Ovidiu Popescu
.jpg) Popescu with FCSB in 2022 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Ovidiu Marian Popescu | ||
| Date of birth | 27 February 1994 | ||
| Place of birth | Reșița, Romania | ||
| Height | 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in) | ||
| Positions | |||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Politehnica Timișoara | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2004–2009 | Muncitorul Reșița | ||
| 2009–2013 | Școala de Fotbal Marcel Băban Jimbolia | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2013–2014 | UTA Arad | 24 | (6) |
| 2014–2016 | ACS Poli Timișoara | 47 | (5) |
| 2016–2024 | FCSB | 200 | (4) |
| 2024–2025 | Universitatea Cluj | 19 | (1) |
| 2025–2026 | UTA Arad | 15 | (0) |
| 2026– | Politehnica Timișoara | 0 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2015–2016 | Romania U21 | 8 | (1) |
| 2021 | Romania | 2 | (0) |
|
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 7 March 2026 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 28 March 2021 | |||
Ovidiu Marian Popescu (Romanian pronunciation: [oˈvidju mariˈan poˈpesku]; born 27 February 1994) is a Romanian professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder or a defender for Liga II club ASU Politehnica Timișoara.
Club career
[edit]FCSB
[edit]In June 2016, FCSB transferred Popescu for undisclosed fee, with the player penning a five-year deal with a €10 million buyout clause.[1] He made his debut in the Liga I on 12 August against FC Botoșani, a game Steaua went on to win 2–0.[2] On 8 September, also against Botoșani but in the Cupa Ligii, Popescu scored his first goal for the Roș-albaștrii.[3]
He finally scored his first league goal for the club with a free kick in a 2–0 victory over CFR Cluj on 12 March 2017.[4] During early April, following Popescu's good display, it was reported that Celtic and Southampton were interested in signing him.[5]
International career
[edit]In June 2015, Popescu was selected in Romania's squad for the 2017 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualifier against Armenia.[6]
He made his debut for Romania national football team on 25 March 2021 in a World Cup qualifier against North Macedonia.[7]
Career statistics
[edit]Club
[edit]- As of match played 7 March 2026[8]
| Club | Season | League | Cupa României | Cupa Ligii | Europe | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| UTA Arad | 2013–14 | Liga II | 24 | 6 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 25 | 6 | |||
| ACS Poli Timișoara | 2014–15 | Liga II | 22 | 3 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 22 | 3 | |||
| 2015–16 | Liga I | 25 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 27 | 2 | |||
| Total | 47 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 49 | 5 | ||||
| FCSB | 2016–17 | Liga I | 27 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 5[a] | 0 | — | 37 | 3 | |
| 2017–18 | Liga I | 24 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 8[b] | 0 | — | 33 | 0 | |||
| 2018–19 | Liga I | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 2[c] | 0 | — | 12 | 0 | |||
| 2019–20 | Liga I | 27 | 1 | 4 | 0 | — | 8[c] | 0 | — | 39 | 1 | |||
| 2020–21 | Liga I | 35 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 1[c] | 0 | 1[d] | 0 | 38 | 0 | ||
| 2021–22 | Liga I | 30 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 2[e] | 0 | — | 33 | 0 | |||
| 2022–23 | Liga I | 17 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 3[e] | 0 | — | 20 | 1 | |||
| 2023–24 | Liga I | 30 | 1 | 3 | 0 | — | 3[e] | 0 | — | 36 | 1 | |||
| Total | 200 | 4 | 12 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 32 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 248 | 6 | ||
| Universitatea Cluj | 2024–25 | Liga I | 19 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 19 | 1 | |||
| UTA Arad | 2025–26 | Liga I | 15 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 18 | 0 | |||
| Career total | 305 | 16 | 18 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 32 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 359 | 18 | ||
- ↑ Two appearances in UEFA Champions League, three appearances in UEFA Europa League
- ↑ Three appearances in UEFA Champions League, five appearances in UEFA Europa League
- 1 2 3 Appearance(s) in UEFA Europa League
- ↑ Appearance in Supercupa României
- 1 2 3 Appearances in UEFA Europa Conference League
International
[edit]- As of match played 28 March 2021[9]
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Romania | |||
| 2021 | 2 | 0 | |
| Total | 2 | 0 | |
Honours
[edit]ACS Poli Timișoara
FCSB[8]
- Liga I: 2023–24
- Cupa României: 2019–20
- Supercupa României runner-up: 2020[10]
References
[edit]- ↑ "De ce Ovidiu Popescu a fost luat de Steaua. "E liniștit, n-are carnet, am stat 4 ore cu el la masă!"" (in Romanian). Digi Sport. 4 June 2016.
- ↑ "Botoșani - Steaua 0–2" (in Romanian). Digi Sport. 12 August 2016. Retrieved 8 April 2017.
- ↑ "Saptamana de vis pentru Ovidiu Popescu: Dupa golul la Romania U21, a reusit sa marcheze si pentru Steaua! Prima sa reactie" [Incredible week for Ovidiu Popescu: After his goal for Romania U21, he also managed to score for Steaua! His first reaction] (in Romanian). Sport.ro. 8 September 2016. Retrieved 8 April 2017.
- ↑ "Ovidiu Popescu l-a impresionat pe Ilie Dumitrescu: "A dat mai bine decât mine cu Argentina"" [Ovidiu Popescu impressed Ilie Dumitrescu: "He hit it better than I did against Argentina!"] (in Romanian). Digi Sport. 13 March 2017. Retrieved 8 April 2017.
- ↑ "After missing out on team-mate, should Southampton challenge Celtic for Ovidiu Popescu?". hitc.com. 5 April 2017. Retrieved 9 July 2017.
- ↑ "UNDER 21: LOTUL PENTRU DEBUTUL ÎN PRELIMINARIILE EURO 2017" [UNDER 21: SQUAD FOR THE EURO 2017 DEBUT] (in Romanian). FRF. 26 May 2015. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016.
- ↑ "Romania v North Macedonia game report". FIFA. 25 March 2021.[dead link]
- 1 2 Ovidiu Popescu at Soccerway. Retrieved 6 March 2017.
- ↑ "Ovidiu Popescu". European Football. Retrieved 10 June 2021.
- ↑ "FOTO&VIDEO | CFR Cluj a câștigat Supercupa României!" [PHOTO&VIDEO | CFR Cluj won the Romanian Supercup!] (in Romanian). Romanian Football Federation. 15 April 2021. Retrieved 16 April 2021.
External links
[edit]- Ovidiu Popescu at RomanianSoccer.ro (in Romanian)
- Ovidiu Popescu – UEFA competition record (archive)
- Living people
- 1994 births
- Footballers from Reșița
- Romanian men's footballers
- Men's association football midfielders
- Liga I players
- Liga II players
- FC UTA Arad players
- ACS Poli Timișoara players
- FCSB players
- FC Universitatea Cluj players
- Romania men's under-21 international footballers
- Romania men's international footballers
- 21st-century Romanian sportsmen