Cristian Ganea

Cristian George Ganea (Romanian pronunciation: [kristiˈan ˈd͡ʒe̯ord͡ʒe ˈgane̯a]; born 24 May 1992) is a Romanian professional footballer who plays for Viitorul Constanța, on loan from Spanish club Athletic Bilbao, as a left-back.

Not to be confused with George Ganea.

Cristian Ganea
Personal information
Full name Cristian George Ganea
Date of birth (1992-05-24) 24 May 1992
Place of birth Bistrița, Romania
Height 1.71 m (5 ft 7 in)
Playing position(s) Left-back, midfielder
Club information
Current team
 Viitorul Constanța
(on loan from Athletic Bilbao)
Number 22
Youth career
Inter Viișoara
Basconia
Indartsu
2010–2011 Mallorca
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2011–2013 Mallorca B 0 (0)
2011–2013 → Santanyí (loan) 50 (19)
2013 Târgu Mureș 10 (2)
2013–2014 Universitatea Craiova 29 (5)
2014–2015 Săgeata Năvodari 14 (3)
2015 Brașov 16 (2)
2015–2018 Viitorul Constanța 94 (8)
2018– Athletic Bilbao 1 (0)
2019 → Numancia (loan) 17 (0)
2020– → Viitorul Constanța (loan) 6 (1)
National team‡
2010–2011 Basque Country U18
2017– Romania 5 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 29 February 2020
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 14 November 2017

Emerging through the Spanish football system, he returned to Romania aged 21, moving around several clubs before settling at Viitorul Constanța, where he won the national league in 2017.

Club career

Early years

Ganea moved to Spain with his family while still a minor.[1] He grew up in Basauri where his relatives still live, and spent several years playing with Basque clubs making him eligible for Athletic Bilbao.[2][3]

In 2010, Ganea signed for RCD Mallorca.[2][3] After a year with their youth teams, he was assigned to the reserve squad, but was then loaned to local fourth-tier club CD Santanyí[3] for one and a half seasons, during which he played regularly.[4]

Return to Romania / Viitorul Constanța

In January 2013, Ganea returned to his country of birth[2] to sign for second division club FCM Târgu Mureș.[3] That summer he moved on to CS Universitatea Craiova in the same league, helping them to earn promotion in his sole campaign in Oltenia.

Ganea then transferred to Săgeata Năvodari, staying in the Liga II and this time enduring an administrative relegation as his club were deducted 42 points for unpaid debts and subsequently dissolved during mid-season.[5] Ganea signed with FC Brașov for the latter part of the 2014–15 Liga I, but they too suffered relegation and experienced severe financial problems.[6]

In the summer of 2015, Ganea moved to Viitorul Constanța,[2] owned and coached by former Romanian international Gheorghe Hagi. In the 2015–16 season, the club finished fifth and qualified for the UEFA Europa League. The following campaign, he helped Viitorul won the Romanian league title[3] for the first time in their short history.[7] Ganea was a regular during both seasons, with 58 league starts. He also played in the club's early exits from the qualifying rounds of both the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League.

Athletic Bilbao

On 15 January 2018, Athletic Bilbao announced the signing of Ganea on a three-year contract with the option of another year, with the player due to join the squad in the summer.[8][2][3] Almost as soon as he arrived in Bilbao, the club signed Yuri Berchiche, who played in the same position and was immediately installed as first choice, with the previous regular Mikel Balenziaga also still with Athletic and ahead of Ganea in the queue for selection.

He made his debut on 28 November 2018 in a Copa del Rey game against Huesca, coming on as a substitute in the 73rd minute.[9][10] Five days later, he made his La Liga debut in a 0–3 loss to Levante, being stretchered off with a torso injury early in the second half of the match, and was replaced by habitual starter Markel Susaeta.[11]

On 9 January 2019, Ganea was loaned to Segunda División side Numancia until June.[12] After playing regularly in Soria he returned to Athletic Bilbao, but was again afflicted by injuries and made no further appearances before being loaned again, this time back to his former club in Romania Viitorul Constanța, in January 2020.[13]

International career

Ganea was called up to the Basque Country national under-18 team.[3]

He made his full debut for Romania on 13 June 2017 in a friendly against Chile.[14]

Personal life

Ganea does not hold Spanish citizenship yet. He regarded the Basques as "extraordinary people, with common sense and welcoming." He had also praised the Basque Country saying it's the cleanest and quietest in Spain, and that its streets and infrastructure generally do not have a correspondent across the country.[15]

Career statistics

International
As of 14 November 2017[16]
National teamYearAppsGoals
Romania
201750
Total50

Honours

Club

Universitatea Craiova

Viitorul Constanța

See also

References
  1. "El Athletic Club de Bilbao ficha a Cristian Ganea". Goal (in Spanish). 15 January 2018.
  2. "El Athletic ficha al internacional rumano Cristian Ganea" [Athletic sign the Romanian international Cristian Ganea]. El Mundo (in Spanish). 15 January 2018. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  3. "El Athletic ficha a Cristian Ganea, el primer rumano de su historia" [Athletic sign Cristian Ganea, the first Romanian in their history]. ABC (in Spanish). 15 January 2018. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  4. "Ganea: Cristian George Ganea" (in Spanish). La Preferente. 16 January 2018.
  5. "Farul porneşte de pe locul 3 în play-out. ACS Berceni are cele mai mari emoţii la retrogradare" [Farul start from 3rd place in the play-out. ACS Berceni has the greatest emotions in relegation.] (in Romanian). Liga 2. 28 March 2015. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
  6. "S-a terminat. FC Braşov a retrogradat!" [It's over. FC Braşov relegated!] (in Romanian). Monitorul Expres. 28 May 2015. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
  7. "Bucurie fără margini la Ovidiu! Hagi și căpitanul Benzar au ridicat trofeul. Sărbătoare şi la vestiar" [Boundless joy at Ovidiu! Hagi and captain Benzar lifted the trophy. Party in the changing room too] (in Romanian). Digi Sport. 13 May 2017. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
  8. "Cristian Ganea: Initial agreement with FC Viitorul". Athletic Bilbao. 15 January 2018. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  9. Velasco, Juanma (28 November 2018). "Por fin debuta Ganea, el rumano del Athletic: "Han sido tres meses muy largos" [At last, Ganea, the Romanian of Athletic, debuted: "It has been three very long months"]. Marca (in Spanish). Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  10. "Athletic Club vs. Huesca 4–0". Soccerway.com. 28 November 2018. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  11. "The alarms go off". Athletic Bilbao. 3 December 2018. Retrieved 4 December 2018.
  12. "Cristian Ganea on-loan". Athletic Bilbao. 9 January 2019. Retrieved 11 January 2019.
  13. "Preliminary agreement for the transfer of Ganea". Athletic Bilbao. 24 January 2020. Retrieved 25 January 2020.
  14. "Echipa României de fotbal a învins naţionala din Chile cu scorul 3-2 într-un meci amical" [The football team of Romania defeated Chile 3-2 in a friendly match] (in Romanian). Ziua di Constanța. 13 June 2017. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
  15. ""Bascul" Ganea: salvat de Hagi, refuzat de CSU, la un pas de Bilbao!". Fanatik (in Romanian). 15 January 2018.
  16. "Cristian Ganea". European Football. Retrieved 1 September 2017.
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