Emerich Jenei

Flamura Roșie Arad and Progresul CPCS București

Jenei began playing junior-level football in 1947 at 7 Noiembrie Arad. In 1950, he joined the junior center of Flamura Roșie Arad. On 6 March 1955, he made his Divizia A debut under coach Francisc Dvorzsák in a 2–2 away draw against Locomotiva Timișoara. In 1956, he spent a short time at Divizia B club Progresul CPCS București. Subsequently, he returned to Flamura Roșie.

Steaua București

In 1957, at age 20, he signed with Steaua București. The first trophy he won there was the 1959–60 title, with coach Gheorghe Popescu giving him 19 appearances. In the following season, he helped them win another title, this time playing 17 matches under coach Ștefan Onisie. Subsequently, he played the entire match under coach Popescu in the 5–1 win over rivals Rapid București in the 1962 Cupa României final. Jenei won his second Cupa României in 1966, after playing the full 90 minutes under coach Ilie Savu in the 4–0 victory against UTA Arad in the final. With Savu, he won his third Cupa României one year later, playing again the entire match in the final, a 6–0 win over Foresta Fălticeni. Then he made 15 appearances under coach Ștefan Kovacs in the 1967–68 season, as the club won another league title. In his final season, the club reached the 1969 Cupa României final, but Kovacs did not use him in the 2–1 victory against rivals Dinamo București in the final. On 25 May 1969, Jenei made his last Divizia A appearance in…

Jenei won six caps for Romania, making his debut under coach Augustin Botescu in a 2–0 loss to Turkey in the 1960 European Nations' Cup round of 16. Subsequently, he played in another 2–0 loss to Czekoslovakia in the quarter-finals of the same competition. His last appearance for the national team took place on 12 May 1963 in a 3–2 friendly victory against East Germany. Jenei also played six matches for Romania's Olympic team. Notably, coach Silviu Ploeșteanu used him in a 1–1 draw against East Germany and a 4–2 win over Ghana in the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, helping the team finish in fifth place.

Steaua București

Jenei's first coaching experience was in 1971 at Steaua București's juniors with whom he won a national junior championship. Subsequently, he worked for the senior side as an assistant coach of his former teammate Gheorghe Constantin in the 1972–73 season. He remained in that position even when Constantin Teașcă became head coach. In 1975, after Teașcă left, he was named head coach of the team, his first game being a 2–1 loss to FCM Reșița. His following game was a 0–0 draw against rivals Rapid București and in the third round of the season, the team earned its first victory, a 2–1 win over Farul Constanța. Steaua finished the season by winning the title and also the Cupa României, after a 1–0 win over CSU Galați in the final. It was the first championship title won by the club in the last eight years. Jenei won another championship title in the 1977–78 season, but was replaced shortly afterwards with Gheorghe Constantin. The reason for his dismissal was that he secured the title with difficulty, specifically on goal difference, having achieved equal points with Argeș Pitești.

Bihor Oradea, Olimpia Satu Mare and CS Târgoviște

In the 1978–79 season, Jenei coached Bihor Oradea, but the team was relegated, as they finished in last place. Subsequently, in the autumn of 1980, he took over Divizia B club Olimpia Satu Mare, fighting for first-league promotion, but eventually finishing behind UTA Arad. In 1981, he came back to Divizia A football,…

Jenei was born on 22 March 1937 in Agrișu Mic, Arad County, Romania, to ethnic Hungarian parents. As a child, he moved with his family to Losonc (now Lučenec, Slovakia), because his father did not want to serve in the Romanian army. Later, his father became a Hungarian soldier, but following the end of the war, he did not come back and Jenei and his mother moved back to Arad. Two years after they resettled in their old home, Jenei's father, who was held in captivity, unexpectedly returned. Shortly thereafter, Jenei's mother died when he was only 12 years old. Jenei had aspirations of becoming a lawyer before his professional football career.