Cătălin Hîldan facts for kids
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Cătălin George Hîldan | ||
| Date of birth | 3 February 1976 | ||
| Place of birth | Brănești, Ilfov, Romania | ||
| Date of death | 5 October 2000 (aged 24) | ||
| Place of death | Oltenița, Romania | ||
| Height | 1.76m | ||
| Playing position | Midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1986–1994 | Dinamo București | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1994–2000 | Dinamo București | 138 | (6) |
| 1995–1996 | → Oțelul Târgoviște (loan) | 13 | (1) |
| Total | 151 | (7) | |
| National team | |||
| 1999–2000 | Romania | 8 | (1) |
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Cătălin George Hîldan (born February 3, 1976 – died October 5, 2000) was a talented Romanian football player. He played as a midfielder, which means he helped his team both defend and attack. Fans often called him "The only captain" because of his strong leadership and dedication to the game.
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His Amazing Football Journey
Cătălin Hîldan started playing sports when he was just eight years old. He first tried rugby with his older brother, Cristian. Two years later, in 1986, he joined the famous football club Dinamo București. He joined alongside other future stars like Florentin Petre.
His first match for Dinamo was on October 2, 1994. It was a big game against their rivals, Steaua București. After a few months, he was loaned to Oțelul Târgoviște. There, he helped the team get promoted to higher divisions.
Later, Dinamo's coach, Cornel Dinu, called him back. Cătălin quickly became the team's captain. In the 1999–2000 season, he played a key role. He helped Dinamo win the league title for the first time in nine years. They won it after a thrilling 3–2 victory against Steaua. In the same season, he scored a goal in the 2000 Romanian Cup final. Dinamo won that match 2–0 against Universitatea Craiava. He played a total of 138 league games for Dinamo, scoring 6 goals. He also played in 11 European matches.
Playing for His Country
Cătălin Hîldan also played for the Romanian national team. He played in 8 friendly games and scored one goal. His first game for Romania was on March 3, 1999. Coach Victor Pițurcă brought him into the game against Estonia. Romania won that match 2–0.
A Special Goal
Cătălin scored his only goal for the national team on February 4, 2000. It was in a friendly match against Georgia. The game ended in a 1–1 draw. His last game for Romania was on June 3, 2000, a 2–1 win against Greece. He was also part of Romania's team for the Euro 2000 tournament, but he did not get to play in any matches.
A Lasting Legacy
Cătălin Hîldan sadly passed away on October 5, 2000. He was playing in a friendly match between Dinamo and Șantierul Naval Oltenița. He collapsed during the game. Before his death, Dinamo fans called him "The only captain." This nickname became even more famous after he passed away.
To honor him, Dinamo retired his jersey number, 11. This means no other player at Dinamo will wear that number. The north stand of the Dinamo Stadium is now named "Peluza Cătălin Hîldan" (Cătălin Hîldan Stand). Also, the stadium in his hometown of Brănești is named Stadionul Cătălin Hîldan after him. In 2006, he was chosen as one of the 100 Greatest Romanians in a national poll.
His Achievements
Cătălin Hîldan achieved several important wins during his career:
- With Oțelul Târgoviște:
- Divizia B: 1995–96
- Divizia C: 1994–95
- With Dinamo București:
- Divizia A: 1999–00
- Cupa României: 1999–00
