Bogdan Stelea

Bogdan Stelea
Personal information
Full name Bogdan Gheorghe Stelea
Date of birth 15 December 1967 (1967-12-15) (age 44)
Place of birth Bucureşti, Romania
Height 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Playing position Goalkeeper
Senior career*
Years Team Apps† (Gls)†
1986–1991 Dinamo Bucureşti 98 (0)
1987 → Politehnica Iaşi (loan) 0 (0)
1991–1993 Mallorca 52 (0)
1993–1994 Standard Liège 3 (0)
1994 Rapid Bucureşti 13 (0)
1994–1995 Samsunspor 31 (0)
1995–1997 Steaua Bucureşti 47 (0)
1997–2004 Salamanca 183 (0)
2002 → Rapid Bucureşti (loan) 10 (0)
2004–2005 Dinamo Bucureşti 13 (0)
2005 Akratitos 14 (0)
2006 Oţelul Galaţi 0 (0)
2006–2008 Unirea Urziceni 37 (0)
2008–2009 Braşov 23 (0)
Total 524 (0)
National team
1988–2005 Romania 91 (0)
Teams managed
2009–2011 Romania (assistant)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.
† Appearances (Goals).

Bogdan Gheorghe Stelea (Romanian pronunciation: [boɡˈdan ˈstele̯a]; born 5 December 1967 in Bucharest) is a retired Romanian footballer who played as a goalkeeper.

Having played professionally into his 40's, he played for all three major first division clubs in his country's capital, and also spent a vast part of his career in Spain, mainly with Salamanca.

Contents

Club career

Stelea started playing football at hometown's FC Dinamo Bucureşti, being the club's undisputed starter by 1988. In the 1991–92 season, he still appeared in 11 Liga I games as the capital side won the national championship, but signed late in 1991 with RCD Mallorca, for $650.000. After two seasons in Spain, with relegation in his first, as last, he joined Belgium's Standard Liège but, unsettled, quickly returned home, with FC Rapid Bucureşti.

After one season in Turkey with Samsunspor, Stelea returned again to his country and joined FC Steaua Bucureşti, the defending champions; in his two-year spell, the side renewed its domestic supremacy and participated in the UEFA Champions League, with the player contributing significantly.

In 1997, Stelea was transferred to UD Salamanca, where he lived his most steady period, remaining with the team seven years, only puncutated by a small loan spell with Rapid. He amassed over 200 overall appearances for the club, mainly in the second division, but spent his first two seasons in La Liga, playing 63 matches.

After a second spell with Dinamo, Stelea started 2005–06 with Greek side Akratitos FC. Unsettled again, he returned to Romania, with FC Oţelul Galaţi, but didn't play any matches there because of a bad injury. The following season, he moved to FC Unirea Urziceni at the recommendation of new coach and former national teammate Dan Petrescu. He gradually and eventually became first-choice and, in 2007–08, at the age of 40, was still one of the best goalkeepers in the country.

Stelea finally ended his long career at the end of the 2008–09 season, helping modest FC Braşov to a comfortable 9th place. He was almost 42 years of age.

International career

Stelea made his debut for the national team in 1988 against Israel, and represented his country at the 1990, 1994 and 1998 FIFA World Cups, as well as UEFA Euro 1996 and Euro 2000, totalling 12 matches in final stages.

He was capped 91 times, the last against Slovakia in 2005. Four years later, he rejoined the national side, as assistant coach.

Statistics

Club

Club performance League Cup League Cup Continental Total
Season Club League Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Romania League Cupa României Cupa Ligii Europe Total
1986/87 Dinamo Bucureşti Liga I 1 0
1987/88 9 0
1988/89 29 0
1989/90 22 0
1990/91 26 0
1991/92 11 0
Spain League Copa del Rey Copa de la Liga Europe Total
1991/92 Mallorca La Liga 27 0
1992/93 Segunda División 25 0
Belgium League Belgian Cup League Cup Europe Total
1993/94 Standard Liège Belgian Pro League 3 0
Romania League Cupa României Cupa Ligii Europe Total
1994/95 Rapid Bucureşti Liga I 13 0
Turkey League Fortis Turkey Cup League Cup Europe Total
1994/95 Samsunspor Süper Lig 31 0
Romania League Cupa României Cupa Ligii Europe Total
1995/96 Steaua Bucureşti Liga I 25 0
1996/97 32 0
Spain League Copa del Rey Copa de la Liga Europe Total
1997/98 Salamanca La Liga 30 0
1998/99 33 0
1999/00 Segunda División 28 0
2000/01 14 0
2001/02 3 0
Romania League Cupa României Cupa Ligii Europe Total
2001/02 Rapid Bucureşti Liga I 10 0
Spain League Copa del Rey Copa de la Liga Europe Total
2002/03 Salamanca Segunda División 36 0
2003/04 38 0
Romania League Cupa României Cupa Ligii Europe Total
2004/05 Dinamo Bucureşti Liga I 13 0
Greece League Greek Football Cup Greek League Cup Europe Total
2005/06 Akratitos Super League Greece 14 0
Romania League Cupa României Cupa Ligii Europe Total
2005/06 Oţelul Galaţi Liga I 0 0
2006/07 Unirea Urziceni Liga I 9 0
2007/08 28 0
2008/09 Braşov Liga I 23 0
Country Romania 251 0
Spain 234 0
Belgium 3 0
Turkey 31 0
Greece 14 0
Total 533 0

International

Romania national team
Year Apps Goals
1988 1 0
1989 1 0
1990 4 0
1991 1 0
1992 6 0
1993 1 0
1994 11 0
1995 6 0
1996 6 0
1997 7 0
1998 12 0
1999 7 0
2000 9 0
2001 8 0
2002 4 0
2003 2 0
2004 4 0
2005 1 0
Total 91 0

External links

Romania squad – 1990 FIFA World Cup
Romania squad – 1994 FIFA World Cup
Romania squad – UEFA Euro 1996
Romania squad – 1998 FIFA World Cup
Romania squad – UEFA Euro 2000