Nicolae Stanciu (footballer, born 1993)

For the footballer who spent most of his career with Rapid București, see Nicolae Stanciu (footballer, born 1973).

Nicolae Stanciu
Stanciu with Romania in 2019
Personal information
Full name Nicolae Claudiu Stanciu[1]
Date of birth (1993-05-07) 7 May 1993 (age 31)
Place of birth Craiva, Romania
Height 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)
Position(s) Attacking midfielder, winger
Team information
Current team
 Damac
Number 32
Youth career
2004–2008 Unirea Alba Iulia
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2008–2011 Unirea Alba Iulia 36 (3)
2011–2013 Vaslui 47 (2)
2013–2016 Steaua București 90 (24)
2016–2018 Anderlecht 34 (5)
2018–2019 Sparta Prague 31 (10)
2019 Al-Ahli 10 (2)
2019–2022 Slavia Prague 77 (19)
2022–2023 Wuhan Three Towns 51 (11)
2023– Damac 37 (4)
International career‡
2011–2012 Romania U19 6 (2)
2011–2013 Romania U21 13 (3)
2016– Romania 79 (15)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 9 November 2024
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 15 November 2024

Nicolae "Nicușor" Claudiu Stanciu (Romanian pronunciation: [nikoˈla.e klaˈudju ˈstant͡ʃju]; born 7 May 1993) is a Romanian professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder or a winger for Saudi Pro League club Damac and captains the Romania national team.

Stanciu began his career at Unirea Alba Iulia in 2008, and went on to represent Vaslui and Steaua București in his country, winning six domestic honours and making a name for himself with the latter.[2] He moved abroad for the first time in 2016, following a €9.8 million transfer to Anderlecht, which made him the most expensive signing of the Belgian First Division A and biggest sale of the Liga I at the time.

After winning a Belgian national title and a Super Cup, Stanciu joined Sparta Prague one and a half years later for another internal record fee, worth around an initial €4.5 million. He left the Czech Republic at the start of 2019 to sign for Saudi team Al-Ahli, only to return in that summer to the country at former rival club Slavia Prague, where he helped to back-to-back league titles and a Czech Cup in his first two seasons. Since 2022, he has competed professionally in China and again Saudi Arabia.

Stanciu made his senior international debut for Romania in March 2016, in a 1–0 win over Lithuania,[3] after having previously played for it at under-19 and under-21 levels.[4] He represented the nation in two European Championships, in 2016 and 2024.

  1. ^ "UEFA Nations League 2021: Booking List before League phase Matchday 6" (PDF). UEFA. 16 November 2020. p. 5. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 November 2020. Retrieved 23 November 2020.
  2. ^ "Are România din nou un mare "decar"? Cifrele impresionante ale lui Nicuşor Stanciu" [A new great "number 10" for Romania? Nicușor Stanciu's impressive stats] (in Romanian). ProSport. 4 June 2016. Retrieved 4 June 2016.
  3. ^ "Cel mai în formă fotbalist român. Stanciu a confirmat şi la naţională perioada excelentă" [The most in-form Romanian footballer. Stanciu also confirmed his excellent period at the national team] (in Romanian). Digi Sport. 23 March 2016. Retrieved 23 March 2016.
  4. ^ "Under-19 – Romania". UEFA. Archived from the original on 2 September 2011. Retrieved 22 July 2011.