Ionuț Nedelcearu (born 25 April 1996) is a Romanian professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Serie B club Palermo and the Romania national team.
![]() Nedelcearu with Ufa in 2018 | |||
Personal information | |||
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Date of birth | (1996-04-25) 25 April 1996 (age 26) | ||
Place of birth | Bucharest, Romania | ||
Height | 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) | ||
Position(s) | Centre-back | ||
Club information | |||
Current team | Palermo | ||
Youth career | |||
2003–2013 | Dinamo București | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2013–2014 | Dinamo II București | 24 | (0) |
2013–2018 | Dinamo București | 89 | (5) |
2018–2020 | Ufa | 65 | (1) |
2020–2021 | AEK Athens | 25 | (1) |
2021–2022 | Crotone | 34 | (2) |
2022– | Palermo | 5 | (0) |
National team‡ | |||
2013 | Romania U17 | 2 | (0) |
2013 | Romania U18 | 4 | (0) |
2014–2019 | Romania U21 | 18 | (1) |
2018– | Romania | 22 | (2) |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 9 September 2022 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 23 September 2022 |
Nedelcearu joined the youth system of Dinamo București at the age of seven.[1] After playing for the reserves, he made his first-team debut on 31 October 2013 in a Cupa României match against Chindia Târgoviște, aged 17.[2] On 13 December that year, he recorded his first Liga I appearance in a 4–0 home victory over ACS Poli Timișoara.[3]
Nedelcearu netted his first goal for the Alb-roșii in a 3–2 away win against Pandurii Târgu Jiu on 28 October 2015, a game where he also scored in his own net.[4][5]
On 15 February 2018, Nedelcearu signed a three-and-a-half-year contract with Russian Premier League side FC Ufa.[6] In the summer of 2019, press reported that several teams showed interest in signing him, including Roma and Zenit Saint Petersburg.[7]
On 5 October 2020, Nedelcearu signed a four-year contract with Super League Greece club AEK Athens.[8] On 1 November 2020, he scored his first goal, the equalizer of an eventual 2–1 home win against OFI.[9]
On 16 July 2021, he moved to Italian club Crotone on a three-year contract, for a fee of €1.2 million.[10]
On 27 July 2022, following Crotone's relegation to Serie C, Nedelcearu signed for Serie B club Palermo on a three-year deal.[11]
On 27 March 2018, Nedelcearu made his full debut for Romania after being brought on as an 83rd-minute substitute in a 1–0 win over Sweden.[12]
Nedelcearu's father, Marin, was also a professional footballer, having represented Victoria București, Farul Constanța, FC Brașov and Oțelul Galați.[13]
Club | Season | League | National Cup | League Cup | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
Dinamo București | 2013–14 | Liga I | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 2 | 0 | |||
2014–15 | 13 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 17 | 0 | ||||
2015–16 | 21 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 28 | 1 | ||||
2016–17 | 33 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | — | 39 | 3 | ||||
2017–18 | 21 | 2 | 2 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | — | 25 | 2 | ||||
Total | 89 | 5 | 11 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 111 | 6 | |||
Ufa | 2017–18 | Russian Premier League | 10 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 10 | 0 | ||||
2018–19 | 26 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 34 | 1 | |||
2019–20 | 20 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 21 | 0 | |||||
2020–21 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 10 | 0 | |||||
Total | 65 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 75 | 1 | |||
AEK Athens | 2020–21 | Superleague Greece | 25 | 1 | 4 | 0 | — | 6 | 0 | — | 35 | 1 | ||
Total | 25 | 1 | 4 | 0 | — | 6 | 0 | — | 35 | 1 | ||||
Crotone | 2021–22 | Serie B | 34 | 2 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 36 | 2 | |||
Total | 34 | 2 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 36 | 2 | |||||
Career total | 213 | 9 | 19 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 257 | 10 | ||
National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
---|---|---|---|
Romania | |||
2018 | 3 | 0 | |
2019 | 6 | 0 | |
2020 | 4 | 2 | |
2021 | 7 | 0 | |
2022 | 2 | 0 | |
Total | 22 | 2 |
No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 11 November 2020 | Stadionul Ilie Oană, Ploiești, Romania | 12 | ![]() | 3–0 | 5–3 | Friendly |
2 | 5–0 |
Dinamo București[14]
Palermo F.C. – current squad | |
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