Nicolae Dică

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Nicolae Constantin Dică
Personal information
Full name Nicolae Constantin Dică
Date of birth May 9, 1980 (1980-05-09) (age 28)
Place of birth    Piteşti, Romania
Height 1.81 m (5 ft 11+1⁄2 in)
Playing position Attacking Midfielder
Club information
Current club Steaua Bucureşti
Number 10
Senior clubs1
Years Club App (Gls)*
1998-2000
2000-2004
2004-		 Dacia Piteşti
FC Argeş Piteşti
Steaua Bucureşti		 050 0(19)
089 0(34)
124 0(54)   
National team2
2003- Romania 026 0(8)

1 Senior club appearances and goals
counted for the domestic league only and
correct as of May 30, 2008.
2 National team caps and goals correct
as of June 9, 2008.
* Appearances (Goals)

Nicolae Constantin Dică (born May 9, 1980 in Piteşti) is a Romanian football attacking midfielder. He can play also as forward.

Contents

[edit] Club career

[edit] Dacia Pitesti

Nicoale Dica started playing professional football when he was 18 years old at a local team in his birth town, Dacia Pitesti, in Liga II.

In his inaugural season, Dica played in 17 games and scored 5 times for Dacia Pitesti. In the second, he played in almost all the games and had a very good period, with his side finishing fourth.

He was one of the top scorers in the league that season with 14 goals. Dica was seen as an upcoming talent and the Liga I team of his town, FC Arges Pitesti, signed him in 2000.

Nicolae Dica played for Dacia Pitesti a total of 50 times and scored 19 goals in Liga II.

[edit] FC Arges Pitesti

Dica made his debut in Liga I for FC Arges Pitesti in a 2-1 win against Gaz Metan Medias. He was soon awarded captaincy of the team after Adrian Mutu went to Dinamo and Adrian Neaga departed for Steaua. Dica's skill inevitably attracted interest from the top teams in the Romanian championship.

Dica played 89 matches and scored 34 goals for FC Arges Pitesti.

[edit] Steaua Bucuresti

Romanian giants Steaua paid €250,000 to sign him from FC Arges Pitesti in December 2003. He was brought to Steaua by Victor Piturca and Mihai Stoica.

In the first season for Steaua he scored 9 times in 14 games, helping the side to a runners-up spot to eventual champions and bitter rivals, Dinamo Bucuresti.

At the beginning of his career at Steaua, Dica had some disputes with the fans and was anxious to leave but remained at Steaua and in the next season, helpnig them to the championship title with a total of 11 goals. The following season, Steaua won the league again and Dica's value grew. He contributed with 15 goals, finishing the top scorer for Steaua.

He debuted in European competition in the 2004-2005 season when Steaua qualified for the UEFA Cup, eliminating previous winners Valencia en route to the Round of 16, where they were knocked out by another Spanish side, Villareal.

In 2005 after they lost the chance to play in the UEFA Champions League groups due to elimination by Rosenborg BK, they had another fairly successful season in the UEFA Cup. They defeated the likes of Lens, Heereenven, Real Betis and their traditional Romanian rivals Rapid Bucuresti in the quarter finals, but were unfortunately eliminated in the semi-final by English Premier League side,Middlesbrough[1].

In September 13, 2006, Dica scored twice in the 4-1 away win against Dynamo Kiev in Steaua's opening game in the UEFA Champions League, this being his first ever appearance in said tournament[2]. He went on go on to score 4 goals and add 1 assist in 6 games against group opponents, Dynamo Kiev, Real Madrid, and Olympique Lyonnais. Steaua didn't get passed the group stage, but Dica was declared the 3rd football player in the Uefa Champions League 2006-07 season after Kaká and Cristiano Ronaldo.

The daily newspaper Gazeta Sporturilor gave the Romania's player of the year 2006 honour to Nicolae Dica along with Claudiu Niculescu from Dinamo Bucuresti.[3]

In January 23, 2007 he suffered a knee injury during a friendly against Siena 2 and missed most on the season.[4] On May 9th, for his birthday, Dica returned to Steaua and was introduced in the late stages of the 2-0 victory against Ceahlaul Piatra Neamt, even gaining the captain's band before running on to the Ghencea field again. This was his first official game in 2007.

[edit] Transfer Speculation

In March 2007, French club OSC Lille showed interested in acquiring Dica, but Steaua refused any offers saying that he will not move to any clubs next season.

In August 2007, Steaua had two offers for Dica - from CFR Cluj and Benfica Lisbon, from Romania and Portugal respectively. Both clubs were willing to pay a fee of €5 million. Benfica's manager watched Dica in his game for Romania against Turkey. Despite the offers, Gigi Becali said that he wouldn't let Dica go for less than €8 million.

Aston Villa of the English Premier League offered a sum in the region of €3.5 million for the services of Dica, but nothing concluded.[5]

Another offer came in for Dica on 13 October 2007 from Greek side,Olympiacos C.F.P.. The club was willing to pay €5 million and an annual salary of €750,000.[6]

On November 21, 2007 Portuguese paper A Bola reported that SL Benfica were bidding €9 million for the Romanian. 3 days later, several English media sources linked Dica with Aston Villa again, though nothing concluded before the closeure of the English transfer window on 31st January 2008[7].

In early 2008, Nicolae Dica has been tracked by serveral important teams across Europe like FC Dynamo Moscow[8], Manchester City[9] and Valencia CF[10]. The last one offering €5 million for the Romanian international.

On May 19, 2008 Italian club Catania showed interest in the attacking midfielder. Catania's coach Walter Zenga has worked with Dica in Romania and hopes to convince the highly-rated midfielder about moving to Sicily for next season. Steaua owner, Gigi Becali, has lowered the possible transfer fee down to €3 million.

Club Season Domestic League Domestic Cups Continental games Total
App Goals App Goals App Goals App Goals
Steaua Bucureşti
07-08 27 9 0 0 10 1 37 10
06-07 23 10 0 0 10 5 35 15
05-06 29 15 1 0 15 6 45 21
04-05 29 11 0 0 11 2 40 13
03-04 14 9 0 0 0 0 14 9
Total 122 54 1 0 46 14 169 68
FC Argeş 03-04 14 9 3 2 0 0 17 11
02-03 28 10 5 0 0 0 33 10
01-02 27 11 2 0 0 0 29 11
00-01 19 4 0 0 0 0 19 4
Total 89 34 10 2 0 0 98 36
Dacia Piteşti 99-00 33 14 0 0 0 0 33 14
98-99 17 5 0 0 0 0 17 5
Total 50 19 0 0 0 0 50 19
Career Totals 261 107 11 2 46 14 318 123
Last updated April 10, 2008

[edit] International career

He debuted on the 11th of October 2003 at the national Romanian team in a friendly game against Japan.

Dica won 25 caps for Romania, scoring his first goal in August 2006 in a friendly against Cyprus. After his injury suffered in a club-team friendly in January of 07 Dică will rejoin the "tricolorii" in qualifying for the Euro 2008 with the Romanian National Team.

[edit] International goals

Nicolae Dică: International Goals
# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 August 16, 2006 Constanţa, Romania Flag of Cyprus Cyprus 2-0 Win Friendly
2 September 6, 2006 Tirana, Albania Flag of Albania Albania 2-0 Win UEFA Euro 2008 Qual.
3 August 22, 2007 Bucharest, Romania Flag of Turkey Turkey 2-0 Win Friendly
4 September 8, 2007 Minsk, Belarus Flag of Belarus Belarus 3-1 Win UEFA Euro 2008 Qual.
5 November 21, 2007 Bucharest, Romania Flag of Albania Albania 6-1 Win UEFA Euro 2008 Qual.
6 November 21, 2007 Bucharest, Romania Flag of Albania Albania 6-1 Win UEFA Euro 2008 Qual.
7 May 31, 2008 Bucharest, Romania Flag of Montenegro Montenegro 4-0 Win Friendly
8 May 31, 2008 Bucharest, Romania Flag of Montenegro Montenegro 4-0 Win Friendly

[edit] Personal and family life

In November 2003 he married Corina Zimbroianu. The two met in 1998 and since then they never stood apart. He has a son, Marco Ilie, who was baptized by his teammate from Steaua Bucuresti, Mirel Radoi.

On 8 March 2007 Dica suffered a difficult period of his life as his father died due to cancer. Nicolae Dica was under treatment at the Isokinetic clinic in Bologna when he heard the news. His father was the one who encouraged him to become a football player.

Dica has an Indian head tattooed on hid right arm.

Maradona is his all time idol and FC Barcelona is the team that he wishes to play for.

He doesn’t smoke or drink.

Each time he scores a goal Dica, being very spiritual, makes the sign of the cross, kisses his hands and points two fingers to the sky, one for God and the other for his late father.

[edit] Career honours/achievements

Club

Individual

[edit] References

  1. ^ http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2006/apr/28/match.sport?gusrc=rss&feed=football
  2. ^ http://news.softpedia.com/news/Steaua-Thrashed-Dynamo-Kiev-in-Champions-League-Opener-35495.shtml
  3. ^ http://blogsport.ro/gsp/2006/12/21/nicolae-dica-este-jucatorul-anului-2006-in-ancheta-gazetei/
  4. ^ http://www.realitatea.net/dica-risca-sa-piarda-tot-sezonul_37427.html
  5. ^ http://www.transfermarketweb.com/index.php?action=read&idsel=5295
  6. ^ http://www.transfermarketweb.com/index.php?action=read&idsel=5166
  7. ^ http://www.transfermarketweb.com/index.php?action=read&idsel=6671
  8. ^ http://www.transfermarketweb.com/index.php?action=read&idsel=10886
  9. ^ http://www.transfermarketweb.com/index.php?action=read&idsel=13879
  10. ^ http://www.transfermarketweb.com/index.php?action=read&idsel=9626

[edit] External links

v • d • e
FC Steaua Bucureşti – current squad

1 Rufay • 2 Ninu • 3 Goian • 4 Golański • 5 Rada • 6 Rădoi • 7 Bicfalvi • 8 Petre • 9 Badea • 10 Dică • 12 Cernea • 13 Emeghara • 14 Cristocea • 15 Neşu • 16 Nicoliţă • 17 Baciu • 18 Marin • 20 Lovin • 21 Ochiroşii • 22 Pepe Moreno • 23 Pleşan • 24 Ghionea • 25 Neaga • 26 Eze • 27 Dayro Moreno • 29 Mendoza • 30 Gomes • 82 Vâtcă • 84 Surdu • TBA Croitoru • TBA Ionescu • TBA Liţu • TBA Neagoe • TBA Nunes • TBA Simion • TBA Stancu • TBA Székely • TBA Tudose • Coach: Lăcătuş Manager: Ilie
v • d • e
Romania squad - UEFA Euro 2008
1 Lobonţ • 2 Contra • 3 Raţ • 4 Tamaş • 5 Chivu • 6 Rădoi • 7 Petre • 8 Codrea • 9 Marica • 10 Mutu • 11 Cociş • 12 Popa • 13 Săpunaru • 14 Ghionea • 15 Goian • 16 Nicoliţă • 17 Moţi • 18 M. Niculae • 19 Cristea • 20 Dică • 21 D. Niculae • 22 Radu • 23 Stăncioiu • Coach: Piţurcă
 Flag of Romania
Awards
Preceded by
Flag of Romania Adrian Mutu		 Romanian Footballer of the Year
2006		 Succeeded by
-