Alexandru Ioniță (footballer, born 1994)

Alexandru Cornel Ioniță (Romanian pronunciation: [alekˈsandru korˈnel joˈnitsə]); born 14 December 1994) is a Romanian professional footballer who plays for Astra Giurgiu, on loan from CFR Cluj as an attacking midfielder or a winger.

Alexandru Ioniță
Ioniță training for Astra Giurgiu in 2015
Personal information
Full name Alexandru Cornel Ioniță
Date of birth (1994-12-14) 14 December 1994
Place of birth Bucharest, Romania
Height 1.72 m (5 ft 8 in)
Playing position(s)
Attacking midfielder / Winger
Club information
Current team
 Astra Giurgiu
(on loan from CFR Cluj)
Number 31
Youth career
2001–2010 Rapid București
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2011–2014 Rapid București 27 (6)
2014–2018 Astra Giurgiu 83 (17)
2018– CFR Cluj 32 (3)
2019 → Universitatea Craiova (loan) 6 (0)
2020– → Astra Giurgiu (loan) 0 (0)
National team‡
2011–2012 Romania U19 5 (2)
2013–2016 Romania U21 6 (2)
2017– Romania 1 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 2019-22-12
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 10 December 2017

Club career

Rapid București

Born in Bucharest, Ioniță joined the academy of Rapid București at the age of 6.[1] On 21 May 2011, aged just 16 years and 5 months, he made his senior debut for the club in a Liga I match against FC Brașov.[2]

Astra Giurgiu

Ioniță moved to Astra Giurgiu during the winter transfer window of 2014,[3] with fellow league sides Dinamo București and Petrolul Ploiești also interested in signing him.[4][5] He scored his first goal for his new team on 15 October 2015, in a 3–0 away victory over Viitorul Constanța for the Cupa Ligii.[6]

On 2 May 2016, Ioniță netted twice in a 4–2 home success against Dinamo București as Astra celebrated its first league title.[7] Following the transfer of Constantin Budescu to FCSB in June 2017, Ioniță took over the number 10 shirt. On 13 July that year, he recorded his first UEFA Europa League goal in a 3–1 home defeat of Zira FK for the second qualifying round.[8]

He was named the Liga I Player of the Month for November 2017 after scoring in three consecutive league matches,[9] against CS Universitatea Craiova,[10] Concordia Chiajna,[11] and FC Steaua București respectively.[12] Amid rumours of a transfer to CFR Cluj in early January 2018, Ioniță refused to renew his contract with Astra and was expelled from the first-team for an undetermined period.[13]

CFR Cluj

On 20 January 2018, Ioniță joined CFR Cluj's training camp in Spain after Astra Giurgiu agreed to sell him for a rumoured fee of €1 million.[14][15] After three days the move was made official.[16]

Ioniță made his competitive debut on 5 February in a 2–0 league win against Concordia Chiajna at home.[17] Later that month, he recorded his first goal for "the White and Burgundies" in a 2–0 away success over Juventus București, after netting in the rebound from his penalty that had been saved by Virgil Drăghia.[18]

In July 2019, following a disappointing 2018–19 campaign in which he only scored two goals in 27 appearances in all competitions, Ioniță agreed to a one-year loan deal with CS Universitatea Craiova with a purchase option.[19]

International career

In September 2017, Ioniță was selected in Romania's senior team for the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Kazakhstan and Denmark.[20] He earned his first cap in the former match, coming on as an 80th-minute substitute for double goal scorer Constantin Budescu in the 3–1 win in Ploiești.[21]

Personal life

Ioniță's father played football in the lower divisions and, like the son,[12] is a supporter of Rapid București.[22]

Career statistics

Club
As of 27 November 2017[23]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Cup League Cup Europe Other[lower-alpha 1] Total
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Rapid București 2010–11 1000–––10
2011–12 1000–00–10
2012–13 11000–00–110
2013–14 14630–––176
Total 27630––00––306
Astra Giurgiu 2013–14 4000–––40
2014–15 9010200000120
2015–16 193314110–275
2016–17 31452106010446
2017–18 201010–41–2511
Total 8317103711111011222
Cfr Cluj 2017-18 9 1 0 0 – – – 9 1
2018-19 23 2 4 0 – 4 0 0 0 31 2
Total 32 3 4 0 – 4 0 0 0 40 3
CSU Craiova (loan) 2019-20 6 0 2 1 – 3 0 – 11 1
Career total 14826194711811019332
  1. Includes the Supercupa României

International
As of 5 October 2017[24]
National teamYearAppsGoals
Romania 201710
Total10

Honours

Club
Astra Giurgiu
CFR Cluj

Individual
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gollark: Is that *VGA*?

References
  1. "Povestea lui Ioniţă II: la 6 ani, era prea gras şi a fost pe punctul de a fi dat afară, acum e asemănat cu Hagi" [Ioniță II's story: at the age of six he was too fat and was almost kicked out, now he is compared to Hagi] (in Romanian). ProSport. 14 December 2013. Retrieved 21 September 2017.
  2. "A debutat în Liga 1 la 16 ani şi visează să joace la Real: "Eu sunt noul Ioniţă"" [He debuted in Liga 1 at 16 years and dreams of playing for Real: "I am the new Ioniță"] (in Romanian). ProSport. 31 May 2011. Retrieved 21 September 2017.
  3. "S-a făcut transferul! Ioniță II este jucătorul Astrei Giurgiu, pentru 700.000 de euro" [Done deal! Ioniță II is the player of Astra Giurgiu, after they paid 700,000 euros] (in Romanian). Digi Sport. 15 December 2013. Retrieved 21 September 2017.
  4. "Situația confuză a transferului lui Ioniță: "Nu m-am dus singur la Astra!"" [The confusing situation of Ioniță's transfer: "I did not choose Astra alone!"] (in Romanian). Digi Sport. 26 January 2014. Retrieved 21 September 2017.
  5. "Şi Petrolul l-a vrut pe Alexandru Ioniţă II: "Ni s-a cerut o sumă exorbitantă"" [Petrolul also wanted Alexandru Ioniţă II: "They asked us for an incredible sum!"] (in Romanian). Digi Sport. 13 December 2013. Retrieved 21 September 2017.
  6. "Viitorul 0–3 Astra". Soccerway. 15 October 2015. Retrieved 23 September 2017.
  7. "Astra Giurgiu - Dinamo 4–2. Victorie spectaculoasă în seara celebrării titlului" [Astra Giurgiu - Dinamo 4–2. Spectacular win during the night in which they celebrated the title] (in Romanian). Digi Sport. 2 May 2016. Retrieved 27 November 2017.
  8. "Alexandru Ioniţă: Mă bucur că nu am dezamăgit. Mă simt la Astra ca la Rapid, ca acasă" [Alexandru Ioniţă: I am happy I did not disappoint. At Astra I feel just like at Rapid, at home] (in Romanian). News.ro. 13 July 2017. Retrieved 21 September 2017.
  9. "Marele premiu din noiembrie, luat de un fotbalist pe care Contra l-a ocolit la ultima selecţie: Ioniţă, "Fotbalistul Lunii"" [The big trophy of November, won by a footballer that Contra omitted from Romania's squad: Ioniță, "Player of the Month"] (in Romanian). Digi Sport. 30 November 2017. Retrieved 1 December 2017.
  10. "Astra - CS U Craiova 2–2. Șansă mare ratată de olteni! Gazdele au egalat în inferioritate numerică" [Astra - CS U Craiova 2–2. Big chance missed by "the People from Olt". The hosts equalized despite playing with one man less] (in Romanian). Digi Sport. 3 November 2017. Retrieved 27 November 2017.
  11. "Concordia Chiajna - Astra Giurgiu 1-2. O gafă uriașă a decis victoria" [Concordia Chiajna - Astra Giurgiu 1–2. A bloomer decided the victory] (in Romanian). Jurnalul.ro. 19 November 2017. Archived from the original on 23 November 2017. Retrieved 27 November 2017.
  12. "Rapidistul Ioniţă: "Nu merg niciodată la Steaua! Probabil eu sunt singurul care lipseşte ca să fie cea mai bună echipă". Dedicaţie pentru Săpunaru, Daniel Niculae şi Moţi" [Ioniță, still the fan of Rapid: "I will never go to Steaua! I am probably the only player they need to become the best team." Words for Săpunaru, Daniel Niculae and Moţi] (in Romanian). ProSport. 26 November 2017. Retrieved 27 November 2017.
  13. "Culisele "războiului" patron-vedetă de la Astra. Cel mai bogat om din fotbalul românesc şi-a trimis produsul de export la echipa a doua într-un film clasic pentru Liga 1. Edi Iordănescu, prins la mijloc" ["War" between the Astra owner and his star player. The wealthiest man of Romanian football sent him to the reserve squad, in a Liga 1 classic. Edi Iordănescu, caught in between] (in Romanian). ProSport. 4 January 2018. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
  14. "Alex Ioniță a plecat în Spania, în cantonamentul CFR-ului: "Telenovela s-a terminat"" [Alex Ioniță went to Spain, to CFR's training camp: "The transfer saga is over"] (in Romanian). Digi Sport. 20 January 2018. Retrieved 21 January 2018.
  15. "S-a făcut al doilea cel mai scump transfer al iernii în Liga 1. Cât a plătit CFR pentru Ioniţă. Dani Coman: "Jucătorul are cel mai mult de câştigat, era păcat să stea la echipa a doua"" [Liga 1's second most expensive transfer of the winter is done. The sum CFR paid for Ioniță. Dani Coman: "This is best for the player, it would have been a shame for him to stay with the reserve team"] (in Romanian). ProSport. 19 January 2018. Retrieved 21 January 2018.
  16. "Bun venit, Alex Ioniță" [Welcome, Alex Ioniță!] (in Romanian). CFR Cluj. 23 January 2018. Retrieved 24 January 2018.
  17. "CFR Cluj - Concordia Chiajna 2-0. Ardelenii au revenit pe primul loc înaintea duelului cu FCSB. Penalty ratat și bară" [CFR Cluj - Concordia Chiajna 2–0. Ardelenii returned to the first place before the match with FCSB. A missed penalty and a shot off the woodwork] (in Romanian). Digi Sport. 5 February 2018. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
  18. "Juventus - CFR Cluj 0-2. Victorie lejeră pentru liderul din Liga I, după golurile marcate de Omrani şi Ioniţă" [Juventus - CFR Cluj 0–2. Easy victory for the Liga I leader, after the goals scored by Omrani and Ioniță] (in Romanian). Telekom Sport. 25 February 2018. Retrieved 26 February 2018.
  19. "Alex Ioniță a ajuns la un acord cu Știința" [Alex Ioniță reached an agreement with Știința] (in Romanian). CS Universitatea Craiova. 4 July 2019. Retrieved 4 July 2019.
  20. "Lotul pentru meciurile cu Kazahstan şi Danemarca" [Squad for the matches against Kazakhstan and Denmark] (in Romanian). Romanian Football Federation. 30 September 2017. Archived from the original on 30 September 2017. Retrieved 30 September 2017.
  21. "Cand nu esti Contra Budescu e Grozav! Romania face cel mai bun meci oficial din 2017 la debutul lui Contra! ROMANIA 3–1 KAZAHSTAN! Toate fazele meciului" [When you are not Against ("Contra" in English) Budescu it's Great ("Grozav" in English)! Romania have the best official match of 2017 in Contra's debut! ROMANIA 3–1 KAZAKHSTAN! Play-by-play report] (in Romanian). Sport.ro. 5 October 2017. Retrieved 5 October 2017.
  22. "Interviu cu "Bulgarul". Cea mai tristă zi de naştere, povestea celui mai cunoscut tatuaj din Liga I şi de ce Academia Rapid nu este "adevăratul Rapid"" [Interview with "the Bulgarian". The saddest birthday, the story of the most ppular tattoo in Liga I and why Academia Rapid is not "the real Rapid"] (in Romanian). ProSport. 2 March 2018. Retrieved 3 March 2018.
  23. "Alexandru Ioniță II". Soccerway. Retrieved 23 September 2017.
  24. "Alexandru Ioniță". European Football. Retrieved 5 October 2017.
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