Bogdan Stelea

Bogdan Stelea
Personal information
Full nameBogdan Gheorghe Stelea
Date of birth15 December 1967
Place of birthBucharest, Romania
Height1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Playing positionGoalkeeper
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps†(Gls)†
1986–1991Dinamo București98(0)
1987→ Politehnica Iași (loan)0(0)
1991–1993Mallorca52(0)
1993–1994Standard Liège3(0)
1994Rapid București13(0)
1994–1995Samsunspor31(0)
1995–1997Steaua București47(0)
1997–2004Salamanca183(0)
2002→ Rapid București (loan)10(0)
2004–2005Dinamo București13(0)
2005Akratitos14(0)
2006Oțelul Galați0(0)
2006–2008Unirea Urziceni37(0)
2008–2009Brașov23(0)
Total524(0)
National team
1988–2005[1]Romania91(0)
Teams managed
2009–2011Romania (assistant)
2012Astra Ploiești
2013–2014Romania U-21
2014Viitorul Constanța
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.
† Appearances (Goals).

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

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.

Stelea played nearly 100 times for Romania, and represented the nation in three World Cups and two European Championships.

Club career

Born in Bucharest, Stelea started playing football at hometown's FC Dinamo București, 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 La Liga seasons in Spain, with relegation in his first, as last, he joined Belgium's Standard Liège but, unsettled, quickly returned home with FC Rapid București.

After one season in Turkey with Samsunspor, Stelea returned again to his country and joined FC Steaua București, the defending champions. In his two-year spell the club renewed its domestic supremacy and participated in the UEFA Champions League, with the player contributing significantly. During this period he also had a successful trial with Sunderland but could not negotiate a deal.[2]

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 the top flight, 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 Oțelul Galați, 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, where he eventually became first-choice; in the 2007–08 season, 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 Brașov to a comfortable 9th place in the top division. 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.

Coaching career

After two years spent as assistant manager for Răzvan Lucescu, at the national team, Stelea became head coach at Astra Ploiești, in 2012.[3] On 10 August, however, after a home draw against CS Turnu Severin, he was sacked from his post.[4] In 2013, he returned at the Romanian Federation, but this time he became manager of the U-21 squad.

Stelea resigned in June 2014 and accepted the offer that came from his former team-mate, Gheorghe Hagi, to coach the team owned by Hagi, FC Viitorul Constanța.[5] After only eleven games in which Viitorul gained thirteen points, Stelea resigned.

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
1986/87Dinamo BucureștiLiga I10
1987/8890
1988/89290
1989/90220
1990/91260
1991/92110
Spain League Copa del Rey Copa de la Liga Europe Total
1991/92MallorcaLa Liga270
1992/93Segunda División250
Belgium League Belgian Cup League Cup Europe Total
1993/94Standard LiègeBelgian Pro League30
Romania League Cupa României Cupa Ligii Europe Total
1994/95Rapid BucureștiLiga I130
Turkey League Türkiye Kupası League Cup Europe Total
1994/95SamsunsporSüper Lig310
Romania League Cupa României Cupa Ligii Europe Total
1995/96Steaua BucureștiLiga I250
1996/97320
Spain League Copa del Rey Copa de la Liga Europe Total
1997/98SalamancaLa Liga300
1998/99330
1999/00Segunda División280
2000/01140
2001/0230
Romania League Cupa României Cupa Ligii Europe Total
2001/02Rapid BucureștiLiga I100
Spain League Copa del Rey Copa de la Liga Europe Total
2002/03SalamancaSegunda División360
2003/04380
Romania League Cupa României Cupa Ligii Europe Total
2004/05Dinamo BucureștiLiga I130
Greece League Greek Cup League Cup Europe Total
2005/06AkratitosSuper League Greece140
Romania League Cupa României Cupa Ligii Europe Total
2005/06Oțelul GalațiLiga I00
2006/07Unirea UrziceniLiga I90
2007/08280
2008/09BrașovLiga I230
Country Romania 2510
Spain 2340
Belgium 30
Turkey 310
Greece 140
Total 5330

International

Romania national team
YearAppsGoals
198810
198910
199040
199110
199260
199310
1994110
199560
199660
199770
1998120
199970
200090
200180
200240
200320
200440
200510
Total910

References

  1. ↑ "Bogdan Gheorghe Stelea - International Appearances". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation.
  2. ↑ http://www.sunderlandecho.com/news/reid-is-keen-on-stelea-1-1101513
  3. ↑ "Mister" Stelea şi-a ales secundul la Astra din două încercări; GSP, 6 June 2012 (Romanian)
  4. ↑ "INCREDIBIL! CIRC în Liga I! Stelea, demis în direct la TV: "Mulţescu e noul antrenor!"" [INCREDIBLE! CIRCUS in Liga I! Stelea fired live on TV: "Mulţescu is new manager"] (in Romanian). Pro Sport. 10 August 2012. Retrieved 10 August 2012.
  5. ↑ "Bogdan Stelea - antrenor principal" (in Romanian). academiahagi.ro. 27 June 2014. Retrieved 28 June 2014.

External links