Alexandru Maxim facts for kids
.jpg)
Maxim with Mainz 05 in 2018
|
|||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 8 July 1990 | ||
| Place of birth | Piatra Neamț, Romania | ||
| Height | 1.79 m | ||
| Playing position | Attacking midfielder | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | 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 | 142 | (39) |
| 2023 | → Beşiktaş (loan) | 11 | (0) |
| National team‡ | |||
| 2011–2012 | Romania U21 | 3 | (0) |
| 2012– | Romania | 55 | (6) |
† Appearances (Goals). |
|||
Alexandru Iulian Maxim (born July 8, 1990) is a talented Romanian professional footballer. He plays as an attacking midfielder, which means he helps create goals and score them for his team. Currently, he plays for the Turkish club Süper Lig club Gaziantep.
Maxim started his professional journey with the reserve team of Espanyol in Spain in 2009. He also played for Badalona for a short time. Later, he returned to Romania to join Pandurii Târgu Jiu in 2011. His great performances led him to move to Germany in 2013.
In Germany, 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 then permanently.
Maxim also plays for the Romania national team. He made his debut in May 2012 in a friendly match against Switzerland. Since then, he has played over 50 games for his country.
Contents
Club career
Early career and Espanyol
Alexandru Maxim began playing football at age seven with Olimpia Piatra Neamț, a local team. In 2004, he joined Ardealul Cluj. There, he played alongside future football stars like Mihai Răduț and Vlad Chiricheș.
When he was 17, Maxim moved to Spain to join Espanyol. He mentioned that it was not easy to settle in a new country. He trained in the club's youth academy. After that, 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.
Pandurii Târgu Jiu
On August 9, 2011, Maxim returned to Romania. He signed a one-year contract with Pandurii Târgu Jiu, with an option to extend it.
He played his first game in the Liga I on September 12, 2011. He came on as a substitute in a big 5–1 win against Mioveni. Maxim scored his first goal for the club on December 18 in a 1–1 draw. He scored again on March 31, 2012, in another 1–1 draw. He ended his first season with four goals in 28 games.
In the 2012–13 season, Maxim helped Pandurii start perfectly. He scored against Ceahlăul Piatra Neamț and Oțelul Galați. The 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 excellent play caught the attention of several clubs from other countries.
VfB Stuttgart
On January 31, 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 February 14, 2013. It was a UEFA Europa League match against Genk. On February 23, he played his first Bundesliga game against Nürnberg. On March 30, Maxim scored his first goal against Borussia Dortmund. He helped Stuttgart reach the final of the 2012–13 DFB-Pokal cup. Stuttgart lost 3–2 to Bayern Munich in the final.
On September 1, 2013, Maxim scored two goals and made two assists. This helped Stuttgart win their first Bundesliga game of the season 6–2 against Hoffenheim. He continued his good form by assisting a goal in the next match. Maxim scored again on September 29, 2013, in a 4–0 win. He scored 9 goals and made 11 assists in 26 matches during the 2013–14 Bundesliga season.
In the 2014–15 season, Maxim started well by scoring the club's first goal in a 1–1 draw. He made 26 appearances, scoring two goals and assisting six times.
On August 11, 2015, Maxim extended his contract with VfB Stuttgart until June 2019. He scored his first goal of the 2015–16 season on September 23, 2015. Stuttgart was relegated to the second division, but Maxim scored once and assisted six times in 25 league games.
After the club was relegated, Maxim was given the number 10 shirt. He started the 2016–17 season by scoring in a 2–1 win. He helped Stuttgart get promoted back to the Bundesliga. In his four and a half years at Stuttgart, Maxim played 131 games, scoring 17 goals and making 35 assists.
Mainz 05
In June 2017, Maxim joined Mainz 05 on a four-year deal. The transfer fee was around €3 million. He made his first game for Mainz on August 12 in a cup match. He provided an assist in their 3–1 away win.
On October 14, 2017, Maxim scored his first goal for Mainz. It was in a 3–2 league victory against Hamburger SV.
International career
Maxim has always wanted to play for his home country, Romania. This is true even though he could have become a Spanish citizen.
He was first called up to the Romania U21 team on October 2, 2011. He played his first game for them on October 11, 2011, in a 2–0 loss against France.
Maxim made his debut for the senior Romania team on May 30, 2012. It was a friendly game against Switzerland. On September 11, 2012, he made history. 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 first goal in three years on October 11, 2015, in a 3–0 win. Maxim was considered for the Romania squad for the UEFA Euro 2016 tournament. However, he was not chosen for the final team. He was disappointed but still wished his team success.
On September 1, 2017, Maxim scored the winning goal against Armenia. This was in his first game under the new manager, Christoph Daum.
Personal life
Besides his native Romanian, Maxim can speak English, Spanish, and German. He looked up to famous footballers like Zinedine Zidane and his fellow Romanian, Gheorghe Hagi, when he was growing up.
Honours
VfB Stuttgart
- 2. Bundesliga: 2016–17
- DFB-Pokal runner-up: 2012–13
Individual
- Gazeta Sporturilor Romanian Footballer of the Year runner-up: 2013; fifth place: 2020;
- Süper Lig Team of the Season: 2021–22
See also
In Spanish: Alexandru Maxim para niños
