BUCHAREST, Romania — Former Romanian soccer star Gheorghe ‘Gica’ Popescu insists he was not an informant for the country’s secret police in the 1980s during the regime of the late dictator Nicolae Ceausescu.
The defender was part of a Romanian team that qualified for three consecutive World Cups starting in 1990 and two European Championships. He also captained Barcelona to win the European Cup Winners’ Cup in 1997.
The 41-year-old Popescu said he once signed a document promising to “defend the national interests.”
“I signed a very general thing. My conscience isn’t clear, it’s very clear,” he said at a news conference. “I didn’t inform on anyone.”
Under Ceausescu, security services kept tabs on Romania’s athletes. Some players at international competitions reportedly were asked to share details of their conversations with foreigners.
The daily newspaper Adevarul reported that Popescu had been an informant from 1986 until the regime was toppled three years later. Popescu called the report a “big lie.”
Popescu’s 18-year playing career also included stints with Tottenham, Galatasaray and PSV Eindhoven. He played for Romania 115 times, scoring 16 goals.
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