View source for Titus Ozon

{{short description|Romanian footballer}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name            = Titus Ozon
| image            = Titus Ozon 1965.jpg
| image_size       = 170
| birth_date      = {{birth date|1927|5|13|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Bucharest]], Romania<ref name=sr/>
| death_date      = {{death date and age|1996|11|24|1927|5|13|df=y}}
| death_place = Bucharest, Romania
| height = 1.70 m<ref name=sr>[https://web.archive.org/web/20200418105943/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/oz/titus-ozon-1.html Titus Ozon]. sports-reference.com</ref>
| position         = [[Striker (association football)|Striker]]
| youthyears1      = 1937–1947
| youthclubs1      = [[Unirea Tricolor București]]
| years1           = 1947–1948
| years2           = 1948–1954
| years3           = 1951
| years4           = 1955–1958
| years5           = 1958–1964
| clubs1           = [[Unirea Tricolor București]]{{efn|name="UNT"|The [[Divizia A 1940–41]] was the last season before [[World War II]] and the [[Divizia A 1946–47]] was the first one after, so the appearances and goals scored during this period for [[Unirea Tricolor București]] are not official, also the statistics for the [[1946–47 Divizia B]] season are unavailable.<ref name=RS>{{RomanianSoccer|1478/titus-ozon}}</ref>}}
| clubs2           = [[FC Dinamo București|Dinamo București]]
| clubs3           = → [[Unirea Tricolor București|Dinamo Brașov]] (loan)
| clubs4           = [[Progresul București]]{{efn|name="PRO"|The 1957 championship called Cupa Primăverii is unofficial, so the appearances and goals scored at that competition for [[AS Progresul București|Progresul București]] are not official.<ref name=RS/>}} 
| clubs5           = [[FC Rapid București|Rapid București]]
| caps1            =  22  | goals1 = 21
| caps2            =  94  | goals2 = 55
| caps3            =  17  | goals3 = 8
| caps4            =  58  | goals4 = 41
| caps5            =  79  | goals5 = 33
| totalcaps            =  270  | totalgoals = 158
| nationalyears1   = 1952–1962<ref>{{cite news|title=Titus Ozon – International Appearances|publisher=[[Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation]]|url=https://www.rsssf.org/miscellaneous/ozon-intl.html|access-date=30 November 2016}}</ref>
| nationalteam1    = [[Romania national football team|Romania]]
| nationalcaps1    = 22 | nationalgoals1 = 7
| manageryears1    = 1964–1966
| manageryears2    = 1968–1970
| manageryears3    = 1971
| manageryears4    = 1972–1974
| manageryears5    = 1974–1975
| manageryears6    = 1975–1976
| manageryears7    = 1976–1977
| manageryears8    = 1977–1978
| manageryears9    = 1978–1979
| managerclubs1    = [[Progresul București]]
| managerclubs2    = [[Jiul Petroşani]]
| managerclubs3    = [[Argeş Piteşti]]
| managerclubs4    = [[Libya national football team|Libya]]
| managerclubs5    = [[Jiul Petroşani]]
| managerclubs6    = [[FC Brăila]]
| managerclubs7    = [[Pandurii Târgu Jiu]]
| managerclubs8    = [[Unirea Slobozia|Azotul Slobozia]]
| managerclubs9    = [[Șoimii Sibiu]]
}}

'''Titus Ozon''' (13 May 1927 – 24 November 1996) was a [[Romania]]n international football [[Forward (association football)#Striker|striker]] and manager.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/27104 |title=Titus Ozon |work=Olympedia |access-date=13 November 2021}}</ref> He was considered one of the greatest talents in postwar Romanian football, famous for his extraordinary ability to [[Dribbling#Association football|dribble]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://freejournalist.eu/regele-fentei-rebelul-din-obor/ | title=Regele fentei, rebelul din Obor!| publisher=FreeJournalist.eu| language=Romanian |trans-title=The king of the trick, the rebel from Obor!| date=28 April 2016| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161019172217/http://freejournalist.eu/regele-fentei-rebelul-din-obor-2/| access-date=11 November 2021| archive-date=19 October 2016}}</ref>

==Career==
Ozon was born in [[Bucharest]], in the [[Obor]] neighborhood. He started football at [[Unirea Tricolor București]] at the age of 10, under the guidance of coach [[Ștefan Cârjan]].<ref name=GSP>{{cite web | url=https://www.gsp.ro/fotbal/liga-1/16-ani-de-la-moartea-lui-ozon-povestea-celui-care-i-a-sfidat-pe-comunisti-si-a-fost-trimis-la-taiat-stuf-in-delta-374443.html | title=16 ani de la moartea lui Ozon. Povestea celui care i-a sfidat pe comunişti şi a fost trimis la tăiat stuf în Deltă| publisher=Gsp.ro| language=ro |trans-title=16 years since the death of Ozon. The story of the one who defied the communists and was sent to cut reeds in the Delta| date=14 March 2011 | access-date=7 April 2020}}</ref> In 1948 he came to [[FC Dinamo București|Dinamo]], from which he was loaned disciplinary to [[FC Brașov (1936)|Dinamo Braşov]] in 1951.<ref name=fanatik>{{cite web | url=https://www.fanatik.ro/nasel-14515118 | title=Titus Ozon, maestrul driblingului, se răzbună! Nasturi pentru… găină!| publisher=Fanatik.ro| language=ro |trans-title=Titus Ozon, the master of dribbling, takes revenge! Buttons for… chicken!| date=28 November 2019 | access-date=7 April 2020}}</ref> After returning he was the top goalscorer in [[Liga I|Divizia A]] for two consecutive seasons ([[Divizia A 1952|1952]] with 17 goals and in [[Divizia A 1953|1953]] with 12 goals).<ref name=RST>{{cite web|url=https://www.romaniansoccer.ro/menu_items/topscorers.shtml|title=Topscorers of Liga 1 1932–2017|publisher=RomanianSoccer|access-date=8 April 2020}}</ref> His other performances include securing the second place three successive times and the four successive finals of the [[Cupa României]] he played in [[1954 Cupa României Final|1954]] (for [[FC Dinamo București|Dinamo]]), [[1958 Cupa României Final|1958]] ([[Progresul București|Progresul]]), [[1961 Cupa României Final|1961]] and [[1962 Cupa României Final|1962]] ([[FC Rapid București|Rapid]]).<ref name=adevarul>{{cite web | url=https://adevarul.ro/news/sport/asa-s-a-scris-istoria-fost-deportat-delta-marele-fotbalist-titus-ozon-s-a-asezat-genunchi-fata-gheorghiu-dej-iarta-ma-implor-1_57112d0c5ab6550cb8051a47/index.html | title=Aşa s-a scris istoria. După ce a fost deportat în Deltă, marele fotbalist Titus Ozon s-a aşezat în genunchi în faţa lui Gheorghiu-Dej: "Iartă-mă, te implor!"| publisher=Adevarul.ro| language=ro |trans-title=That's how history was written. After being deported to the Delta, the great footballer Titus Ozon sat on his knees in front of Gheorghiu-Dej: "Forgive me, I beg you!"| date=17 April 2016 | access-date=7 April 2020}}</ref>

Controversy followed him. Ozon was part of a [[Liga I|Divizia A]] selection of players that in 1952 played two away matches with [[PFC CSKA Moscow|CSKA]] and [[FC Dynamo Moscow|Dynamo Moscow]]. They received [[Pobeda (watch)|Pobeda brand watches]] that they threw away as he considered them "unsightly". The Soviets got upset.<ref name=prosport>{{cite web | url=https://www.prosport.ro/sport-life/special/drama-unui-mare-fotbalist-a-fost-terorizat-de-securitate-pentru-ca-a-driblat-un-rus-8054536 | title=Drama unui mare fotbalist! A fost terorizat de Securitate pentru că a driblat un rus!| publisher=Prosport.ro| language=ro |trans-title=The drama of a great footballer! He was terrorized by the Security for dribbling a Russian!| date=14 March 2011 | access-date=7 April 2020}}</ref>
[[File:Raica cu echipa in '53.jpg|left|thumb|250px|{{center|Ozon (front row, second from the left) with Dinamo București in 1953.}}]]
In 1953, during a match with [[FC Dinamo Tbilisi|Dinamo Tbilisi]] played in [[Bucharest]], Ozon managed a pass between the legs of [[Georgia (country)|Georgia]]n star [[Avtandil Gogoberidze]]. After this game he was named an "enemy of the people" by the communist regime, which accused him of mocking the Soviets, being sanctioned with ten percent of his salary and arrested at the garrison for a day.<ref name=fanatik/>

In 1955 he wanted to leave [[FC Dinamo București|Dinamo]], because of the "soldierly atmosphere there", and secretly signed with [[Progresul București]], but he was caught by the [[Securitate]], who wanted to prevent him from submitting a report by accusing him that he had [[Iron Guard|legionnaire]] sympathies, because he played at [[Unirea Tricolor București|Unirea Tricolor]].<ref name=adevarul/><ref name=prosport/> According to an interview given by Ozon in 1995, he was deported to the [[Danube Delta|Delta]] to cut reeds, where he was detained in a cabin, guarded by security.<ref name=prosport/> He managed to escape and arrived at the federation headquarters, hidden in a car to report his experience.<ref name=fanatik/><ref name=GSP/> The coach from [[Progresul București|Progresul]], [[Cornel Drăgușin]], considered him a "conflicting, independent and brilliant player on the field".<ref name=prosport/>

In 1958, after returning to the country from a [[Progresul București|Progresul]] tournament in [[Albania]], he was caught by customs with about 3,000 ivory buttons for which he was charged with smuggling and suspended from sports.<ref name=GSP/> After six months, according to the writer George Mihalache, Titus Ozon met with [[Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej]] on [[Calea Victoriei]] and asked for his suspension to be lifted, [[Gheorghiu-Dej]] agreed with the condition that Ozon would play for the team that he liked, [[FC Rapid București|Rapid]].<ref name=adevarul/><ref name=prosport/>

In 1955 he acted in the comedy film ''Și Ilie face sport'' (''Ilie also does sport''), directed by Andrei Călărașu, in which the lives and morals of the athletes and fans were the subject. Ozon also acted as a theater artist, being the star of the 1957 satire show "Bujor 12", which was performed at the "Constantin Tănase" theater in [[Bucharest]].<ref name=adevarul2>{{cite web | url=https://adevarul.ro/news/sport/nas-vrajitorul-obor-1_50acfb967c42d5a6638d1319/index.html | title="Nas", vrăjitorul din Obor| publisher=Adevarul.ro| language=ro |trans-title="Nose", the wizard of Obor| date=8 April 2011 | access-date=7 April 2020}}</ref>

He retired from football activity in 1964 and became the head coach of several teams in [[Romania]], managing to train once outside the country at the national side of [[Libya national football team|Libya]], due to the good relations between presidents [[Nicolae Ceaușescu]] and [[Muammar Gaddafi]].<ref name=adevarul2/>

A park in [[Sector 2 (Bucharest)|Sector 2]] of [[Bucharest]] memorializes him.<ref name=GSP/>

==International career==
Ozon played 22 games and scored 7 goals for [[Romania national football team|Romania]].<ref name=EU>{{cite web|url=https://eu-football.info/_player.php?id=15813|title=Titus Ozon|publisher=European Football|access-date=7 April 2020}}</ref> He scored in his debut when coach [[Emerich Vogl]] sent him on the field in order to replace [[Gheorghe Bodo]] in the 73rd minute of a friendly against [[Czechoslovakia national football team|Czechoslovakia]] which ended with a 3–1 victory.<ref name=EU/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://eu-football.info/_match.php?id=14265|title=Romania – Czechoslovakia 3:1|publisher=European Football|access-date=7 April 2020}}</ref> He also played matches at the [[1964 European Nations' Cup qualifying preliminary round|1964 European Nations' Cup qualifiers]] and at the [[1954 FIFA World Cup qualification|1954]] and [[1958 FIFA World Cup qualification – UEFA Group 7|1958 World Cup qualifiers]].<ref name=EU/>

He was also selected by coach [[Gheorghe Popescu (footballer, born 1919)|Gheorghe Popescu]] to be part of Romania's [[Football at the 1952 Summer Olympics|1952 Summer Olympics]] squad in which he played in the 2–1 loss against eventual champions [[Hungary national football team|Hungary]].<ref name=EU/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://eu-football.info/_match.php?id=14291|title=Hungary – Romania 2:1|publisher=European Football|access-date=7 April 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://tikitaka.ro/ungaria-2-1-romania-15-iulie-1952/|title=Jocurile Olimpice de la Helsinki: Ungaria 2-1 România, 15 iulie 1952|publisher=Tikitaka.ro|language=Romanian |trans-title=Helsinki Olympics: Hungary 2-1 Romania, July 15, 1952|date= 14 July 2020|access-date=12 June 2024}}</ref>

===International goals===
:''Scores and results list Romania's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Ozon goal''.<ref name=EU/>
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:90%" align=center
|+
! Goal !! Date !! Venue !! Opponent !! Score !! Result !! Competition
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| '''1''' || 11 May 1952 || [[Stadionul Republicii]], [[București]], [[Romania]] || {{fb|Czechoslovakia}} || style="text-align:center;"| '''3'''–1 || style="text-align:center;"| 3–1 || [[Exhibition game|Friendly]]
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| '''2''' || 8 May 1954 || [[Stadion der Weltjugend|Walter-Ulbricht-Stadion]], [[Berlin]], [[East Germany]] || {{fb|East Germany}} || style="text-align:center;"| '''1'''–0 || style="text-align:center;"| 1–0 || [[Exhibition game|Friendly]]
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| '''3''' || 19 September 1954 || [[Ferenc Puskás Stadium|Népstadion]], [[Budapest]], [[Hungary]] || {{fb|Hungary|1946}} || style="text-align:center;"| '''1'''–1 || style="text-align:center;"| 1–5 || [[Exhibition game|Friendly]]
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| '''4''' || 29 May 1955 || [[Stadionul Național (1953)|23 August Stadium]], [[București]], [[Romania]] || {{fb|Poland}} || style="text-align:center;"| '''1'''–0 || style="text-align:center;"| 2–2 || [[Exhibition game|Friendly]]
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| '''5''' || 12 June 1955 || [[Ullevaal Stadion]], [[Oslo]], [[Norway]] || {{fb|Norway}} || style="text-align:center;"| '''1'''–0 || style="text-align:center;"| 1–0 || [[Exhibition game|Friendly]]
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| '''6''' || 16 June 1957 || [[Leoforos Alexandras Stadium]], [[Athens]], [[Greece]] || {{fb|Greece|old}} || style="text-align:center;"| '''2'''–1 || style="text-align:center;"| 2–1 || [[1958 FIFA World Cup qualification – UEFA Group 7|1958 World Cup qualifiers]]
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| '''7''' || 30 September 1962 || [[Stadionul Național (1953)|23 August Stadium]], [[București]], [[Romania]] || {{fb|Morocco}} || style="text-align:center;"| '''2'''–0 || style="text-align:center;"| 4–0 || [[Exhibition game|Friendly]]
|}

==Honours==
===Player===
'''Unirea Tricolor București'''
*[[Liga II|Divizia B]]: [[1946–47 Divizia B|1946–47]]<ref name=RS/>
'''Dinamo București'''
*[[Cupa României]] runner-up: [[1954 Cupa României|1954]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.romaniansoccer.ro/romanian_cup/1954.shtml|title=Romanian Cup – Season 1954|publisher=RomanianSoccer|access-date=8 April 2020}}</ref>
'''Progresul București'''
*[[Cupa României]] runner-up: [[1957–58 Cupa României|1957–58]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.romaniansoccer.ro/romanian_cup/1957_1958.shtml|title=Romanian Cup – Season 1957–1958|publisher=RomanianSoccer|access-date=8 April 2020}}</ref>
'''Rapid București'''
*[[Cupa României]] runner-up: [[1960–61 Cupa României|1960–61]], [[1961–62 Cupa României|1961–62]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.romaniansoccer.ro/romanian_cup/1960_1961.shtml|title=Romanian Cup – Season 1960–1961|publisher=RomanianSoccer|access-date=8 April 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.romaniansoccer.ro/romanian_cup/1961_1962.shtml|title=Romanian Cup – Season 1961–1962|publisher=RomanianSoccer|access-date=8 April 2020}}</ref>

===Individual===
*[[Liga I|Divizia A]] top scorer: [[Divizia A 1952|1952]], [[Divizia A 1953|1953]]<ref name=RST/>

===Manager===
'''Argeş Pitești'''
*[[Liga I|Divizia A]]: [[1971–72 Divizia A|1971–72]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.romaniansoccer.ro/menu_items/champions.shtml|title=Romania National Champions |publisher=RomanianSoccer|access-date=1 August 2022}}</ref>

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=lower-alpha}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{WorldFootball|titus-ozon}}
*{{NFT|37598}}
*[http://www.labtof.ro/profil/titus-ozon-2391/ Titus Ozon player profile] at Labtof.ro
*[http://www.labtof.ro/profil/titus-ozon-6816/ Titus Ozon manager profile] at Labtof.ro

{{Liga I top scorers}}
{{Romania Squad 1952 Summer Olympics}}
{{Navboxes
|title= Titus Ozon managerial positions
|list1=
{{Libya national football team managers}}
{{CS Pandurii Târgu Jiu managers}}
{{CSM Jiul Petroșani managers}}
{{FC Argeș Pitești managers}}
{{AS Progresul București managers}}
}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2017}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ozon, Titus}}
[[Category:1927 births]]
[[Category:1996 deaths]]
[[Category:Footballers from Bucharest]]
[[Category:Romanian men's footballers]]
[[Category:Romania men's international footballers]]
[[Category:Olympic footballers for Romania]]
[[Category:Footballers at the 1952 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Romanian football managers]]
[[Category:Liga I players]]
[[Category:Liga II players]]
[[Category:Unirea Tricolor București players]]
[[Category:FC Progresul București players]]
[[Category:FC Dinamo București players]]
[[Category:FC Rapid București players]]
[[Category:FC Argeș Pitești managers]]
[[Category:AFC Dacia Unirea Brăila managers]]
[[Category:CS Pandurii Târgu Jiu managers]]
[[Category:CSM Jiul Petroșani managers]]
[[Category:FC Progresul București managers]]
[[Category:Romanian expatriate football managers]]
[[Category:Libya national football team managers]]
[[Category:Men's association football forwards]]
[[Category:20th-century Romanian sportsmen]]