Alexandru Irinel Mățan (Romanian pronunciation: [alekˈsandru məˈt͡san]; born 29 August 1999) is a Romanian professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder or a winger for Liga I club Rapid București, on loan from Major League Soccer club Columbus Crew.
![]() Mățan with Rapid București in 2022 | |||
Personal information | |||
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Full name | Alexandru Irinel Mățan | ||
Date of birth | (1999-08-29) 29 August 1999 (age 23) | ||
Place of birth | Galați, Romania | ||
Height | 1.65 m (5 ft 5 in) | ||
Position(s) | Attacking midfielder, winger | ||
Club information | |||
Current team | Rapid București (on loan from Columbus Crew) | ||
Number | 28 | ||
Youth career | |||
0000–2015 | Gheorghe Hagi Academy | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2016–2021 | Viitorul Constanța | 53 | (3) |
2019–2020 | → Voluntari (loan) | 25 | (1) |
2021– | Columbus Crew | 34 | (0) |
2022 | Columbus Crew 2 | 4 | (0) |
2022– | → Rapid București (loan) | 6 | (0) |
National team‡ | |||
2015–2016 | Romania U17 | 4 | (1) |
2017–2018 | Romania U19 | 6 | (8) |
2017–2021 | Romania U21 | 11 | (2) |
2021 | Romania Olympic | 2 | (0) |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 8 September 2022 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 8 June 2021 |
An academy graduate of Viitorul Constanța,[1] Mățan made his Liga I debut on 6 May 2016, aged 16. He entered as a 63rd-minute substitute for Ciprian Perju and converted a penalty kick in the 3–3 away draw at Dinamo București.[2]
Mățan made his first appearance in European competitions on 12 July 2018, starting in a 2–0 away win over Luxembourgish team Racing FC in the first qualifying round of the UEFA Europa League.
On 6 July 2019, Mățan played the full 90 minutes in a 1–0 victory over CFR Cluj for the season's Supercupa României. He was then sent on a one-season loan to fellow league club Voluntari, amassing 25 games and netting once during his stint.
On 8 March 2021, Mățan joined American team Columbus Crew in a transfer rumoured to be worth around €1.5 million.[3][4] He made his Major League Soccer debut on 18 April, coming on as an 88th-minute substitute for Pedro Santos in a goalless draw with Philadelphia Union.
Mățan registered his first CONCACAF Champions League game 11 days later, a 2–2 home draw with Mexican side Monterrey. He totalled 30 matches in all competitions during his first season in Ohio, starting in only nine of them and failing to score.
After falling down the pecking order at Columbus Crew and featuring for the reserve team, Mățan was sent on a one-year loan to Rapid București on 9 August 2022.[5] He made his debut for "the White-Burgundies" four days later, in a 0–1 away derby loss to Petrolul Ploiești.
On 21 March 2018, Mățan scored twice for the Romania national under-19 team in a 4–0 victory over Serbia at the Ilie Oană Stadium in Ploiești.[6]
In 2021, Mățan featured for the under-21 side at the UEFA European Championship. He contributed with three appearances in the eventual group-stage exit, and netted the equaliser in a 2–1 win against hosts Hungary on 27 March.
Club | Season | League | National Cup | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
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Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
Viitorul Constanța | 2015–16 | Liga I | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | |||
2016–17 | Liga I | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | ||
2017–18 | Liga I | 14 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 16 | 2 | |
2018–19 | Liga I | 13 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 1 | |
2019–20 | Liga I | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | |
2020–21 | Liga I | 22 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 23 | 1 | |||
Total | 53 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 71 | 5 | ||
Voluntari (loan) | 2019–20 | Liga I | 25 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 26 | 1 | ||
Columbus Crew | 2021 | Major League Soccer | 28 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 0 | |
2022 | Major League Soccer | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | ||
Total | 32 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 35 | 0 | ||
Columbus Crew 2 | 2022 | MLS Next Pro | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | 4 | 0 | |||
FC Rapid București | 2022–23 | Liga I | 6 | 0 | — | — | — | 6 | 0 | |||
Career total | 120 | 4 | 7 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 138 | 6 |
Viitorul Constanța[7]
Columbus Crew[7]
FC Rapid București – current squad | |
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