Ciprian Marica facts for kids
Marica with Schalke 04 in 2011
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Ciprian Andrei Marica | ||
| Date of birth | 2 October 1985 | ||
| Place of birth | Bucharest, Romania | ||
| Height | 1.85 m | ||
| Playing position | Forward | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Farul Constanța (minority shareholder) |
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| Youth career | |||
| 1996–2001 | Dinamo București | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2001–2003 | Dinamo București | 22 | (4) |
| 2004–2007 | Shakhtar Donetsk | 74 | (15) |
| 2007–2011 | VfB Stuttgart | 93 | (19) |
| 2011–2013 | Schalke 04 | 34 | (5) |
| 2013–2014 | Getafe | 27 | (6) |
| 2014–2015 | Konyaspor | 7 | (1) |
| 2016 | FCSB | 7 | (0) |
| Total | 264 | (51) | |
| National team | |||
| 2001 | Romania U17 | 2 | (0) |
| 2002–2003 | Romania U19 | 3 | (1) |
| 2003–2006 | Romania U21 | 10 | (4) |
| 2003–2014 | Romania | 72 | (25) |
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Ciprian Andrei Marica (born October 2, 1985) is a former professional footballer from Romania. He played as a centre forward, which means he was a main attacker for his team. Today, he is a part-owner of the football club Farul Constanța.
Contents
Club Career Highlights
Ciprian Marica played for several important football clubs during his career. He started in Romania and then moved to play in Ukraine, Germany, Spain, and Turkey.
Dinamo București: Starting Strong
Ciprian began his professional journey at Dinamo București. This was the club in his hometown. Even though he was young, he started to get noticed. He played 23 games and scored four goals for them.
Shakhtar Donetsk: International Experience
Next, Ciprian moved to Shakhtar Donetsk, a top club in Ukraine. Here, he played some of his best seasons. He gained important international experience. He even played in the UEFA Cup, which is a big European competition.
VfB Stuttgart: Challenges and Comebacks
In July 2007, Ciprian joined the German club VfB Stuttgart. He signed a five-year contract with them. Stuttgart's sports director said Ciprian was a "flexible forward" who could cause trouble for opposing teams.
He played his first game for Stuttgart in August 2007. In his first season, he played 28 games. He scored two goals in the league and one goal in the UEFA Champions League. This goal helped Stuttgart win a game against Rangers F.C..
After a tough first season, things got better for Marica. A new coach, Christian Gross, gave him another chance. Ciprian took this chance and scored four goals in three games in a row. This showed his skill and determination.
Schalke 04: Staying in Germany
In July 2011, Ciprian decided to stay in Germany. He signed a two-year contract with Schalke 04. He had offers from other big clubs, but he chose Schalke.
He scored his first goal for Schalke in December against Maccabi Haifa. In January 2012, he scored two goals in one game against 1. FC Köln, helping his team win 4–1.
Getafe: Playing in Spain
In September 2013, Marica moved to Spain. He joined Getafe, a team in La Liga, Spain's top football league. He made his debut in October.
His first league goal for Getafe came on October 31 against Villarreal. In May 2014, he scored two goals in a crucial game against Rayo Vallecano. These goals helped Getafe avoid being moved down to a lower league.
Konyaspor: Dealing with Injuries
In 2014, Ciprian signed with Konyaspor in Turkey. However, his time there was difficult. He played only seven games in 14 months. This was mainly because of injuries. He left the club in October 2015.
FCSB: Back Home
In January 2016, Ciprian returned to Romania. He joined FCSB, a team in Bucharest. This was a special move because he had played for their big rivals, Dinamo, earlier in his career. He became one of the few players to play for both teams.
International Career for Romania
Ciprian Marica was a key player for the Romanian national team. He played 72 games and scored 25 goals for his country.
He made his first appearance for Romania on November 16, 2003. This was in a friendly game against Italy. His first goal for the national team came a year later, in November 2004, against Armenia.
In March 2008, the President of Romania gave him a special medal. This was for his great performance in helping Romania qualify for the EURO 2008 tournament.
Ciprian scored two goals in one game for Romania in June 2011. This was against Bosnia and Herzegovina. He also scored his first "hat-trick" (three goals in one game) for Romania in a friendly match against Trinidad and Tobago in June 2013.
Honours and Achievements
Ciprian Marica won several trophies and awards during his football career:
With Dinamo București
- Divizia A: 2001–02 (League Champion)
- Cupa României: 2002–03 (Cup Winner)
With Shakhtar Donetsk
- Vyshcha Liha: 2004–05, 2005–06 (League Champion)
- Ukrainian Cup: 2003–04 (Cup Winner)
- Ukrainian Supercup: 2005 (Super Cup Winner)
With Steaua București (FCSB)
- Cupa Ligii: 2015–16 (League Cup Winner)
Images for kids
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Marica with Schalke 04 in 2011
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Marica warming up for VfB Stuttgart in 2010.
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Marica lining up for Romania in 2014
See also
In Spanish: Ciprian Marica para niños
