Gheorghe Popescu

Gheorghe Popescu

Popescu in 2018
Personal information
Date of birth	(1967-10-09) 9 October 1967 (age 57)
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
1975–1982	Dunărea Calafat
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1982–1984	Dunărea Calafat
1985–1990	Universitatea Craiova	124	(18)
1988	→ Steaua București (loan)	13	(1)
1990–1994	PSV Eindhoven	108	(23)
1994–1995	Tottenham Hotspur	23	(3)
1995–1997	Barcelona	66	(9)
1997–2001	Galatasaray	111	(6)
2001–2002	Lecce	28	(3)
2002	Dinamo București	8	(0)
2002–2003	Hannover 96	14	(1)
Total		495	(64)
International career
1988–2003	Romania	115	(16)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Gheorghe "Gică" Popescu (Romanian pronunciation: [ˈɡe̯orɡe ˈd͡ʒikə poˈpesku]; born 9 October 1967) is a Romanian former professional football player who played as a defender.

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.