Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Denis Alibec | ||
Date of birth | 5 January 1991 | ||
Place of birth | Mangalia, Romania | ||
Height | 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in) | ||
Position(s) | Forward | ||
Team information | |||
Current team | Muaither | ||
Number | 7 | ||
Youth career | |||
2001–2006 | Callatis Mangalia | ||
2006 | Steaua București | ||
2006–2008 | Farul Constanța | ||
2009–2010 | Inter Milan | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2008–2009 | Farul Constanța | 18 | (2) |
2010–2014 | Inter Milan | 2 | (0) |
2011–2012 | → Mechelen (loan) | 11 | (0) |
2012–2013 | → Viitorul Constanța (loan) | 23 | (5) |
2013–2014 | → Bologna (loan) | 1 | (0) |
2014–2016 | Astra Giurgiu | 64 | (32) |
2017–2018 | FCSB | 34 | (9) |
2018–2020 | Astra Giurgiu | 56 | (20) |
2020–2022 | Kayserispor | 15 | (2) |
2021–2022 | → CFR Cluj (loan) | 12 | (2) |
2022 | → Atromitos (loan) | 13 | (2) |
2022–2023 | Farul Constanța | 31 | (14) |
2023– | Muaither | 16 | (4) |
International career‡ | |||
2007–2008 | Romania U17 | 6 | (2) |
2008–2010 | Romania U19 | 9 | (5) |
2011–2012 | Romania U21 | 5 | (3) |
2015– | Romania | 37 | (5) |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 15 March 2024 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 26 March 2024 |
Denis Alibec (born 5 January 1991) is a Romanian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Qatar Stars League club Muaither and the Romania national team.
Alibec began his senior career at Farul Constanța, and at age 18 was signed by Italian club Inter Milan. He only made two Serie A appearances and was loaned out several times, before being brought back to Romania by Astra Giurgiu. He became a regular starter and goalscorer with the latter, and also aided it in winning its first national title in the 2015–16 season. This inspired a move to his former youth team FCSB in 2017, but Alibec transferred back to Astra after only one and a half years. Since 2020, in addition to Romania he has had brief stints in Turkey, Greece and Qatar.
Internationally, Alibec featured for Romania at under-17, under-19 and under-21 levels, prior to earning his full debut in a 3–0 win over the Faroe Islands in October 2015. The following year, he represented the country in the UEFA Euro 2016.
At age ten, after only playing football on the beaches of his native Mangalia, Alibec chose to focus entirely on the sport and joined the youth setup of Callatis Mangalia. [1] He had a brief spell as a junior at Steaua București in 2006, before making his senior debut for Farul Constanța in a 1–1 Liga I draw with Oțelul Galați on 27 September 2008. During the 2008–09 season, he managed to score twice from 18 league matches. [2]
In July 2009, it was announced that Alibec signed a four-year contract with Italian club Inter Milan. [3] On 19 May 2010, he scored one goal in each half to give Inter a victory over Bayern Munich in the UEFA Under-18 Challenge match, which acted as an inspiration for the UEFA Youth League. [4]
Alibec registered his Serie A debut on 21 November 2010, coming on as a 68th-minute substitute for Jonathan Biabiany in a 1–2 defeat to Chievo Verona. During that period, he was in rich form in the Campionato Primavera Girone B after scoring eight goals in nine games.[ citation needed ]
On 24 August 2011, Alibec joined Belgian Pro League side Mechelen on a one-year deal. [5] The next two years, he moved to Viitorul Constanța and Bologna in the same predicament, respectively.
In January 2014, Romanian club Astra Giurgiu transferred Alibec for an undisclosed fee, with the player penning down a four-and-a-half-year contract. [6] His first goal came in a 2–0 win over Ceahlăul Piatra Neamț, on 30 March 2014. On 6 December that year, he netted in a 6–1 thrashing of Dinamo București.
On 30 April 2015, Alibec scored a 86th-minute volley in a 2–1 win against Petrolul Ploiești, which represented Astra's first Liga I away victory in the Former Ploiești derby. [7] He established himself as one of the league's best players during the 2015–16 campaign, [1] amassing 33 matches and 20 goals in all competitions as manager Marius Șumudică led Astra to its maiden championship title. [8]
On 18 August 2016, Alibec netted the equaliser in a 1–1 Europa League play-off round draw with West Ham United. [9] He went on to make five appearances and score two goals in the group stage of the competition, his notable display throughout 2016 earning him the Gazeta Sporturilor Romanian Footballer of the Year award. [10]
On 5 January 2017, Alibec moved to fellow Liga I team FC Steaua București on a five-year deal. [11] The rumoured transfer fee was in the region of €2 million and his buyout clause was set at €20 million. [12] He scored his first competitive goal from the penalty spot in a 1–1 league draw with CFR Cluj on 5 February, in which he was also sent off. [13]
On 2 August 2017, Alibec netted his first European goal for the Roș-albaștrii in a 4–1 Champions League third qualifying round away win over Viktoria Plzeň. [14] After going twelve matches without scoring in the 2017–18 Liga I, Alibec finally found the net in a 2–1 away victory against Gaz Metan Mediaș on 3 February 2018, [15] although his poor performances continued.
In July 2018, after falling out of favor at the now-renamed FCSB, Alibec returned to Astra Giurgiu in a transfer rumoured to be worth €1.4 million. [16] [17] He managed to regain his form during his spell back at the Marin Anastasovici Stadium, as he scored 22 times from 61 games in all competitions.
On 2 October 2020, Alibec officially transferred to Turkish team Kayserispor, where he joined compatriots and former Astra teammates Silviu Lung Jr. and Cristian Săpunaru. [18] The day before, Saudi Arabian club Al-Qadsiah had also announced his signing, but the move fell through. [19] Alibec recorded his first goals in the Süper Lig on 19 January 2021, in a 2–0 victory over defending champions İstanbul Başakşehir. [20] He suffered an injury after the second goal, and as a result only appeared five more times during the remainder of the season without netting.
On 17 July 2021, Alibec was sent out on a one-year loan to CFR Cluj, with the deal reuniting him with former Astra manager Marius Șumudică. [21] The latter was soon replaced by Dan Petrescu, and Alibec began to feature less for the Romanian defending champions. He moved to Super League Greece club Atromitos in the winter transfer window, also on loan until the end of the campaign.
On 14 July 2022, Alibec returned to Farul Constanța on a free transfer. He signed a one-year deal with the option of another season. [22] On 16 September, Alibec scored a double in a 3–1 away victory over newly-promoted Petrolul Ploiești. [23] On 4 December, he netted a hat-trick in a 8–0 Liga I home thrashing of Botoșani. [24]
Following his good performances, on 8 March 2023 the club announced that Alibec agreed to a two-year contract extension. [25] He scored his second hat-trick of the season on 6 May, in a 7–2 home win over Rapid București, [26] taking his tally to 14 goals in 30 league matches.
One week later against Universitatea Craiova, Alibec missed a penalty kick, provided an assist and received a straight red card before half-time in an eventual 1–1 draw; he was thus suspended for the last two fixtures against title contenders and his former clubs FCSB and CFR Cluj, respectively. [27] On 21 May 2023, after Farul won 3–2 over FCSB, Alibec became the first player to win the national title with three different teams from outside the capital. [28]
On 3 August 2023, Alibec netted a double in a 3–2 away win over Urartu in the second qualifying round of the Europa Conference League. [29]
On 15 August 2023, Alibec joined Qatar Stars League club Muaither. [30]
On 21 December that year, the Gazeta Sporturilor newspaper announced that Alibec came third in voting for the 2023 Romanian Footballer of the Year award, representing only his second appearance in top five since his 2016 win. [31]
Alibec played youth football for Romania at under-17, under-19 and under-21 levels. On 11 October 2015, after being called up on several occasions in the past, he gained his first cap for the full side in the last UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying match against the Faroe Islands, replacing Bogdan Stancu in the 90th minute of the 3–0 win. [32]
In June 2016, Alibec was selected by Anghel Iordănescu in his squad for the final tournament in France, and entered as a substitute in the opening 1–2 defeat to the hosts. [33] He appeared sparringly for the national team in the following years, and only scored his first official goal in a 3–2 Nations League away win over Austria, on 7 September 2020.
In the Euro 2024 qualifiers, Alibec totalled nine games and scored three goals, including one in the final 1–0 victory over Switzerland. Romania finished its group unbeaten and qualified from the first place. [34]
Alibec's father and uncle, Gevrim and Gelil, respectively, are of Tatar ethnicity and played football together for roughly ten years at FC Neptun in the third division. [35] [36]
Club | Season | League | National Cup | League Cup | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
Farul Constanța | 2008–09 | Liga I | 18 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 18 | 2 | |||
Inter Milan | 2010–11 | Serie A | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||
Mechelen (loan) | 2011–12 | Belgian Pro League | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 12 | 0 | |||
Viitorul Constanța (loan) | 2012–13 | Liga I | 23 | 5 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 23 | 5 | |||
Bologna (loan) | 2013–14 | Serie A | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 3 | 0 | |||
Astra Giurgiu | 2013–14 | Liga I | 9 | 5 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 11 | 5 | |||
2014–15 | Liga I | 16 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 10 | |
2015–16 | Liga I | 26 | 16 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 [lower-alpha 1] | 1 | — | 33 | 20 | ||
2016–17 | Liga I | 13 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 7 [lower-alpha 1] | 3 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 7 | |
Total | 64 | 32 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 84 | 42 | ||
FCSB | 2016–17 | Liga I | 14 | 8 | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | 15 | 9 | |||
2017–18 | Liga I | 20 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 7 [lower-alpha 2] | 2 | — | 27 | 3 | |||
Total | 34 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 2 | — | 42 | 12 | |||
Astra Giurgiu | ||||||||||||||
2018–19 | Liga I | 26 | 5 | 4 | 2 | — | — | — | 30 | 7 | ||||
2019–20 | Liga I | 25 | 14 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 26 | 14 | ||||
2020–21 | Liga I | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 5 | 1 | ||||
Total | 56 | 20 | 5 | 2 | — | — | — | 61 | 22 | |||||
Kayserispor | 2020–21 | Süper Lig | 15 | 2 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | 17 | 3 | |||
CFR Cluj (loan) | 2021–22 | Liga I | 12 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | 9 [lower-alpha 3] | 0 | — | 21 | 2 | ||
Atromitos (loan) | 2021–22 | Super League Greece | 13 | 2 | — | — | — | — | 13 | 2 | ||||
Farul Constanța | 2022–23 | Liga I | 31 | 14 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 31 | 14 | |||
2023–24 | Liga I | 0 | 0 | — | — | 5 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 3 | |||
Total | 31 | 14 | 0 | 0 | — | 5 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 37 | 17 | |||
Muaither | 2023–24 | Qatar Stars League | 16 | 4 | 1 | 2 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 17 | 6 | ||
Career total | 296 | 92 | 16 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 31 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 350 | 113 |
National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
---|---|---|---|
Romania | |||
2015 | 1 | 0 | |
2016 | 5 | 1 | |
2017 | 3 | 0 | |
2018 | 0 | 0 | |
2019 | 1 | 0 | |
2020 | 7 | 1 | |
2021 | 5 | 0 | |
2022 | 5 | 0 | |
2023 | 9 | 3 | |
2024 | 1 | 0 | |
Total | 37 | 5 |
No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 29 May 2016 | Olimpico Grande Torino, Turin, Italy | 3 | Ukraine | 2–4 | 3–4 | Friendly |
2 | 7 September 2020 | Wörthersee Stadion, Klagenfurt, Austria | 12 | Austria | 1–0 | 3–2 | 2020–21 UEFA Nations League B |
3 | 25 March 2023 | Estadi Nacional, Andorra la Vella, Andorra | 28 | Andorra | 2–0 | 2–0 | UEFA Euro 2024 qualification |
4 | 9 September 2023 | Arena Națională, Bucharest, Romania | 32 | Israel | 1–0 | 1–1 | |
5 | 21 November 2023 | Arena Națională, Bucharest, Romania | 36 | Switzerland | 1–0 | 1–0 |
Inter Milan [39]
Astra Giurgiu [37]
CFR Cluj
Farul Constanța [37]
Individual
Asociația Fotbal Club Astra Giurgiu, commonly known as Astra Giurgiu or simply Astra, was a Romanian football club last based in the city of Giurgiu, Giurgiu County. Founded in 1921 in Ploiești as Clubul Sportiv Astra-Română, it spent most of its history in the lower leagues.
Marius Ninel Șumudică is a Romanian professional football manager and former player who most recently was the head coach of Süper Lig club Gaziantep.
Florentin Matei is a Romanian professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder.
Constantin Valentin Budescu is a Romanian professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder or a forward for Liga I club Farul Constanța.
The 2012–13 Liga I was the ninety-fifth season of Liga I, the top-level football league of Romania. The season began on 21 July 2012 and ended on 30 May 2013. CFR Cluj were the defending champions.
Alexandru Cornel Ioniță is a Romanian professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder or a winger for China League One club Yunnan Yukun.
Alexandru Ionuț Mitriță is a Romanian professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder or a winger for Liga I club Universitatea Craiova and the Romania national team.
Harlem-Eddy Gnohéré is a French retired footballer who played as a striker.
Florin Lucian Tănase is a Romanian professional footballer who plays as a forward or an attacking midfielder for Saudi Professional League club Al-Okhdood and the Romania national team.
Dragoș Ionuț Nedelcu is a Romanian professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder or a centre-back for Liga I club Farul Constanța.
Fernando Henrique Boldrin is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a attacking midfielder for Ferroviária.
Florinel Teodor Coman is a Romanian professional footballer who plays as a winger for Liga I club FCSB and the Romania national team.
Cătălin Gheorghiță Golofca is a Romanian professional footballer who plays as a winger or an attacking midfielder.
Valentin Gheorghe is a Romanian professional footballer who plays as a winger for Liga I club Universitatea Cluj.
Alexandru Cicâldău is a Romanian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Süper Lig club Konyaspor, on loan from Süper Lig club Galatasaray, and the Romania national team.
Olimpiu Vasile Moruțan is a Romanian professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder or a winger for Süper Lig club Ankaragücü and the Romania national team.
The 2017–18 season was FCSB's 70th season since its founding in 1947.
Louis Munteanu is a Romanian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Liga I club Farul Constanța, on loan from Serie A club Fiorentina.
The 2021–22 Liga I was the 104th season of the Liga I, the top professional league for Romanian association football clubs. The season started on 15 July 2021 and ended in May 2022. It was the seventh to take place since the play-off/play-out format has been introduced, and CFR Cluj was four-time defending champion.
Mihai Maximilian Popa is a Romanian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Serie A club Torino.