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Alexandru Cristian Albu (Romanian pronunciation: [alekˈsandru kristiˈan ˈalbu]; born 17 August 1993) is a Romanian professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder or a defender for Saudi First Division League club Al-Safa.

Albu started out his professional career at Concordia Chiajna in 2015, where he spent several seasons playing in the Liga I before relegating to the second division. Following loans to Academica Clinceni, UTA Arad, and Rapid București, respectively, he signed a permanent contract with the latter in 2021.

Internationally, Albu made his senior debut for Romania in October 2021, in a 1–2 away FIFA World Cup qualifier loss to Germany.

Early life

Albu was born in Bucharest and is of Romani ethnicity. He grew up supporting Steaua București.

Club career

Concordia Chiajna

Albu made his professional debut for Concordia Chiajna on 1 May 2015, coming on as an 89th-minute substitute for Hristijan Dragarski in a 1–0 home Liga I win over Pandurii Târgu Jiu. He became a regular starter for the club in the 2016–17 season, and on 7 September 2016 scored his first goal in a 1–2 Cupa Ligii loss to ACS Poli Timișoara.

On 4 March 2017, Albu recorded his first league goal in a 1–1 draw against the same opponent. He amassed totals of 99 appearances and three goals in the top flight for "the Green Eagles", before relegating to the Liga II at the end of the 2018–19 campaign.

Various loans

In January 2020, Albu returned to the Liga I by signing for newly-promoted Academica Clinceni on loan for the remainder of the season. On 16 August, he moved to UTA Arad on a one-year loan.

On 16 June 2021, Albu was loaned again to Rapid București, totalling 36 games and a career-best seven goals in all competitions during the 2021–22 season.

Rapid București

In the summer of 2022, Albu joined Rapid București on a permanent basis after the team paid a previously-agreed €150,000 to Concordia Chiajna. On 23 April 2023, he scored the only goal of a home derby victory over FCSB in the Liga I.

On 25 February 2024, he and his teammate Andrei Borza were expelled from the squad for an undetermined period—later revealed as one match—because they partied in a nightclub after a 1–3 loss to Politehnica Iași.

International career

Albu made his debut for the Romania national team on 8 October 2021, coming on as an 82nd-minute substitute for Nicolae Stanciu in a 1–2 away loss to Germany counting for the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

Style of play

Albu played as a defender during the first part of his career, mostly as a centre-back, and later developed into a defensive midfielder.

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 8 November 2024

International

As of match played 8 October 2021

Honours

Concordia Chiajna

• Cupa Ligii runner-up: 2015–16

References

1. ^ Alexandru Albu – Romanian league stats at LPF (in Romanian)
2. "Albu, despre "lipiciul" la publicul rapidist: "Sunt român de etnie romă și mă mândresc cu asta! Simțeam această legătură cu suporterii și clubul"" [Albu, about being "glued" to the Rapid fans: "I am a Romanian of Roma ethnicity and I am proud of it! I felt this connection with the fans and the club"]. Gazeta Sporturilor (in Romanian). 1 July 2023.
3. "Rapid a semnat cu fotbalistul care declara public că e stelist! "Mi-am dorit să joc la Steaua"" [Rapid signed the footballer who publicly declared that he is a Steaua fan! "I wanted to play for Steaua"] (in Romanian). ProSport. 19 July 2022. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
4. "Chiajna - Pandurii 1-0. Ilfovenii au cucerit 3 puncte importante si sunt aproape de salvarea de la retrogradare" [Chiajna - Pandurii 1–0. Ilfovenii won 3 important points and are close to being spared from relegation] (in Romanian). Digi Sport. 1 May 2015. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
5. "VIDEO » ACS Poli Timișoara merge în semifinalele Cupei Ligii după ce a învins Chiajna, scor 2-1" [VIDEO » ACS Poli Timișoara goes through the semi-finals of the League Cup after defeating Chiajna, score 2–1]. Gazeta Sporturilor (in Romanian). 7 September 2016. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
6. "Nici prea-prea, nici foarte-foarte! ACS Poli Timisoara scoate o remiza pe final cu Chiajna lui Alexa" [Not too little, nor too much! ACS Poli Timișoara draws with Alexa's Chiajna in the end] (in Romanian). Opinia Timișoarei. 4 March 2017. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
7. ^ "Vedeta de pe maidan » Fotbalistul crescut în cartier a ajuns titular în derby-ul Rapid - FCSB" [The Star from the Streets » The football player who grew up in the neighborhood became a starter in the Rapid - FCSB derby]. Gazeta Sporturilor. 11 August 2021. Retrieved 5 February 2024. Albu was a central defender in the small, amateur leagues in which he played, then remainded a centre-back for Chiajna, with which he relegated from the first league to the second. Poenaru told them he was going to convert Albu from a defender to a midfielder, which he did.
8. "UTA Arad, încă două transferuri: Alexandru Albu și Alexandru Benga au fost prezentați oficial" [UTA Arad, two more transfers: Alexandru Albu and Alexandru Benga were officially presented] (in Romanian). Prima Sport. 16 August 2020. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
9. "OFICIAL | Alexandru Albu, primul transfer al Rapidului după promovarea în Liga 1! Declarațiile fundașului" [OFFICIAL | Alexandru Albu, Rapid's first transfer after its promotion to Liga 1! The defender's statements] (in Romanian). Digi Sport. 16 June 2021. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
10. "Rapid a transferat un jucător convocat de Rădoi la națională: "Au plătit 200.000 de euro"" [Rapid transferred a player called up by Rădoi to the national team: "They paid 200,000 euros"]. Gazeta Sporturilor (in Romanian). 4 January 2022. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
11. "VIDEO | Rapid – FCSB 1-0! Paradele fabuloase ale lui Horaţiu Moldovan și golul Lui Alexandru Albu îi îndepărtează pe "roş-albaştri" de titlu" [VIDEO | Rapid – FCSB 1–0! Horațiu Moldovan's fabulous saves and Alexandru Albu's goal keep the "red-blues" away from the title] (in Romanian). Prima Sport. 23 April 2023. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
12. "EXCLUSIV Daniel Niculae anunță măsuri aspre la Rapid: "Albu și Borza vor fi EXCLUȘI din lot pe o perioadă nedeterminată"" [EXCLUSIVE Daniel Niculae announces harsh measures at Rapid: "Albu and Borza will be EXCLUDED from the team for an undetermined period"]. Gazeta Sporturilor (in Romanian). 25 February 2024. Retrieved 25 February 2024.
13. "VIDEO EXCLUSIV "Toți râdeau de mine". Alexandru Albu, despre momentul care i-a schimbat cariera: "Băi, nebunule, ai avut dreptate"" [EXCLUSIVE VIDEO "Everybody was laughing at me". Alexandru Albu, about the moment that changed his career: "Hey, crazy man, you were right"] (in Romanian). Digi Sport. 4 January 2022. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
14. ^ Alexandru Albu at Soccerway. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
15. "Alexandru Albu". European Football. Retrieved 8 October 2021.

External links

• Alexandru Albu at RomanianSoccer.ro (in Romanian)
• Alexandru Albu at National-Football-Teams.com

• 1993 births
• Living people
• Romanian Romani people
• Romani footballers
• Romanian men's footballers
• Footballers from Bucharest
• Men's association football midfielders
• Men's association football defenders
• Liga I players
• Liga II players
• CS Concordia Chiajna players
• LPS HD Clinceni players
• FC UTA Arad players
• FC Rapid București players
• Saudi First Division League players
• Al-Hazem F.C. players
• Al Safa FC players
• Romania men's international footballers
• Romanian expatriate men's footballers
• Expatriate men's footballers in Saudi Arabia
• Romanian expatriate sportspeople in Saudi Arabia
• 21st-century Romanian sportsmen