge of a move to Real Madrid, but the deal fell through despite an offer of $2 million, a huge sum at the time.

His playing was reminiscent of Ivica Osim and Gunter Netzer at the same time. But Dobrin split. Some criticized him for his slow playing and mood swings, others believed that it was unacceptable without such talent.

A false center forward, Dobrin was the technical leader of the Romanian national team for around 15 years, between 1966 and 1980. He did not play in the 1970 World Cup due to a conflict with Angelo Niculescu. Then, in the last preliminary round of EURO 1972, equivalent to the quarter-finals, Romania were eliminated by Hungary after a play-off match”- L’Equipe.