Mourning for Petre Ivanescu: The former national handball coach and successful coach of VfL Gummersbach died in Essen at the age of 85 as a result of glandular cancer. This was confirmed by the Romanian’s family to “SID” on Friday. Ivanescu was national coach from 1987 to 1989.
Ivanescu, twice world champion as a player (1961 and 1964) and 13 times Romanian champion, came to Germany in 1966 and from then on celebrated great successes, especially as a coach. He won three German championships and four cups with Gummersbach and TUSEM Essen in the 80s and 90s. In addition, the teacher Heiner Brands won the European Cup with Gummersbach in 1983.
Ivanescu had significantly less success as national coach. At first he seemed to have set up the second-class DHB selection at the time, but the hoped-for renaissance ended in a debacle at the 1989 World Cup in France. The German team crashed into the third division.
Even at an advanced age, Ivanescu followed handball with passion. He leaves behind two children.