Alexandru Maxim facts for kids
.jpg)
Maxim with Mainz 05 in 2018
|
|||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Alexandru Iulian Maxim | ||
| Date of birth | 8 July 1990 | ||
| Place of birth | Piatra Neamț, Romania | ||
| Height | 1.79 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Attacking midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
|
Current team
|
Gaziantep | ||
| Number | 44 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1997–2004 | Olimpia Piatra Neamț | ||
| 2004–2007 | Ardealul Cluj | ||
| 2007–2009 | Espanyol | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2009–2011 | Espanyol B | 26 | (0) |
| 2010–2011 | → Badalona (loan) | 5 | (0) |
| 2011–2013 | Pandurii Târgu Jiu | 44 | (9) |
| 2013–2017 | VfB Stuttgart | 116 | (16) |
| 2017–2020 | Mainz 05 | 49 | (3) |
| 2020 | → Gaziantep (loan) | 15 | (7) |
| 2020– | Gaziantep | 158 | (43) |
| 2023 | → Beşiktaş (loan) | 11 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2011–2012 | Romania U21 | 3 | (0) |
| 2012– | Romania | 55 | (6) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 31 May 2025 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 14 June 2022 |
|||
Alexandru Iulian Maxim (born 8 July 1990) is a Romanian football player. He plays as an attacking midfielder for Süper Lig club Gaziantep in Turkey, where he is also the team captain. An attacking midfielder is a player who helps both defend and attack, often scoring goals or setting them up.
Maxim started playing professionally for the reserve team of Espanyol in Spain in 2009. A reserve team is like a second team for younger players or those not in the main squad. He also played on loan for Badalona. In 2011, he returned to Romania to play for Pandurii Târgu Jiu.
His great performances led him to Germany in 2013. There, he played 140 games and scored 14 goals in the Bundesliga for VfB Stuttgart and Mainz 05. After seven years in Germany, Maxim moved to Turkey in 2020. He joined Gaziantep, first on loan, and later permanently.
Alexandru Maxim also plays for the Romanian national team. He made his first appearance for Romania in May 2012. Since then, he has played over 50 games for his country.
Contents
Club Football Journey
Starting Out in Romania and Spain
Maxim began his football journey at age seven with a local team called Olimpia Piatra Neamț. In 2004, he joined Ardealul Cluj, where he played alongside future football stars like Mihai Răduț and Vlad Chiricheș.
When he was 17, Maxim moved to Spain to join Espanyol. He found it a bit challenging to settle in a new country. After training in the club's youth academy, he played for their reserve team, Espanyol B, in the 2009–10 season. In the 2010–11 season, he was loaned to Badalona to gain more experience.
Playing for Pandurii Târgu Jiu
On 9 August 2011, Maxim returned to Romania. He signed a one-year contract with Pandurii Târgu Jiu, with an option to stay for two more years.
He played his first game in the Liga I on 12 September 2011. He came on as a substitute in a big 5–1 win against Mioveni. Maxim scored his first goal for the club on 18 December in a 1–1 draw. He scored again on 31 March 2012, in another 1–1 draw. He ended his first season with four goals in 28 games.
In the next season, Maxim helped Pandurii start perfectly. He scored against two different teams, and his team won six of their first seven matches. By the middle of the season, he had played 20 games and scored three more goals. His strong performances caught the eye of several clubs from other countries.
Time at VfB Stuttgart
On 31 January 2013, Maxim moved to Germany. He joined VfB Stuttgart for about €1.5 million and signed a four-and-a-half-year contract.
Maxim played his first game for Stuttgart on 14 February 2013, in a UEFA Europa League match. On 23 February, he played his first Bundesliga game. On 30 March, he scored his first goal for Stuttgart against Borussia Dortmund. Even though he got injured, Maxim played 14 games that season. He also played in the final of the German Cup, where Stuttgart lost 3–2.
On 1 September 2013, Maxim had an amazing game. He scored two goals and helped set up two others in a huge 6–2 win against Hoffenheim. This was Stuttgart's first win of the season. He continued to play well, scoring more goals and providing assists. In the 2013–14 Bundesliga season, he scored 9 goals and made 11 assists in 26 matches.
In the 2014–15 season, Maxim started strong by scoring the club's first goal in a 1–1 draw. He later helped set up two goals in a thrilling 5–4 win. Despite another injury, he played 26 games, scoring twice and assisting six times.
On 11 August 2015, Maxim extended his contract with Stuttgart until June 2019. He scored his first goal of the 2015–16 season in a 3–1 win against Hannover 96. He also scored in the German Cup. Stuttgart was relegated to the 2. Bundesliga that season, but Maxim still scored once and assisted six times in 25 league games.
For the 2016–17 season, Maxim changed his jersey number to 10. He started the season well, scoring in the first game. He helped Stuttgart get promoted back to the Bundesliga by scoring three goals and assisting one in the final matches of the season. In his four and a half years at Stuttgart, Maxim played 131 games, scoring 17 goals and making 35 assists.
Moving to Mainz 05
In June 2017, Maxim joined Mainz 05 on a four-year deal. The transfer fee was around €3 million. He played his first game for Mainz on 12 August in a cup match, where he helped set up a goal in a 3–1 win. On 14 October 2017, Maxim scored his first goal for Mainz in a 3–2 league victory.
Playing for Romania
Maxim always wanted to play for his home country, Romania. He was first called up to the Romania U21 team on 2 October 2011. He played his first game for them on 11 October 2011.
Maxim made his debut for the senior Romania on 30 May 2012, in a friendly game. On 11 September 2012, he became the first Romanian player born after the Romanian Revolution to score for the national team. This happened in a 4–0 win against Andorra.
He scored his next goal for Romania on 11 October 2015, in a 3–0 win. The next year, Maxim was considered for the UEFA Euro 2016 squad. However, he was not chosen for the final team. He was disappointed but still wished his team good luck. On 1 September 2017, Maxim scored the winning goal in a game against Armenia. He has continued to play for Romania, scoring important goals for his country.
About Alexandru Maxim
Besides speaking Romanian, Maxim can also speak English, Spanish, and German. He looked up to famous football players like Zinedine Zidane and his fellow Romanian, Gheorghe Hagi, when he was growing up.
Career Statistics
Club Appearances
| Club | Season | League | National Cup | Continental | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| Espanyol B | 2009–10 | Segunda División B | 26 | 0 | — | — | 26 | 0 | |||
| Badalona (loan) | 2010–11 | Segunda División B | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 5 | 0 | ||
| Pandurii Târgu Jiu | 2011–12 | Liga I | 25 | 4 | 3 | 0 | — | 28 | 4 | ||
| 2012–13 | Liga I | 19 | 5 | 1 | 0 | — | 20 | 5 | |||
| Total | 44 | 9 | 4 | 0 | — | 48 | 9 | ||||
| VfB Stuttgart | 2012–13 | Bundesliga | 11 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 16 | 1 | |
| 2013–14 | Bundesliga | 29 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 34 | 7 | ||
| 2014–15 | Bundesliga | 26 | 2 | 1 | 0 | — | 27 | 2 | |||
| 2015–16 | Bundesliga | 25 | 1 | 2 | 1 | — | 27 | 2 | |||
| 2016–17 | 2. Bundesliga | 25 | 5 | 2 | 0 | — | 27 | 5 | |||
| Total | 116 | 16 | 9 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 131 | 17 | |||
| Mainz 05 | 2017–18 | Bundesliga | 22 | 2 | 4 | 0 | — | 26 | 2 | ||
| 2018–19 | Bundesliga | 22 | 1 | 2 | 2 | — | 24 | 3 | |||
| 2019–20 | Bundesliga | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 6 | 0 | |||
| Total | 49 | 3 | 7 | 2 | — | 56 | 5 | ||||
| Gaziantep (loan) | 2019–20 | Süper Lig | 15 | 7 | 0 | 0 | — | 15 | 7 | ||
| Gaziantep | 2020–21 | Süper Lig | 38 | 15 | 3 | 1 | — | 41 | 16 | ||
| 2021–22 | Süper Lig | 31 | 14 | 3 | 1 | — | 34 | 15 | |||
| 2022–23 | Süper Lig | 21 | 4 | 4 | 1 | — | 25 | 5 | |||
| 2023–24 | Süper Lig | 34 | 3 | 4 | 0 | — | 38 | 3 | |||
| 2024–25 | Süper Lig | 34 | 7 | 3 | 0 | — | 37 | 7 | |||
| Total | 173 | 50 | 17 | 3 | — | 190 | 53 | ||||
| Beşiktaş (loan) | 2022–23 | Süper Lig | 11 | 0 | — | — | 11 | 0 | |||
| Career total | 424 | 78 | 37 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 467 | 84 | |||
International Appearances
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Romania | 2012 | 3 | 1 |
| 2013 | 9 | 0 | |
| 2014 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2015 | 6 | 1 | |
| 2016 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2017 | 2 | 1 | |
| 2018 | 5 | 1 | |
| 2019 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2020 | 7 | 2 | |
| 2021 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2022 | 4 | 0 | |
| Total | 55 | 6 | |
- Scores and results list Romania's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Maxim goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11 September 2012 | Arena Națională, Bucharest, Romania | 3 |  Andorra |
4–0 | 4–0 | 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 2 | 11 October 2015 | Tórsvøllur, Tórshavn, Faroe Islands | 24 |  Faroe Islands |
3–0 | 3–0 | UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying |
| 3 | 1 September 2017 | Arena Națională, Bucharest, Romania | 28 |  Armenia |
1–0 | 1–0 | 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 4 | 11 October 2018 | LFF Stadium, Vilnius, Lithuania | 31 |  Lithuania |
2–1 | 2–1 | 2018–19 UEFA Nations League C |
| 5 | 7 September 2020 | Wörthersee Stadion, Klagenfurt, Austria | 40 |  Austria |
3–1 | 3–2 | 2020–21 UEFA Nations League B |
| 6 | 8 October 2020 | Laugardalsvöllur, Reykjavík, Iceland | 41 |  Iceland |
1–2 | 1–2 | UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying play-offs |
Awards and Achievements
VfB Stuttgart
- 2. Bundesliga: 2016–17 (Champions)
- DFB-Pokal runner-up: 2012–13 (Second Place)
Individual Awards
- Gazeta Sporturilor Romanian Footballer of the Year runner-up: 2013
- Süper Lig Team of the Season: 2021–22
See also
In Spanish: Alexandru Maxim para niños
