Cătălin Munteanu

Cătălin Munteanu
Personal information
Full name Cătălin Constantin Munteanu
Date of birth (1979-01-26) 26 January 1979
Place of birth Bucharest, Romania
Height 1.72 m (5 ft 8 in)
Position(s) Central midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Petrolul Ploiești (assistant)
Youth career
1989–1993 Romprim București
1993–1996 Steaua București
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1996–1998 Steaua București 45 (22)
1998–2001 Salamanca 94 (20)
2001–2004 Atlético Madrid 0 (0)
2001–2002 → Espanyol (loan) 12 (1)
2002–2004 → Albacete (loan) 35 (1)
2004–2005 Murcia 22 (1)
2006–2008 Dinamo București 72 (5)
2008–2010 FC Brașov 62 (3)
2010–2014 Dinamo București 84 (7)
2014 FC Brașov 14 (0)
2015 Viitorul Constanța 3 (0)
Total 443 (60)
International career
1996–2000 Romania U21 11 (0)
1997–2001 Romania 17 (1)
Managerial career
2017–2018 Romania U19 (assistant)
2018–2019 Astra Giurgiu (assistant)
2019 Hermannstadt (assistant)
2019–2020 Petrolul Ploiești (assistant)
2020 Petrolul Ploiești (caretaker)
2020–2021 Universitatea Cluj (assistant)
2021–2022 Politehnica Iași (assistant)
2022–2023 Voluntari (assistant)
2023 Sepsi OSK (video analyst)
2024–2025 Botoșani (assistant)
2025– Petrolul Ploiești (assistant)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals

Cătălin Constantin Munteanu (born 26 January 1979) is a Romanian former professional footballer who played as a central midfielder, currently assistant coach at Liga I club Petrolul Ploiești.

Club career

Munteanu, nicknamed "Cap de Zmeu" (Head of Zmeu) was born on 26 January 1979 in Bucharest.[1][2] He started to play senior football at Steaua București, making his Divizia A debut under coach Dumitru Dumitriu on 16 March 1997 in a 3–1 victory against Rapid București.[1][3] In his first season spent at the club, he helped the team win The Double, making 12 league appearances and scoring five goals, also Dumitriu sent him on the field in the 84th minute to replace Sabin Ilie in the 4–2 victory against Național București from the Cupa României final.[1][3][4] In the following season he helped Steaua win another title, this time under the guidance of coach Mihai Stoichiță, being the team's top-scorer with 17 goals scored in 33 matches, including one in a 3–1 win over rivals Dinamo București.[1][3][5] Also he started to play in European competitions, scoring one goal in his debut in the first leg of the 5–3 victory on aggregate against CSKA Sofia in the 1997–98 Champions League first qualifying round and two goals that helped the team get past Bastia with the away goal rule in the 3–3 on aggregate in the second round of the 1997–98 UEFA Cup.[1][6]

Salamanca paid €3.6 million for Munteanu's transfer from Steaua in 1998, making his La Liga debut on 30 August under coach Miguel Ángel Russo in a 0–0 against Mallorca.[1][7][8][9] He scored his first goal in the competition in a 2–1 home loss to Real Zaragoza.[8] The team relegated at the end of his first season but he stayed with the club in the second league until 2001, being colleague with fellow Romanians Bogdan Stelea and Lucian Marinescu, also during that time the club was nicknamed "Salamanca Rumana", because Ovidiu Stîngă and Gabriel Popescu also played for the club around that period.[1][7] He was bought by Atlético Madrid, but did not play a single game there, being loaned for one season at Espanyol Barcelona in La Liga and then at Albacete where he played for two seasons, in the first one he helped the club promote from the second division to the first.[1][10] Afterwards he went to play for Real Murcia in the Segunda División where he suffered a knee injury that kept him off the field for six months.[1][11]

Munteanu went back to Romania in the middle of the 2005–06 season, signing with Dinamo București.[1] In the following season under the guidance of coach Mircea Rednic he scored four goals in 32 appearances, including opening the score with a spectacular shot from 27 meters in a 4–2 victory in a derby against Steaua, helping the team win the title.[1][3][12] He also appeared in 12 matches in which he netted three goals, including one in the 3–1 loss on aggregate against Benfica as the club reached the sixteenths-finals of the 2006–07 UEFA Cup.[1][13] Afterwards, Dinamo had the objective of reaching the Champions League group stage, Munteanu playing in the second leg of the third qualifying round against Lazio Roma, which however was lost with 4–2 on aggregate.[1][14] In 2008, he left Dinamo to go play for two seasons at FC Brașov, after which he came back to play for The Red Dogs for a second spell of four seasons.[1][15][16] Munteanu helped Dinamo win the 2011–12 Cupa României, being sent on the field in the 71st minute by coach Dario Bonetti to replace Ionel Dănciulescu in the 1–0 victory from the final against Rapid București.[1][17] Afterwards Bonetti used him all the minutes in the victory at the penalty shoot-out against CFR Cluj from the 2012 Supercupa României where Munteanu netted his shot.[1][18] In 2014 he left Dinamo, ending his career by playing another half of year at FC Brașov and a half a year at Viitorul Constanța where on 15 March 2015 he made his last Liga I appearance in a 2–1 away victory against CFR Cluj.[1][19] Munteanu has a total of 56 matches and four goals scored in La Liga, 107 matches and 19 goals in Segunda División, 280 games and 37 goals in Liga I and 36 games played with eight goals netted in European competitions.[1]

International career

Munteanu played 17 matches and scored one goal for Romania, making his debut on 19 November 1997, when coach Anghel Iordănescu sent him on the field in order to replace Viorel Moldovan at half-time in a friendly which ended 1–1 against Spain played on Lluís Sitjar Stadium from Palma de Mallorca.[20][21] He played four games and scored one goal at the successful Euro 2000 qualifiers, but was not a part of the squad that went at the final tournament.[20] He played five games at the 2002 World Cup qualifiers, including his last appearance for the national team which took place on 2 June 2001 in a 2–0 victory against Hungary.[20]

Career statistics

Club

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition[1][22][23][24]
Club Season League National cup[a] Europe Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Steaua București 1996–97 Divizia A 12 5 4 0 0 0 — 16 5
1997–98 Divizia A 33 17 3 2 10[b] 3 — 46 21
Total 45 22 7 2 10 3 — 62 26
Salamanca 1998–99 La Liga 27 3 2 0 — — 29 3
1999–00 Segunda División 35 7 0 0 — — 35 7
2000–01 Segunda División 32 10 0 0 — — 32 10
Total 94 20 2 0 — — 96 20
Espanyol (loan) 2001–02 La Liga 12 1 1 0 — — 13 1
Albacete (loan) 2002–03 Segunda División 18 1 1 0 — — 19 1
2003–04 La Liga 17 0 1 0 — — 18 0
Total 35 1 2 0 — — 37 1
Murcia 2004–05 Segunda División 22 1 1 1 — — 23 2
Dinamo București 2005–06 Divizia A 10 0 — — — 10 0
2006–07 Liga I 32 4 1 0 12[c] 3 — 45 7
2007–08 Liga I 30 1 2 0 3[d] 0 0 0 35 1
Total 72 5 3 0 15 3 0 0 90 8
FC Brașov 2008–09 Liga I 31 1 1 0 — — 32 1
2009–10 Liga I 31 2 5 1 — — 36 3
Total 62 3 6 1 — — 68 4
Dinamo București 2010–11 Liga I 30 5 4 1 4[e] 1 — 38 7
2011–12 Liga I 25 2 5 0 4[e] 1 — 34 3
2012–13 Liga I 23 0 2 0 2[e] 0 1[f] 0 28 0
2013–14 Liga I 6 0 1 0 — — 7 0
Total 84 7 12 1 10 2 1 0 107 10
FC Brașov 2014–15 Liga I 14 0 1 0 — 1[g] 0 16 0
Viitorul Constanța 2014–15 Liga I 3 0 0 0 — — 3 0
Career total 443 60 35 5 35 8 2 0 515 72
  1. ^ Includes Cupa României, Copa del Rey
  2. ^ Four appearances and one goal in UEFA Champions League, six appearances in UEFA Cup
  3. ^ Appearances in UEFA Cup
  4. ^ One appearance in UEFA Champions League, two appearances in UEFA Cup
  5. ^ a b c Appearances in UEFA Europa League
  6. ^ Appearance in Supercupa României
  7. ^ Appearance in Cupa Ligii

International

Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team Year Apps Goals
Romania[20]
1997 1 0
1998 5 1
1999 2 0
2000 4 0
2001 5 0
Total 17 1
Scores and results list Romania's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Munteanu goal.
List of international goals scored by Cătălin Munteanu[20]
No. Date Venue Cap Opponent Score Result Competition
1 2 September 1998 Stadionul Steaua, Bucharest, Romania 3  Liechtenstein 2–0 7–0 Euro 2000 qualifiers

Honours

Steaua București

Dinamo București

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x Cătălin Munteanu at RomanianSoccer.ro (in Romanian)
  2. ^ "Cătălin Munteanu a dezvăluit de unde îi vine porecla: "Miu a fost primul care mi-a spus 'Cap de Zmeu'!"" [Cătălin Munteanu revealed where his nickname comes from: "Miu was the first to call me 'Head of Zmeu'!"] (in Romanian). Prosport.ro. 20 November 2015. Retrieved 28 July 2022.
  3. ^ a b c d "Romania National Champions". RomanianSoccer. Retrieved 5 September 2023.
  4. ^ "Romanian Cup - Season 1996 - 1997". RomanianSoccer. Retrieved 27 May 2025.
  5. ^ "Primul Dinamo – Steaua din istorie cu 2 penaltyuri! Vezi aici TOATE rezultatele dramatice scoase din penalty in derby!" [The first Dinamo - The star in history with 2 penalties! See here ALL the dramatic results from the penalty in the derby!]. Sport.ro. 18 October 2010. Retrieved 10 October 2024.
  6. ^ "Steaua - TSKA Sofia, in play-off-ul Ligii Europa" [Steaua - TSKA Sofia, in the Europa League play-off] (in Romanian). Fcsteaua.ro. 5 August 2011. Retrieved 28 July 2022.
    "Măcelul de la Bastia! Cea mai traumatizantă experiență pentru roș-albaștri! "Lăcătuș și-a luat bătaie cât pentru toată cariera!"" [The massacre at Bastia! The most traumatic experience for the red-blues! "Lăcătuș took a beating for his whole career!"] (in Romanian). Prosport.ro. 1 July 2011. Retrieved 28 July 2022.
  7. ^ a b "Salamanca Rumana: de la Stîngă și Stelea la Alex Țîrlea" [Romanian Salamanca: from Stîngă and Stelea to Alex Țîrlea] (in Romanian). Wesport.ro. 15 April 2020. Retrieved 28 July 2022.
  8. ^ a b "Cătălin Munteanu. Primera División 1998/1999". WorldFootball. Retrieved 27 May 2025.
  9. ^ "UD Salamanca - RCD Mallorca 0:0". WorldFootball. Retrieved 27 May 2025.
  10. ^ "Vă aduceți aminte de Cătălin Munteanu în tricoul lui Atletico Madrid? Nici spaniolii. Românul a fost inclus de Marca pe o listă care nu-i face cinste" [Do you remember Cătălin Munteanu in the shirt of Atletico Madrid? Neither do the Spaniards. The Romanian was included by Marca on a list that does him no credit] (in Romanian). Prosport.ro. 31 January 2019. Retrieved 28 July 2022.
    "A avut contract 3 ani cu Atletico, dar n-a jucat niciun minut. Românul de națională, pe prima pagină a ziarelor spaniole" [He had a 3-year contract with Atletico, but he didn't play a single minute. The Romania national team player, on the front page of the Spanish newspapers] (in Romanian). Digisport.ro. 31 January 2019. Retrieved 28 July 2022.
  11. ^ "Catalin Munteanu ramane la Murcia" [Catalin Munteanu stays at Murcia] (in Romanian). Adevarul.ro. 4 June 2005. Retrieved 28 July 2022.
    ""Cap de Zmeu", altfel decît îl ştiţi. Cătălin Munteanu, familistul" ["Cap de Zmeu", different than you know him. Cătălin Munteanu, the family man] (in Romanian). Gsp.ro. 4 July 2010. Retrieved 28 July 2022.
  12. ^ "Cătălin Munteanu a fost invitatul lui Cătălin Oprișan! Povești spectaculoase cu fostul dinamovist" [Cătălin Munteanu was the guest of Cătălin Oprisan! Spectacular stories with the former Dinamo player] (in Romanian). As.ro. 28 October 2021. Retrieved 28 July 2022.
    "A jucat la Steaua și Dinamo, se declară "câine roșu", dar surprinde: "N-am vorbit și nu voi vorbi urât despre ei. Îmi doresc să ajungă departe în Europa"" [He played for Steaua and Dinamo, he declares himself a "red dog", but surprises: "I have not spoken and I will not speak badly about them. I want them to go far in Europe"] (in Romanian). Gsp.ro. 29 July 2018. Retrieved 28 July 2022.
    "Dinamo a luat ultimul titlu într-o altă lume! 4 lucruri care nu se întâmplaseră încă în 2007: Messi și Ronaldo n-aveau niciun Balon de Aur" [Dinamo took the last title in another world! 4 things that had not happened in 2007: Messi and Ronaldo did not have a Golden Ball] (in Romanian). Gsp.ro. 3 July 2017. Retrieved 28 July 2022.
  13. ^ "Dinamo - Benfica 1-2" (in Romanian). Hotnews.ro. 22 February 2007. Retrieved 28 July 2022.
  14. ^ ""Doar" un egal: Lazio 1 - 1 Dinamo!" ["Just" a draw: Lazio 1 - 1 Dinamo!] (in Romanian). Sport.ro. 14 August 2007. Retrieved 27 May 2025.
    "Liga Campionilor - Lazio - Dinamo 1 -1 - Ingerul cu mănuşi" [Champions League - Lazio - Dinamo 1 -1 - The angel with gloves] (in Romanian). Jurnalul.ro. 15 August 2007. Retrieved 27 May 2025.
    "Rapusi in 20 de minute" [Destroyed in 20 minutes] (in Romanian). Ziaruldeiasi.ro. 29 August 2007. Retrieved 27 May 2025.
    "Dinamo: Visul frumos s-a terminat" [Dinamo: The beautiful dream is over] (in Romanian). Evz.ro. 29 August 2007. Retrieved 27 May 2025.
    "Dezastru pentru echipa lui Rednic: Dinamo 1 - 3 Lazio" [Disaster for Rednic's team: Dinamo 1 - 3 Lazio] (in Romanian). Sport.ro. 6 December 2021. Retrieved 27 May 2025.
  15. ^ "Cătălin Munteanu la FC Braşov" [Cătălin Munteanu at FC Braşov] (in Romanian). Gsp.ro. 12 June 2008. Retrieved 28 July 2022.
  16. ^ "Primul transfer la Dinamo. Cătălin Munteanu revine în "Groapă"" [The first transfer to Dinamo. Cătălin Munteanu returns to the "Groapă"] (in Romanian). Gsp.ro. 14 May 2010. Retrieved 28 July 2022.
  17. ^ "Dinamo - Rapid 1-0 și "câinii" câștigă Cupa României! A marcat Scarlatache ('58)" [Dinamo - Rapid 1-0 and the "dogs" win the Romanian Cup! Scored Scarlatache ('58)] (in Romanian). Digisport.ro. 23 May 2012. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
  18. ^ "DINAMO, SUPERCAMPIOANA ROMÂNIEI CFR Cluj-Dinamo 2–2 (2–4 după loviturile de departajare). Țucudean, desemnat OMUL-MECIULUI" [DINAMO, ROMANIA SUPERCHAMPION CFR Cluj-Dinamo 2–2 (2–4 after penalty kicks). Țucudean, named MAN-OF-THE-MATCH] (in Romanian). Digisport.ro. 14 July 2012. Retrieved 27 May 2025.
    "Un regal în plină vară. Dinamo a învins la penalty-uri CFR Cluj şi a cucerit Supercupa României" [A royal in the middle of summer. Dinamo defeated CFR Cluj on penalties and won the Romanian Supercup] (in Romanian). Gsp.ro. 15 July 2012. Retrieved 27 May 2025.
    "Spectacol pe Național Arena! Supercupa României merge în Ștefan cel Mare după penalty-uri: CFR – Dinamo 2–2 (2–4)!" [Show at the National Arena! The Romanian Supercup goes to Stefan the Great after penalties: CFR – Dinamo 2–2 (2–4)!] (in Romanian). Prosport.ro. 14 July 2012. Retrieved 27 May 2025.
  19. ^ "Cătălin Munteanu dezvăluie de ce a plecat de la Dinamo: "Sînt dezamăgit!"" [Cătălin Munteanu reveals why he left Dinamo: "I'm disappointed!"] (in Romanian). Gsp.ro. 12 June 2014. Retrieved 28 July 2022.
    "Cătălin Munteanu s-a despărţit de Dinamo şi a semnat cu FC Braşov" [Cătălin Munteanu left Dinamo and signed with FC Braşov] (in Romanian). Click.ro. 11 June 2014. Retrieved 28 July 2022.
    "Cătălin Munteanu s-a retras, dar va rămîne tot în fotbal" [Cătălin Munteanu has retired, but will remain in football] (in Romanian). Gsp.ro. 3 August 2015. Retrieved 28 July 2022.
  20. ^ a b c d e "Cătălin Munteanu profile". European Football. Retrieved 7 March 2025.
  21. ^ "Spain 1-1 Romania". European Football. Retrieved 28 July 2022.
  22. ^ Cătălin Munteanu at WorldFootball.net
  23. ^ Cătălin Munteanu at BDFutbol
  24. ^ Cătălin Munteanu at Soccerway
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.