Andrei Radu facts for kids

Andrei Ionuț Radu, born on May 28, 1997, is a professional football player from Romania. He is known as Andrei Radu or Ionuț Radu. He plays as a goalkeeper for the Italian club Inter Milan and the Romania national team.

Andrei started his professional journey at Internazionale. However, he only played one senior match for them at first. In 2017, he was loaned to Avellino. The next year, he joined Genoa on loan, with a plan for them to buy him later. In 2019, Inter Milan bought him back. They then loaned him out again to Genoa and later to Parma.

Playing for Clubs

Starting Out & Inter Milan

Andrei Radu began playing football when he was 8 years old. He joined a local team called Viitorul București. His grandmother saw an ad in the newspaper that made him start. In 2008, he moved to FC Steaua București. Three years later, he switched to their rival team, Dinamo București.

In early 2013, Andrei moved to Italy. He briefly played for Pergolettese. Then, in mid-2013, Internazionale signed him. He joined their junior teams to develop his skills.

On May 14, 2016, Andrei played his first senior game for Inter Milan. It was the last match of the Serie A season. He came in as a substitute in the 72nd minute. Inter Milan lost 1–3 to Sassuolo. On October 4, he signed a new four-year contract with Inter Milan. This deal would last until June 2020.

Time at Avellino

On July 15, 2017, Radu agreed to join Avellino on a one-year loan. Avellino was a team in Serie B, the second division. He played his first game for them on August 6. It was a 1–0 home win against Matera in the Coppa Italia. A week later, he played another cup match, losing 3–1 to Hellas Verona.

On September 18, he made his Serie B debut for Avellino. The game was a 1–1 home draw with Venezia. On October 24, he achieved his first clean sheet. This means he didn't let the other team score any goals. It was a 1–0 home win against Pro Vercelli. Andrei finished his loan at Avellino with 24 games played. He had 5 clean sheets and let in 30 goals.

Playing for Genoa

On June 29, 2018, Andrei Radu, who was 21, went on loan to Genoa. The agreement was that Genoa would buy him permanently later. Genoa's chairman said the transfer fee was €9 million. This would have made him the most expensive Romanian goalkeeper. However, Inter Milan's financial report showed the fee was €8 million. The deal also included a secret clause for Inter to buy him back.

Andrei made his debut for Genoa on September 26. This was after another goalkeeper started the first four games. He kept a clean sheet in a 2–0 win against Chievo. In later games, he was blamed for some goals his team let in. This included a goal from Cristiano Ronaldo in a 1–1 draw with Juventus. His manager, Ivan Jurić, supported him. He said Andrei's young age was the reason for his mistakes. On November 3, he let in five goals against his old club, Inter Milan.

In late November, Radu was nominated for a special award. It was Gazeta Sporturilor's 2018 Romanian Footballer of the Year award. On December 22, he saved one of two penalty kicks against Atalanta. Genoa won that game 3–1 at home. In January 2019, UEFA listed him. He was one of the 50 Best Young Footballers to watch that year. Even with three different managers, Andrei stayed Genoa's main goalkeeper. He played in 33 league games that season.

In June 2019, Genoa bought Radu for €8 million as planned. But Inter Milan immediately bought him back for €12 million. This deal was officially announced in July 2019. At the same time, he went back to Genoa on another loan.

International Games

Andrei Radu played for the Romania under-21 team. He was part of the team for the 2019 UEFA European Championship qualifiers. His first game was on June 13, 2017. Romania won 2–0 away against Liechtenstein.

In September 2018, Radu was the captain for two group matches. He saved a penalty to help Romania win against Portugal. He also kept a clean sheet in a win over Bosnia and Herzegovina. The next month, Romania's under-21 team finished first in their group. This meant they qualified for the final tournament.

Radu was called up to the senior Romania team for the first time in June 2019. This was for the UEFA Euro 2020 qualifiers against Norway and Malta. Later that month, he started all three group games in the UEFA Under-21 Euro in Italy. He let in three goals in total. He also kept a clean sheet in a draw against France. This draw helped Romania finish first in their group. Romania was later knocked out by Germany in the semi-finals, losing 2–4.

About Andrei's Life

Andrei Radu had an older sister. She passed away in 2006 when she was 14 years old. When he was a junior player, he used to wear a t-shirt with her picture under his football kit. He is also the cousin of another football player named Andrei Radu. They share the same name.

On October 9, 2020, Andrei Radu tested positive for COVID-19. This happened during the pandemic in Italy.

Career Statistics

Club

Awards and Trophies

Club

Inter Primavera

• Torneo di Viareggio: 2015
• Coppa Italia Primavera: 2015–16

Inter Milan

• Serie A: 2020–21

Individual

• Gazeta Sporturilor Romanian Footballer of the Year: 2019

See also

In Spanish: Andrei Radu para niños