| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | (1942-11-22)22 November 19421 | ||
| Place of birth | Aninoasa, Romania2 | ||
| Date of death | 21 December 2025(2025-12-21) (aged 83) | ||
| Height | 1.95 m (6 ft 5 in)2 | ||
| Position | Central defender2 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Minerul Aninoasa | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| Minerul Aninoasa | |||
| 1965–1976 | Jiul Petroșania | 271 | (8) |
| 1976–1977 | Minerul Lupeni | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Andrei Stocker (22 November 1942 – 21 December 2025) was a Romanian footballer who played as a central defender and a referee.
Playing career
Stocker, nicknamed "Keke", was born on 22 November 1942 in Aninoasa, Romania.123 His parents were Transylvanian Saxon miners, and because of their German origins, they were deported by the Soviets in 1945 to perform forced labor for a few years in the Donbas region.2
Stocker started playing football at Minerul Aninoasa.23 There, he was noticed by coach Eugen Mladin who brought him to his team, Jiul Petroșani.23 In his first season at Jiul, he helped the team gain promotion to Divizia A.234 He made his debut in the competition on 21 August 1966 under coach Ștefan Coidum in a 7–0 victory against Steagul Roșu Brașov.235 After playing one and a half years as a right midfielder, Stocker started to play alongside Gogu Tonca in the central defense.2 Subsequently, they became known for their tough playing style, with some considering them the most aggressive defensive duo in Divizia A's history.2 His first performance with The Miners was reaching the 1972 Cupa României final, where coach Eugen Iordache used him the entire match in the eventual 2–0 loss to Rapid București.26 Stocker eventually won the competition two years later after a 4–2 victory against Politehnica Timișoara in the 1974 final, as coach Traian Ivănescu used him the full 90 minutes, helping Jiul win its first trophy.27 Afterwards he played in both legs against Dundee United in the first round of the 1974–75 European Cup Winners' Cup which was lost with 3–2 on aggregate.28 In May 1975, during a Jiul – Politehnica Iași home game, the wooden stand of the stadium started to burn due to a cigarette thrown into a pile of seed husks.2 Stocker, along with teammates Tonca and Petre Libardi jumped in to help the firefighters extinguish the fire.2 He appeared in 271 Divizia A matches and scored eight goals for Jiul.23
In 1976, Stocker joined Minerul Lupeni, ending his career one year later.2
Refereeing career
After he retired from his playing career, Stocker became a referee, officiating in Divizia C and serving as a linesman in Divizia B and Divizia A.23
Personal life and death
In 1986, Stocker emigrated to Sweden where he settled in the city of Malmö with his family.23
Stocker died on 21 December 2025 at the age of 83.9
Honours
Jiul Petroșani
References
References
- Andrei Stocker at WorldFootball.net
- "Ticăloșii fără glorie Povestea celui mai dur cuplu de fundași centrali din istoria Ligii 1: "Ne loveau încă de pe tunelul întunecat. Era îngrozitor"" [The gloryless villains. The story of the toughest pair of central defenders in the history of Liga 1: "They were starting to hit us from the dark tunnel. It was awful."] (in Romanian). Gsp.ro. 10 January 2022. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
- "Aniversare. Fotbalistul cu cele mai multe jocuri în Divizia "A" pentru Jiul Petroșani, Andrei Stocker implineste 79 de ani!" [Anniversary. The footballer with the most games in Division "A" for Jiul Petroșani, Andrei Stocker turns 79!] (in Romanian). Cronicavj.ro. 21 November 2021. Archived from the original on 14 January 2022. Retrieved 12 October 2025.
- "Special. Anul jubileelor promovării Jiului. 55 de ani – promovarea din 1966" [Special. Jubilee year of Jiu promotion. 55 years - the promotion from 1966] (in Romanian). Cronicavj.ro. 12 January 2021. Archived from the original on 14 January 2022. Retrieved 12 October 2025.
- "Jiul Petrosani vs FC Brasov 7-0". Labtof. Retrieved 11 October 2025.
- "Romanian Cup – Season 1971–1972". RomanianSoccer. Retrieved 26 September 2024.
- "Romanian Cup – Season 1973–1974". RomanianSoccer. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
- "Dundee United vs. Jiul Petroșani 3 – 0". WorldFootball. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
"Jiul Petroșani vs. Dundee United 2 – 0". WorldFootball. Retrieved 14 January 2022. - "A murit Andrei Stocker, unul dintre cei mai duri fundași din istoria Diviziei A" [Andrei Stocker, one of the toughest defenders in the history of Division A, has died] (in Romanian). Gsp.ro. 21 December 2025. Retrieved 21 December 2025.