Adrian Popa (footballer, born 1988)
 Popa in 2021 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 24 July 1988 | ||
| Place of birth | Bucharest, Romania | ||
| Height | 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Winger | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | CSA Steaua București | ||
| Number | 77 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –2005 | CSȘ 1 Pajura | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2005–2009 | Politehnica II Timișoara | 87 | (26) |
| 2007–2008 | → CS Buftea (loan) | 11 | (2) |
| 2009 | → Gloria Buzău (loan) | 12 | (1) |
| 2009–2010 | Universitatea Cluj | 24 | (3) |
| 2010–2012 | Concordia Chiajna | 60 | (10) |
| 2012–2017 | Steaua București | 137 | (20) |
| 2017–2020 | Reading | 15 | (1) |
| 2018 | → Al-Taawoun (loan) | 10 | (2) |
| 2019 | → Ludogorets Razgrad (loan) | 13 | (0) |
| 2019–2020 | → FCSB (loan) | 17 | (2) |
| 2020–2021 | Voluntari | 8 | (2) |
| 2021 | Academica Clinceni | 19 | (2) |
| 2021–2023 | CSA Steaua București | 47 | (11) |
| 2023–2024 | Concordia Chiajna | 5 | (0) |
| 2024– | CSA Steaua București | 17 | (2) |
| International career | |||
| 2012–2017 | Romania | 24 | (4) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 26 October 2024 | |||
Adrian Popa (born 24 July 1988) is a Romanian professional footballer who plays as a winger for Liga II club CSA Steaua București.
Club career
[edit]Early years
[edit]Popa was one of the most proficient players of the Politehnica Timișoara reserve team, and was loaned to CS Buftea and Gloria Buzău.
Universitatea Cluj
[edit]In July 2009, Popa signed a contract with Universitatea Cluj. Although he showed impressive skills and helped the team get promoted to the first division, he left the club after one year.
Concordia Chiajna
[edit]In 2010, Popa joined Concordia Chiajna. He contributed to the club's promotion to the first division and was kept for the following season.
FCSB
[edit]On 15 August 2012, Popa signed a five-year contract with FCSB for an undisclosed transfer fee.[1][2] One week later, he scored his first goal for the club in a 2–0 away win over FK Ekranas in the Europa League play-off round's first leg.[3]
He played over 200 games during his spell with the capital-based club.
Reading
[edit]On 27 January 2017, it was announced that Popa agreed to transfer to English team Reading after reaching the final six months of his contract with FCSB.[4] The transfer was made official three days later, with Popa signing with Reading until the summer of 2020.[5]
His first goal came on 17 March 2017, scoring Reading's second in injury time in a 2–0 win over Sheffield Wednesday at the Hillsborough Stadium.[6]
Loan to Al-Taawon
[edit]On 29 January 2018, Reading confirmed that Popa had joined Saudi Arabian side Al-Taawon on loan until the end of the 2017–18 season.[7][8]
Loan to Ludogorets Razgrad
[edit]On 20 December 2018, Reading announced that Popa had moved to Ludogorets Razgrad on loan for the rest of the 2018–19 season.[9]
Voluntari
[edit]On 16 October 2020, Popa signed a one-year contract with FC Voluntari.[10]
Steaua București
[edit]On 22 September 2021, Popa signed a two-year contract with his childhood team, Steaua București.[11]
International career
[edit]Popa made his debut for the Romania senior team in October 2012, in a 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification match against Netherlands.[12]
Career statistics
[edit]Club
[edit]- As of match played 26 October 2024[13]
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Europe | Other | Total | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| CS Buftea (loan) | 2008–09 | Liga II | 11 | 2 | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | 11 | 2 | ||||
| Gloria Buzău (loan) | 2008–09 | Liga I | 12 | 1 | – | – | – | – | 12 | 1 | |||||
| Universitatea Cluj | 2009–10 | Liga II | 24 | 3 | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | 24 | 3 | ||||
| Concordia Chiajna | 2011–12 | Liga II | 27 | 4 | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | 27 | 4 | ||||
| 2011–12 | Liga I | 29 | 3 | 1 | 1 | – | – | – | 30 | 4 | |||||
| 2012–13 | 4 | 3 | – | – | – | – | 4 | 3 | |||||||
| Total | 60 | 10 | 1 | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 61 | 11 | |||
| Steaua București | 2012–13 | Liga I | 30 | 1 | 2 | 0 | – | 11[a] | 1 | – | 43 | 2 | |||
| 2013–14 | 28 | 7 | 5 | 0 | – | 11[b] | 0 | 1[c] | 0 | 45 | 7 | ||||
| 2014–15 | 28 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 10[d] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 45 | 8 | |||
| 2015–16 | 32 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 6[e] | 1 | 0 | 0 | 46 | 5 | |||
| 2016–17 | 19 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 10[f] | 0 | – | 31 | 3 | ||||
| Total | 137 | 20 | 17 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 48 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 230 | 28 | |||
| Reading | 2016–17 | Championship | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 8 | 1 | |||
| 2017–18 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | – | – | 8 | 0 | |||||
| 2018–19 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 1 | 0 | |||||
| Total | 15 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | – | – | 17 | 1 | |||||
| Al-Taawoun (loan) | 2017–18 | Saudi Professional League | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | 9 | 0 | ||||
| Ludogorets Razgrad (loan) | 2018–19 | First League | 13 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 | ||
| FCSB (loan) | 2019–20 | Liga I | 17 | 2 | 2 | 1 | – | 1[g] | 0 | – | 20 | 3 | |||
| Voluntari | 2020–21 | Liga I | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | 8 | 2 | ||||
| Academica Clinceni | 2020–21 | Liga I | 19 | 2 | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | 19 | 2 | ||||
| CSA Steaua București | 2021–22 | Liga II | 19 | 5 | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | 19 | 5 | ||||
| 2022–23 | 28 | 6 | 1 | 1 | – | – | – | 29 | 7 | ||||||
| Total | 47 | 11 | 1 | 1 | – | – | – | 49 | 12 | ||||||
| Concordia Chiajna | 2023–24 | Liga II | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | 5 | 0 | ||||
| CSA Steaua București | 2023–24 | Liga II | 7 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 7 | 0 | |||||
| 2024–25 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 0 | – | – | – | 11 | 2 | ||||||
| Total | 17 | 2 | 1 | 0 | – | – | – | 18 | 2 | ||||||
| Career total | 396 | 54 | 23 | 6 | 9 | 0 | 49 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 476 | 62 | |||
- ^ Appearances in the Europa League
- ^ Appearances in the Champions League
- ^ Appearance in the Supercupa României
- ^ Five appearances in the Champions League and five in the Europa League
- ^ Four appearances in the Champions League and two in the Europa League
- ^ Four appearances in the Champions League and six in the Europa League
- ^ One appearance in the Europa League
International
[edit]| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Romania | 2012 | 1 | 0 |
| 2013 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2014 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2015 | 7 | 1 | |
| 2016 | 11 | 3 | |
| 2017 | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 24 | 4 | |
- Scores and results list Romania's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Popa goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 14 February 2015 | Mardan Sports Complex, Aksu, Turkey | 7 |  Moldova |
2–0 | 2–1 | Friendly |
| 2 | 3 June 2016 | Arena Națională, Bucharest, Romania | 14 |  Georgia |
1–0 | 5–1 | Friendly |
| 3 | 4 September 2016 | Cluj Arena, Cluj-Napoca, Romania | 17 |  Montenegro |
1–0 | 1–1 | 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 4 | 8 October 2016 | Vazgen Sargsyan, Yerevan, Armenia | 18 |  Armenia |
2–0 | 5–0 | 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification |
Honours
[edit]FCSB
- Liga I: 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15
- Cupa României: 2014–15, 2019–20
- Cupa Ligii: 2014–15, 2015–16
- Supercupa României: 2013
Ludogorets Razgrad
References
[edit]- ^ "Adrian Popa este noul jucător al Stelei!" [Adrian Popa is the new player of Steaua!] (in Romanian). FC Steaua București. 15 August 2012. Archived from the original on 17 August 2012. Retrieved 11 January 2011.
- ^ "Astea-s contractele! » Gazeta are toate datele din acordurile pe care le-au semnat Adi Popa şi Szukala" [These are the contracts! » Gazeta has all the details about the agreements signed by Popa and Szukala] (in Romanian). Gazeta Sporturilor. 18 August 2012. Retrieved 11 January 2011.
- ^ "Ekranas – Steaua 0–2! Kawasaki-vicius! Titular în premieră, Adi Popa a înscris PRIMUL său gol în tricoul grupării din Ghencea" [Ekranas – Steaua 0–2! Kawasaki-vicius! A starter for the first time, Adi Popa scored his FIRST goal for the Ghencea-based team] (in Romanian). Pro Sport. 23 August 2012. Retrieved 11 January 2011.
- ^ "Despărțire emoționantă la Steaua! Adi Popa și-a luat "la revedere" de la colegi" [Heartwarming farewell at Steaua! Adi Popa said goodbye to his teammates] (in Romanian). Digi Sport. 27 January 2017. Retrieved 27 January 2017.
- ^ "Royals complete Popa signing". Reading FC. 30 January 2017. Retrieved 30 January 2017.
- ^ "Sheffield Wednesday 0–2 Reading". BBC Sport. 17 March 2017. Retrieved 17 March 2017.
- ^ "Popa loan switch confirmed". Reading F.C. 29 January 2018. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
- ^ "Adrian Popa has left Reading FC to join Saudi Arabian side Al-Taawoun on loan". Reading chronicle. 28 January 2018. Retrieved 28 January 2018.
- ^ "Popa set to spend rest of season on loan at Ludogorets". readingfc.co.uk/. Reading F.C. 20 December 2018. Retrieved 20 December 2018.
- ^ "OFICIAL". facebook.com/VoluntariFC/ (in Romanian). Voluntari FC Facebook. 16 October 2020. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
- ^ "Adi Popa, prezentat oficial la Steaua! Ce număr va purta".
- ^ "Romania 1–4 Netherlands". FIFA. 16 October 2012. Archived from the original on 6 June 2014. Retrieved 14 January 2017.
- ^ "Adrian Popa". Soccerway. Retrieved 26 May 2021.
- ^ a b "Adrian Popa". European Football. Retrieved 11 January 2017.
External links
[edit]
- Adrian Popa at RomanianSoccer.ro (in Romanian)
- Adrian Popa at National-Football-Teams.com
- Adrian Popa – UEFA competition record (archive)
 | ||
- 1988 births
- Footballers from Bucharest
- Living people
- Romanian men's footballers
- Men's association football midfielders
- Liga I players
- Liga II players
- FC Politehnica Timișoara players
- LPS HD Clinceni players
- FC Gloria Buzău players
- FC Universitatea Cluj players
- CS Concordia Chiajna players
- FCSB players
- FC Voluntari players
- CSA Steaua București footballers
- English Football League players
- Reading F.C. players
- Romania men's international footballers
- UEFA Euro 2016 players
- Romanian expatriate men's footballers
- Expatriate men's footballers in England
- Romanian expatriate sportspeople in England
- Al Taawoun FC players
- Saudi Pro League players
- Expatriate men's footballers in Saudi Arabia
- Romanian expatriate sportspeople in Saudi Arabia
- PFC Ludogorets Razgrad players
- First Professional Football League (Bulgaria) players
- Expatriate men's footballers in Bulgaria
- Romanian expatriate sportspeople in Bulgaria
- 21st-century Romanian sportsmen