Cristian Pustai

Cristian Pustai
Personal information
Full nameCristian Dumitru Pustai
Date of birth12 October 1967
Place of birthMediaș, Romania
Playing positionStriker
Club information
Current team
Free agent
Youth career
1986–1987Şoimii Sibiu
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps†(Gls)†
1987–1995Gaz Metan Mediaş
1995–1998Unirea Alba Iulia
1998–2000Chimica Târnăveni
Teams managed
2000Chimica Târnăveni
2007–2013Gaz Metan Mediaş
2013–2014Pandurii Târgu Jiu
2014ASA Târgu Mureș
2015Rapid București
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.
† Appearances (Goals).

Cristian Dumitru Pustai (born 12 October 1967 in Mediaș) is a retired Romanian football striker, currently head coach. From January 2015 to April 2015, he was the head coach of Rapid București.

Club career

Cristian Pustai played as a striker for Gaz Metan Mediaş, Unirea Alba Iulia and Chimica Târnăveni.[1] He is credited for scoring 170 goals for these teams.[2]

Coaching career

Chimica Târnăveni

He began his coaching career at Chimica Târnăveni, towards the end of the 1999-2000 edition of Division B, when he led the team as a playing-coach. He quit his job there after the team was relegated from the Liga III.[3] Afterwards he became a math teacher.

Gaz Metan Mediaş

In 2003 he became a part of Gaz Metan Mediaş's staff, coaching the youth teams.[4]

In 2007 Pustai was appointed head coach of then Liga II club Gaz Metan Mediaş. He managed to win the 2007–08 Liga II in the first season with the team, gaining promotion to the Liga I.[5] In the first division, the team under his guidance had a constant progress.[6] In the 2011–12 season Gaz Metan Mediaş played in the UEFA Europa League under his command. They managed to knock out Mainz 05, but were subsequently knocked out by Austria Wien.[7]

Pandurii Târgu Jiu

In January 2013, Pustai took over Pandurii Târgu Jiu.[8] At the end of 2012-13 season, Pandurii finished as Liga I runner-up for the first time in the history, becoming the vice-champion of Romania, and qualified for the first time in Europa League.[9] Starting its European adventure from the second qualifying round, Pandurii qualified in the group stage after surprisingly eliminating Sporting Braga with 2-0, after the pandurs were defeated with 0-1. In the group stage, Pandurii failed to win any match, drawing twice with Paços de Ferreira and losing against Fiorentina and Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk. In the championship, Pandurii failed to maintain its position between the first squads, and after a poor serie of results which led the team to fall to the sixth place, Pustai resigned on 23 April 2014.

ASA Târgu Mureș

On 30 September 2014, he signed a contract with ASA Târgu Mureș.[10] He was sacked on 29 December 2014.[11]

Rapid București

On 8 January 2015, he was announced as the new head coach of Rapid București. His objective is to save the team from its precarious position, the 18th in Liga I. He was however sacked on 14 April 2015 due to poor results. He was replaced by Cristiano Bergodi.[12]

Managerial statistics

As of 14 April 2015
Team Nat From To Record
G W D L GF GA Win %
Gaz Metan Mediaş Romania 12 September 2007 18 January 2013 169 57 49 63 186 218 33.73
Pandurii Târgu Jiu Romania 18 January 2013 23 April 2014 58 26 11 21 94 67 44.83
ASA Târgu Mureș Romania 30 September 2014 29 December 2014 10 5 3 2 12 4 50.00
Rapid București Romania 8 January 2015 14 April 2015 9 3 2 4 6 8 33.33
Total 246 91 65 90 298 297 36.99

References

  1. ↑ http://7sport.ro/cristian-pustai-jucat-tractorul-brasov/ Pustai a jucat pentru mai multe echipe in diviziile inferioare
  2. ↑ http://7sport.ro/cristian-pustai-jucat-tractorul-brasov/ Pustai a marcat mai mult de 150 de goluri
  3. ↑ http://www.sport.ro/liga-1/pustai-isi-tortura-ore-in-sir-colegii-de-vestiar-recitandu-le-poezii-meniul-zilei-bacovia-sau-arghezi.html Am renuntat la cariera de jucator pentru a ma face profesor
  4. ↑ http://www.adevarul.ro/sport/fotbal_intern/Cristi_Pustai-_-De_scarba_fotbalului_am_ales_matematica_0_394161167.html Dupa 3 ani m-am intors la Gaz Metan
  5. ↑ http://www.adevarul.ro/sport/fotbal_intern/Cristi_Pustai-_-De_scarba_fotbalului_am_ales_matematica_0_394161167.html Pustai a promovat cu Gazul
  6. ↑ "Cristian Pustai: "Am fost echipa mai matura"" (in Romanian). Onlinesport.ro. 26 July 2010. Retrieved 30 July 2010.
  7. ↑ http://www.ziare.com/articole/eric+gaz+metan Gaz Metan spera sa l foloseasca pe Eric cu Austria
  8. ↑ "Clubul Pandurii Târgu Jiu a ajuns la un acord cu antrenorul Cristi Pustai" (in Romanian). pandurii-tg-jiu.ro. 19 January 2013. Retrieved 19 January 2013.
  9. ↑ "Pandurii Târgu Jiu, noua vicecampioană a României, merge în Europa League după egalul cu Astra Giurgiu: 1-1" (in Romanian). Digi 24 HD. Retrieved 29 May 2013.
  10. ↑ "Cristian Pustai, noul antrenor al echipei" (in Romanian). asatirgumures.ro. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  11. ↑ "Mulțumim, Cristian Pustai !" (in Romanian). asatirgumures.ro. Retrieved 29 December 2014.
  12. ↑ "Cristi Pustai – antrenorul Rapidului" (in Romanian). fcrapid.ro. Retrieved 8 January 2015.

External links