Claudiu Niculescu

Claudiu Iulian Niculescu (born 23 June 1976) is a Romanian football coach and former striker. From January 2021, he is the head coach of Liga II side Concordia Chiajna.

Claudiu Niculescu
Personal information
Full name Claudiu Iulian Niculescu
Date of birth (1976-06-23) 23 June 1976
Place of birth Slatina, Romania
Height 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in)
Position(s) Striker
Club information
Current team
 Concordia Chiajna (manager)
Youth career
1982–1994 CSȘ Slatina
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1994–1995 Jiul IELIF Craiova 29 (5)
1995–1996 FC Drobeta-Turnu Severin 20 (15)
1996–1997 Electroputere Craiova 48 (31)
1998–2001 Universitatea Craiova 93 (41)
2001–2002 Dinamo București 30 (20)
2002–2003 Genoa 13 (3)
2003–2007 Dinamo București 123 (69)
2008 MSV Duisburg 17 (4)
2008 Omonia 8 (1)
2009–2010 Dinamo București 38 (8)
2010–2012 Universitatea Cluj 42 (18)
Total 461 (215)
National team
2000–2007 Romania 8 (0)
Teams managed
2010 Universitatea Cluj (player-manager)
2012 Universitatea Cluj (player-manager)
2012 Bihor Oradea
2013 Damila Măciuca
2013–2014 CSM Râmnicu Vâlcea
2014–2015 CS Mioveni
2017–2018 Voluntari
2018 Dinamo București
2019 Al-Tai
2020 CS Mioveni
2021– Concordia Chiajna
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Club career

Niculescu was born in Slatina.[1] In his first season with Dinamo Bucharest, he won the Divizia A title, and was the second top-goalscorer of the league with 15 goals.[2] The next season Niculescu was transferred to Genoa in the Italian Second Division in 2002.[1] After half of a season, Niculescu returned to Dinamo Bucharest, winning the championship title in 2003–04.[1] In the 2004–05 season he shared with Gheorghe Bucur the top goalscorer of Divizia A title, forming a couple in Dinamo's offence with Ionel Dănciulescu.[2] The Romanian press called them the "N&D couple", a nickname inspired from the first letters of their family name and the Romanian pop band "N&D".[3][4][5] In the 2006–07 season, Niculescu won another championship title with Dinamo and became the top scorer of the league with 18 goals, four of these were scored in a match against rivals Rapid Bucharest.[1][2][6] He was the second best goal-scorer in the 2006–07 UEFA Cup with eight goals, three less than Espanyol's Walter Pandiani.[7][8] He played 43 matches and scored 18 goals for Dinamo in European matches, being the player with the most matches played and top scorer in European competitions for the club.[9] Niculescu was a striker skilled in free kicks, being nicknamed "Lunetistul" (The Sniper) by the Romanian press.[10] Claudiu Niculescu is 11th in an all-time ranking for the goalscorers in Liga I, with 156 goals scored in 326 matches played.[1][10]

International career

Cluaudiu Niculescu played 8 games at international level for Romania, making his debut when he came as a substitute and replaced Marius Niculae in the 81st minute of a friendly which ended with a 2–1 victory against FR Yugoslavia.[11][12] He also played two games at the 2006 World Cup qualifiers and one at the Euro 2008 qualifiers.[11]

International stats
Romania national team
YearAppsGoals
200010
200100
200220
200300
200400
200520
200620
200710
Total80

Coaching career

His first experience as a coach was in November 2010 for two matches at Universitatea Cluj, where he was at the same time an active player.[13] His second experience as a coach started in March 2012 which was also at Universitatea Cluj and also being in the same time an active player.[14] In 15 games under his command, the club won four games, draw in six and lost five. Niculescu resigned after the first game of the 2012–13 season, a loss at Pandurii Târgu Jiu: 6–2.[15]

On 25 September 2012, Niculescu was installed as the head coach of Liga II team FC Bihor Oradea with an objective to help the team promote to the first division.[16] In December, Niculescu ended his contract, after only eight games (two wins, three draws and three losses).[17]

In January 2013, Niculescu took over Damila Măciuca, in Liga II.[18]

September 2018, Niculescu was appointed coach of Dinamo București, following the dismissal of Florin Bratu. He signed a contract until 2020.[19]

On 7 January 2021, Niculescu signed a contract with Liga II side Concordia Chiajna.[20]

Managerial statistics
Updated as of 25 January 2021[21]
Team From To Record
GWDLGFGAWin %
Universitatea Cluj 9 November 2010 18 November 2010 2 0 1 1 1 4 000.00
Universitatea Cluj 5 March 2012 27 July 2012 15 4 6 5 23 23 026.67
FC Bihor 11 September 2012 13 December 2012 11 3 4 4 18 20 027.27
Damila Măciuca 10 January 2013 29 June 2013 12 8 2 2 22 7 066.67
CSM Râmnicu Vâlcea 5 August 2013 27 April 2014 25 10 7 8 29 23 040.00
CS Mioveni 7 July 2014 19 October 2015 45 22 11 12 64 40 048.89
FC Voluntari 3 April 2017 14 April 2018 47 16 13 18 48 57 034.04
FC Dinamo Bucuresti 24 September 2018 13 October 2018 3 1 1 1 3 3 033.33
Al-Tai 15 June 2019 30 October 2019 11 5 1 5 13 11 045.45
CS Mioveni 2 March 2020 27 October 2020 17 5 7 5 11 10 029.41
Concordia Chiajna 8 January 2021 present 0 0 0 0 0 0 !—
Total 188 74 53 61 232 198 039.36

Personal life

Claudiu Niculescu's brothers Mihai and Dragoș and his cousin Ovidiu were footballers in the Romanian lower leagues.[22][23] His father Marin was a football coach in the Romanian lower leagues.[22][23] In 1998 he married Lidia and they had together two kids, Alexandru and Rebecca.[24][25] They divorced in 2006.[25][26] In June 2007, he married Diana Munteanu who was a TV host, their wedding was considered the wedding of the year by the Romanian press.[27] Together they had a son named David Cristian.[27][28] Claudiu and Diana divorced in 2014.[29]

Honours

Club

Dinamo București

Individual

As a manager

FC Voluntari

References
  1. Claudiu Niculescu at RomanianSoccer.ro (in Romanian) and StatisticsFootball.com
  2. "Topscorers of Liga 1". RomanianSoccer. Retrieved 8 June 2020.
  3. "Antrenorul care a descoperit cuplul N&D dezvăluie: "Niculescu şi Dănciulescu erau stelişti pînă în măduva oaselor"" [The coach who discovered the N&D couple reveals: "Niculescu and Dănciulescu were Steaua fans to the bone"] (in Romanian). Gsp.ro. 15 March 2013. Retrieved 8 June 2020.
  4. "EXCLUSIV VIDEO Dezvăluiri la GSP Live. Care a fost secretul faimosului cuplu N&D: "Ne simțeam, nu trebuia să vorbim, nu trebuia să ridicăm privirea"" [VIDEO EXCLUSIVE GSP Live Disclosures. What was the secret of the famous N&D couple: "We felt each other, we didn't have to talk, we didn't have to look up at each other"] (in Romanian). Gsp.ro. 29 April 2020. Retrieved 8 June 2020.
  5. "Ce atac la CLUJ! N&D canta din nou: Danciulescu negociaza cu U Cluj!" [What an attack at CLUJ! N&D sings again: Danciulescu negotiates with U Cluj!] (in Romanian). Sport.ro. 22 July 2010. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
  6. "Rapid 1-4 Dinamo, 4 goluri Niculescu" [Rapid 1-4 Dinamo, 4 goals Niculescu] (in Romanian). Sport.ro. 22 April 2007. Retrieved 8 June 2020.
  7. "Claudiu Niculescu, in topul golgheterilor Cupei UEFA" [Claudiu Niculescu, in the top of the goalscorers of the UEFA Cup] (in Romanian). Evz.ro. 17 May 2007. Retrieved 8 June 2020.
  8. "Claudiu Niculescu - pe locul 2 in Cupa UEFA" [Claudiu Niculescu - second place in the UEFA Cup] (in Romanian). Sport.ro. 17 May 2007. Retrieved 8 June 2020.
  9. "VIDEO+FOTO Claudiu Niculescu, legenda vie a lui Dinamo, împlinește azi 43 de ani! 15 borne ale unei cariere de excepție: cifre UNICE în atacul "câinilor" + momente memorabile, în teren și pe bancă" [VIDEO + PHOTO Claudiu Niculescu, the living legend of Dinamo, turns 43 today! 15 milestones of an exceptional career: UNIQUE figures in the attack of the "dogs" + memorable moments, on the field and on the bench] (in Romanian). Gsp.ro. 23 June 2019. Retrieved 8 June 2020.
  10. "S-a retras "Lunetistul" » 10 repere din cariera lui Claudiu Niculescu" ["The sniper" withdrew »10 landmarks from Claudiu Niculescu's career] (in Romanian). Gsp.ro. 24 September 2012.
  11. "Claudiu Niculescu". European Football. Retrieved 8 June 2020.
  12. "Romania - Yugoslavia 2:1". European Football. Retrieved 8 June 2020.
  13. "Claudiu Niculescu, la primul antrenament ca interimar la "U" Cluj! "Sunt capabil să-mi mobilizez colegii"" (in Romanian). adevarul.ro. 14 March 2012.
  14. "Claudiu Niculescu este noul antrenor al lui "U" Cluj" (in Romanian). stirileprotv.ro. 14 March 2012.
  15. "Niculescu a demisionat de la U Cluj: "Am fost jignit"" (in Romanian). gsp.ro. 23 July 2012.
  16. "Claudiu Niculescu a ajuns la Oradea şi a condus primul antrenament la FC Bihor" (in Romanian). fcbihor.ro. 25 September 2012.
  17. "FC Bihor s-a despărţit de antrenorul Claudiu Niculescu" (in Romanian). fcbihor.ro. 13 December 2012.
  18. "Claudiu Niculescu, antrenor principal" (in Romanian). fcdamila.ro. 3 January 2013. Archived from the original on 16 April 2013.
  19. Apostol, Eduard; Gafiuc, Justin; Vrînceanu, Victor (23 September 2018). "GALERIE FOTO OFICIAL Niculescu a semnat cu Dinamo! Staff-ul noului antrenor, detaliile contractului, imagini de la RIN". Gazeta Sporturilor (in Romanian). Retrieved 1 October 2018.
  20. "Bun venit, Claudiu Niculescu". csconcordia.ro (in Romanian). 8 January 2021.
  21. Claudiu Niculescu at Soccerway
  22. "Fraţii lui Niculescu din Liga a III-a: "Claudiu, hai acasă!"" [Niculescu's brothers from the Third League: "Claudiu, come home!"] (in Romanian). Click.ro. 2 October 2009. Retrieved 1 July 2019.
  23. "Slatina: Fraţii Niculescu se luptă cu tatăl lor pentru promovare" [Slatina: Brothers Niculescu are fighting with their father for promotion] (in Romanian). Adevarul.ro. 3 October 2009. Retrieved 1 July 2019.
  24. "Claudiu Niculescu, parasit de sotie" [Claudiu Niculescu, left by his wife] (in Romanian). Jurnalul.antena3.ro. 12 February 2004. Retrieved 1 July 2019.
  25. "Iată ce frumoasă s-a făcut Lidia, fosta soţie a lui Claudiu Niculescu!" [Look how beautiful is Lidia, Claudiu Niculescu's ex-wife!] (in Romanian). Libertatea.ro. 26 December 2010. Retrieved 1 July 2019.
  26. "EXCLUSIV Fosta soție a lui Claudiu Niculescu face eforturi uriașe ca să-şi poată creşte copiii" [EXCLUSIVE The former wife of Claudiu Niculescu makes huge efforts to raise her children] (in Romanian). Click.ro. 23 January 2015. Retrieved 1 July 2019.
  27. "Totul despre relaţia şi căsnicia dintre Claudiu şi Diana Niculescu" [Everything about the relationship and marriage between Claudiu and Diana Niculescu] (in Romanian). Click.ro. 16 September 2014. Retrieved 1 July 2019.
  28. "S-au înţeles în privinţa copilului, nu şi la bani. Diana Munteanu și Claudiu Niculescu au probleme în a împărți averea EXCLUSIV" [They agreed upon the child, but upon not the money. Diana Munteanu and Claudiu Niculescu have trouble splitting their wealth EXCLUSIVELY] (in Romanian). Click.ro. 5 July 2015. Retrieved 1 July 2019.
  29. "Claudiu Niculescu, despre despărţirea de Diana Munteanu: "Am divorţat pentru că..."" [Claudiu Niculescu, about the separation from Diana Munteanu: "We divorced because ..."] (in Romanian). Apropotv.ro. 12 February 2018. Retrieved 1 July 2019.
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