Gheorghe Popescu (footballer, born 1967)
Gheorghe "Gică" Popescu (Romanian pronunciation: [ˈɡe̯orɡe ˈd͡ʒikə poˈpesku]; born 9 October 1967) is a Romanian former professional football player who played as a defender.
|
Popescu in 2018 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 9 October 1967 | ||
| Place of birth | Calafat, Romania | ||
| Height | 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Sweeper, centre back, midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Farul Constanța (chairman) | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1975–1984 | Dunărea Calafat | ||
| 1984–1985 | Universitatea Craiova | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1985–1990 | Universitatea Craiova | 124 | (18) |
| 1988 | → Steaua București (loan) | 13 | (1) |
| 1990–1994 | PSV | 108 | (23) |
| 1994–1995 | Tottenham Hotspur | 23 | (3) |
| 1995–1997 | Barcelona | 68 | (9) |
| 1997–2001 | Galatasaray | 111 | (6) |
| 2001–2002 | Lecce | 28 | (3) |
| 2002 | Dinamo București | 8 | (0) |
| 2002–2003 | Hannover 96 | 14 | (1) |
| Total | 497 | (64) | |
| International career | |||
| 1988–2003 | Romania | 115 | (16) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
He notably played in La Liga where he is a former captain of FC Barcelona. He played for a string of European clubs in that period, including a four-year stint at PSV Eindhoven and winning the UEFA Cup with Galatasaray. He also played in the Premier League with Tottenham Hotspur, in Serie A with Lecce and in the Bundesliga with Hannover 96. In his native country he played for Universitatea Craiova, Steaua București and Dinamo București. In addition to his defensive skills, he was also capable of starting attacks deep from his own half.
His tactical knowledge as a defender made him a valuable team member in top European competitions until he reached his late-thirties. He was a key part of the Romania national team in the 1990s and earned 115 caps, scoring 16 goals. He was present at 1990 World Cup, 1994 World Cup, Euro 1996, 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000. He is the brother-in-law of fellow Romanian international Gheorghe Hagi.