Alexandru Albu
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Alexandru Cristian Albu[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 17 August 1993 | ||
| Place of birth | Bucharest, Romania | ||
| Height | 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)[1] | ||
| Position(s) | Defensive midfielder, defender | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Al-Safa | ||
| Number | 93 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2002–2004 | Palatul Național | ||
| 2004–2009 | Inter Sport | ||
| 2009–2011 | Unirea Urziceni | ||
| 2011–2012 | Concordia Chiajna | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2012–2016 | Concordia II Chiajna | ||
| 2015–2022 | Concordia Chiajna | 119 | (10) |
| 2020 | → Academica Clinceni (loan) | 16 | (2) |
| 2020–2021 | → UTA Arad (loan) | 36 | (2) |
| 2021–2022 | → Rapid București (loan) | 34 | (7) |
| 2022–2024 | Rapid București | 61 | (3) |
| 2024 | Al-Hazem | 3 | (0) |
| 2024– | Al-Safa | 6 | (0) |
| International career | |||
| 2021 | Romania | 1 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 8 November 2024 | |||
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 Saudi First Division League club Al-Safa.
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 8 November 2024[14]
| Club | Season | League | National Cup | League Cup | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Concordia Chiajna | 2014–15 | Liga I | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | ||||
| 2016–17 | Liga I | 35 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | — | — | 37 | 3 | |||
| 2017–18 | Liga I | 38 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 39 | 1 | ||||
| 2018–19 | Liga I | 25 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 25 | 1 | ||||
| 2019–20 | Liga II | 20 | 6 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 22 | 6 | ||||
| Total | 119 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | — | — | 124 | 11 | ||||
| Academica Clinceni (loan) | 2019–20 | Liga I | 16 | 2 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 17 | 2 | |||
| UTA Arad (loan) | 2020–21 | Liga I | 36 | 2 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 37 | 2 | |||
| Rapid București (loan) | 2021–22 | Liga I | 34 | 7 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 36 | 7 | |||
| Rapid București | 2022–23 | Liga I | 32 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | 35 | 5 | |||
| 2023–24 | Liga I | 29 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 32 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 61 | 3 | 6 | 2 | — | — | — | 67 | 5 | |||||
| Al-Hazem | 2024–25 | Saudi First Division League | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 3 | 0 | ||||
| Al-Safa | 2024–25 | Saudi First Division League | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 7 | 0 | |||
| Career total | 275 | 24 | 14 | 2 | 2 | 1 | — | — | 291 | 27 | ||||
International
- As of match played 8 October 2021[15]
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Romania | 2021 | 1 | 0 |
| Total | 1 | 0 | |
Honours
Concordia Chiajna[14]
- Cupa Ligii runner-up: 2015–16
References
- ^ a b Alexandru Albu – Romanian league stats at LPF (in Romanian)
- ^ "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.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "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.
- ^ a b "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.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "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.
- ^ a b Alexandru Albu at Soccerway. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
- ^ "Alexandru Albu". European Football. Retrieved 8 October 2021.
External links
- Alexandru Albu at RomanianSoccer.ro (in Romanian)
- Alexandru Albu at National-Football-Teams.com