 Having returned from Turkey, he was named assistant coach at Steaua at the beginning of the 1972–73 season.One year later, he was promoted to a head coaching position and finished 5th in Liga I, winning his first championship title as coach in 1976, then finishing as a runner-up in 1977.He won another championship title in 1978, but at the end of the season he was replaced by Gheorghe Constantin.