Emerich Jenei

Emerich Jenei
Jenei in 2008
Personal information
Full name Emerich Alexandru Jenei
Date of birth (1937-03-22)22 March 1937
Place of birth Agrișu Mic, Romania
Date of death 5 November 2025(2025-11-05) (aged 88)
Place of death Oradea, Romania
Height 1.76 m (5 ft 9 in)
Position(s)
Youth career
1947 7 Noiembrie Arad
1950–1955 Flamura Roșie Arad
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1955 Flamura Roșie Arad 10 (1)
1956 Progresul CPCS București
1956 Flamura Roșie Arad 11 (1)
1957–1969 Steaua București 259 (7)
1969–1971 Kayserispor 29 (4)
Total 309 (13)
International career
1956 Romania U19
1959–1964 Romania Olympic 6 (0)
1959–1964 Romania 6 (0)
Managerial career
1971–1972 Steaua București (juniors)
1972–1975 Steaua București (assistant)
1975–1978 Steaua București
1978–1979 Bihor Oradea
1980–1981 Olimpia Satu Mare
1981–1982 CS Târgoviște
1983–1984 Steaua București
1984–1986 Steaua București
1986–1990 Romania
1991 Steaua București
1992–1993 Hungary
1993–1994 Steaua București
1994 Parmalat
1995 Panionios
1996 Universitatea Craiova
1998–2000 Steaua București
2000 Romania
* Club domestic league appearances and goals

Emerich Alexandru Jenei (Hungarian: Jenei Imre Sándor; 22 March 1937 – 5 November 2025) was a Romanian football manager, considered one of Romania's best alongside Ștefan Kovács, Mircea Lucescu, and Anghel Iordănescu. He won the European Cup with Romanian club Steaua București in 1986. Prior to his management career, he had a 21-year playing career for clubs in Romania and Turkey, and the Romanian national team.

In 2023, Jenei was placed 63rd in FourFourTwo magazine's ranking of the best football coaches of all time. He is the second most successful manager in Romania, tied with Dan Petrescu, winning the Romanian championship on six occasions, all with Steaua București. Nicolae Dumitru is ranked first, having won seven championships, all with Dinamo București.