Alexandru_Albu

Alexandru Albu

Alexandru Albu

Romanian footballer (born 1993)

Alexandru Cristian Albu (Romanian pronunciation: [alekˈsandru kristiˈan ˈalbu]; born 17 August 1993) is a Romanian professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder or a defender for Liga I club Rapid București.

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Albu started out his professional career at Concordia Chiajna in 2015, where he spent several seasons playing in the Liga I before relegating to the second division. Following loans to Academica Clinceni, UTA Arad, and Rapid București, respectively, he signed a permanent contract with the latter in 2021.

Internationally, Albu made his senior debut for Romania in October 2021, in a 1–2 away FIFA World Cup qualifier loss to Germany.

Early life

Albu was born in Bucharest and is of Romani ethnicity.[2] He grew up supporting Steaua București.[3]

Club career

Concordia Chiajna

Albu made his professional debut for Concordia Chiajna on 1 May 2015, coming on as an 89th-minute substitute for Hristijan Dragarski in a 1–0 home Liga I win over Pandurii Târgu Jiu.[4] He became a regular starter for the club in the 2016–17 season, and on 7 September 2016 scored his first goal in a 1–2 Cupa Ligii loss to ACS Poli Timișoara.[5]

On 4 March 2017, Albu recorded his first league goal in a 1–1 draw against the same opponent.[6] He amassed totals of 99 appearances and three goals in the top flight for "the Green Eagles", before relegating to the Liga II at the end of the 2018–19 campaign.[7]

Various loans

In January 2020, Albu returned to the Liga I by signing for newly-promoted Academica Clinceni on loan for the remainder of the season. On 16 August, he moved to UTA Arad on a one-year loan.[8]

On 16 June 2021, Albu was loaned again to Rapid București,[9] totalling 36 games and a career-best seven goals in all competitions during the 2021–22 season.

Rapid București

In the summer of 2022, Albu joined Rapid București on a permanent basis after the team paid a previously-agreed €150,000 to Concordia Chiajna.[10] On 23 April 2023, he scored the only goal of a home derby victory over FCSB in the Liga I.[11]

On 25 February 2024, he and his teammate Andrei Borza were expelled from the squad for an undetermined period—later revealed as one match—because they partied in a nightclub after a 1–3 loss to Politehnica Iași.[12]

International career

Albu made his debut for the Romania national team on 8 October 2021, coming on as an 82nd-minute substitute for Nicolae Stanciu in a 1–2 away loss to Germany counting for the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.[13]

Style of play

Albu played as a defender during the first part of his career, mostly as a centre-back, and later developed into a defensive midfielder.[7]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 6 April 2024[14]
More information Club, Season ...

International

As of match played 8 October 2021[15]
More information National team, Year ...

Honours

Concordia Chiajna[14]

References

  1. [1]
    Alexandru Albu – Romanian league stats at LPF (in Romanian)
  2. [2]
    "Albu, despre "lipiciul" la publicul rapidist: "Sunt român de etnie romă și mă mândresc cu asta! Simțeam această legătură cu suporterii și clubul"" [Albu, about being "glued" to the Rapid fans: "I am a Romanian of Roma ethnicity and I am proud of it! I felt this connection with the fans and the club"]. Gazeta Sporturilor (in Romanian). 1 July 2023.
  3. [3]
    "Rapid a semnat cu fotbalistul care declara public că e stelist! "Mi-am dorit să joc la Steaua"" [Rapid signed the footballer who publicly declared that he is a Steaua fan! "I wanted to play for Steaua"] (in Romanian). ProSport. 19 July 2022. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
  4. [4]
    "Chiajna - Pandurii 1-0. Ilfovenii au cucerit 3 puncte importante si sunt aproape de salvarea de la retrogradare" [Chiajna - Pandurii 1–0. Ilfovenii won 3 important points and are close to being spared from relegation] (in Romanian). Digi Sport. 1 May 2015. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
  5. [5]
    "VIDEO » ACS Poli Timișoara merge în semifinalele Cupei Ligii după ce a învins Chiajna, scor 2-1" [VIDEO » ACS Poli Timișoara goes through the semi-finals of the League Cup after defeating Chiajna, score 2–1]. Gazeta Sporturilor (in Romanian). 7 September 2016. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
  6. [6]
    "Nici prea-prea, nici foarte-foarte! ACS Poli Timisoara scoate o remiza pe final cu Chiajna lui Alexa" [Not too little, nor too much! ACS Poli Timișoara draws with Alexa's Chiajna in the end] (in Romanian). Opinia Timișoarei. 4 March 2017. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
  7. [7]
    "Vedeta de pe maidan » Fotbalistul crescut în cartier a ajuns titular în derby-ul Rapid - FCSB" [The Star from the Streets » The football player who grew up in the neighborhood became a starter in the Rapid - FCSB derby]. Gazeta Sporturilor. 11 August 2021. Retrieved 5 February 2024. Albu was a central defender in the small, amateur leagues in which he played, then remainded a centre-back for Chiajna, with which he relegated from the first league to the second. [...] Poenaru told them he was going to convert Albu from a defender to a midfielder, which he did.
  8. [8]
    "UTA Arad, încă două transferuri: Alexandru Albu și Alexandru Benga au fost prezentați oficial" [UTA Arad, two more transfers: Alexandru Albu and Alexandru Benga were officially presented] (in Romanian). Prima Sport. 16 August 2020. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
  9. [9]
    "OFICIAL | Alexandru Albu, primul transfer al Rapidului după promovarea în Liga 1! Declarațiile fundașului" [OFFICIAL | Alexandru Albu, Rapid's first transfer after its promotion to Liga 1! The defender's statements] (in Romanian). Digi Sport. 16 June 2021. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
  10. [10]
    "Rapid a transferat un jucător convocat de Rădoi la națională: "Au plătit 200.000 de euro"" [Rapid transferred a player called up by Rădoi to the national team: "They paid 200,000 euros"]. Gazeta Sporturilor (in Romanian). 4 January 2022. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
  11. [11]
    "VIDEO | Rapid – FCSB 1-0! Paradele fabuloase ale lui Horaţiu Moldovan și golul Lui Alexandru Albu îi îndepărtează pe "roş-albaştri" de titlu" [VIDEO | Rapid – FCSB 1–0! Horațiu Moldovan's fabulous saves and Alexandru Albu's goal keep the "red-blues" away from the title] (in Romanian). Prima Sport. 23 April 2023. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
  12. [12]
    "EXCLUSIV Daniel Niculae anunță măsuri aspre la Rapid: "Albu și Borza vor fi EXCLUȘI din lot pe o perioadă nedeterminată"" [EXCLUSIVE Daniel Niculae announces harsh measures at Rapid: "Albu and Borza will be EXCLUDED from the team for an undetermined period"]. Gazeta Sporturilor (in Romanian). 25 February 2024. Retrieved 25 February 2024.
  13. [13]
    "VIDEO EXCLUSIV "Toți râdeau de mine". Alexandru Albu, despre momentul care i-a schimbat cariera: "Băi, nebunule, ai avut dreptate"" [EXCLUSIVE VIDEO "Everybody was laughing at me". Alexandru Albu, about the moment that changed his career: "Hey, crazy man, you were right"] (in Romanian). Digi Sport. 4 January 2022. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
  14. [14]
    Alexandru Albu at Soccerway. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
  15. [15]
    "Alexandru Albu". European Football. Retrieved 8 October 2021.
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