Cosmin Contra facts for kids
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Contra as manager of Romania in 2018
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Cosmin Marius Contra | ||
| Date of birth | 15 December 1975 | ||
| Place of birth | Timișoara, Romania | ||
| Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Right-back, midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
|
Current team
|
Al-Kholood (head coach) | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1982–1988 | CSȘ Timișoara | ||
| 1988–1993 | Politehnica Timișoara | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1994–1995 | Politehnica Timișoara | 51 | (1) |
| 1996–1999 | Dinamo București | 101 | (8) |
| 1999–2001 | Alavés | 66 | (5) |
| 2001–2002 | AC Milan | 29 | (3) |
| 2002–2006 | Atlético Madrid | 34 | (0) |
| 2004–2005 | → West Bromwich Albion (loan) | 5 | (0) |
| 2005 | → Politehnica Timișoara (loan) | 14 | (0) |
| 2005–2006 | → Getafe (loan) | 24 | (0) |
| 2006–2010 | Getafe | 64 | (3) |
| 2010 | → Politehnica Timișoara (loan) | 13 | (3) |
| 2010 | Politehnica Timișoara | 9 | (1) |
| Total | 410 | (24) | |
| International career | |||
| 1995–1998 | Romania U21 | 11 | (2) |
| 1996–2010 | Romania | 73 | (7) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2010 | Politehnica Timișoara (player/coach) | ||
| 2011–2012 | Getafe C | ||
| 2012 | Fuenlabrada | ||
| 2012–2014 | Petrolul Ploiești | ||
| 2014–2015 | Getafe | ||
| 2015 | Guangzhou R&F | ||
| 2016 | Alcorcón | ||
| 2017 | Dinamo București | ||
| 2017–2019 | Romania | ||
| 2020 | Dinamo București | ||
| 2021–2022 | Al-Ittihad | ||
| 2023–2024 | Damac | ||
| 2025– | Al-Kholood | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Cosmin Marius Contra is a famous Romanian football manager and former player. He was born on December 15, 1975. He is currently the head coach of Saudi Pro League club Al-Kholood.
Cosmin Contra mostly played as an attacking right-back, which is a defensive position on the side of the field. He could also play as a midfielder. He played professionally in Romania, Spain, Italy, and England. He spent most of his playing career in Spain with clubs like Alavés, Atlético Madrid, and Getafe. He played 188 games in La Liga, Spain's top football league, and scored eight goals.
He was also a key player for the Romania national team for almost 15 years. He represented his country in two major tournaments, the European Championships.
As a coach, Contra has also achieved success. He won the Cupa României (Romanian Cup) with Petrolul Ploiești in 2013. Four years later, he won the Cupa Ligii (League Cup) with Dinamo București. In September 2017, he was chosen to lead the Romania national team.
Playing Career Highlights
Starting in Romania
Cosmin Contra began his professional football journey in his hometown of Timișoara, Romania. He joined the local club Politehnica Timișoara. He played his first top-league game on February 27, 1994, when he was 18 years old. His team won 1–0 against UTA Arad.
After one season, his team was moved down to a lower league, but he stayed with them. They quickly moved back up to the top league the next year. In 1996, he moved to Dinamo București. During his time there, his team finished second in the league in the 1998–99 season. He also started playing in European competitions, which are big tournaments for clubs from different countries.
Success in Spain with Alavés
After playing for Dinamo for three and a half years, Contra moved to Spain. He joined Deportivo Alavés in the Spanish La Liga for $800,000. He became a very important player for Alavés. He helped them reach the final of the UEFA Cup (now called the UEFA Europa League). Even though they didn't win the final, his great performances earned him a spot in the UEFA Team of the Year.
Contra scored eight goals for Alavés during his time there. In December 2021, when the club celebrated its 100th birthday, a local newspaper voted him the best right-back in the club's history.
Time in Italy and Atlético Madrid
In 2001, Contra moved to Italy to play for the famous club AC Milan. He only stayed there for one season. In a big game against Inter Milan, he came on as a substitute and helped his team win 4–2 by scoring a goal and setting up another. In 2002, he moved back to Spain and joined Atlético Madrid. He didn't play much in the 2003–04 season because of a serious ankle injury.
He then went on loan to West Bromwich Albion in England in 2004. He played only six games there and received a red card in his last match. After that, he returned to Romania to play for Politehnica Timișoara again. His good play there helped him get called back to the Romanian national team.
Playing for Getafe
In August 2005, Contra returned to Spain and joined Getafe on a loan deal. This move later became permanent. He played regularly for Getafe.
In the 2007–08 UEFA Cup, he scored important goals in both games against Bayern Munich. Getafe was unfortunately knocked out of the competition after extra time. Earlier in the same competition, he scored a penalty kick against AEK Athens. He played in that match even though his father had passed away just hours before.
Final Years as a Player
In January 2010, Contra left Getafe and went back to his hometown club, Politehnica Timișoara. He scored a goal from a long free kick in his first game back. He also scored two goals in another match against Steaua București, one of which was a penalty. During this time, he often played as a central midfielder.
In August 2010, he scored another free-kick goal against Steaua. His contract ended, but he signed a new deal and became a player-coach for the team. His very last game as a player was on November 13, 2010.
International Career
Cosmin Contra played 73 games for the Romanian national team and scored seven goals. He made his debut on April 24, 1996, when he was 20 years old, in a friendly game against Georgia. Romania won that game 5–0.
He played in the qualifiers for UEFA Euro 2000 and was part of the team that reached the main tournament. He helped Romania get past the group stage. He also played in the qualifiers for the 2002 FIFA World Cup, scoring two goals.
Contra scored three goals in one game against Luxembourg during the Euro 2004 qualifiers. He also played in the qualifiers for the 2006 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2008. In Euro 2008, he played every minute of Romania's games in the tournament.
He announced his retirement from international football in 2009 but was called back to the national team in 2010 for the Euro 2012 qualifiers. His last game for Romania was a 1–1 draw against Albania.
Coaching Career
Early Coaching Roles
Cosmin Contra started his coaching career at Politehnica Timișoara in September 2010, while still a player. His team did not lose a single game under his leadership. However, he was let go after 11 matches due to a disagreement with the club's owner.
In July 2012, Contra returned to Spain to coach Fuenlabrada. The team started the season well, but he left after receiving an offer from Petrolul Ploiești in Romania.
Leading Petrolul Ploiești
Contra took over as coach of Petrolul Ploiești in October 2012. In his first season, he led the team to win the Romanian Cup. This was a big achievement! The club also finished third in the league, which meant they qualified for the Europa League after 18 years.
In the Europa League, Petrolul knocked out two teams before being eliminated by Swansea City.
Return to Getafe as Coach
On March 10, 2014, Contra returned to Getafe, this time as their coach. The team was struggling and close to being moved down to a lower league. His first game was a 3–3 draw. They finally won a league game later that month.
On May 19, 2014, Contra successfully helped Getafe stay in the top league after a 2–1 win against Rayo Vallecano.
Coaching in Asia and Back to Romania
In December 2014, Contra became the new manager of Guangzhou R&F in China. He started officially in January 2015.
He then coached Alcorcón in Spain in 2016, but he left after a few months. In February 2017, Contra became the coach of Dinamo București in Romania. He led them to win their first trophy in five years, the Cupa Ligii. He resigned in September to take on a bigger role.
Coaching the Romania National Team
On September 17, 2017, Cosmin Contra was announced as the new manager of the Romania national team. His main goal was to help the team qualify for UEFA Euro 2020. His first game in charge was a 3–1 win against Kazakhstan.
However, in November 2019, Romania finished fourth in their Euro 2020 qualifying group. Because of this, the Romanian Football Federation decided that Contra would no longer continue as coach.
Recent Coaching Roles
Contra returned to coach Dinamo București in August 2020, but he left in December due to the club's money problems.
On August 29, 2021, Contra was appointed manager of Al-Ittihad in Saudi Arabia. His team was leading the league by a large margin in February 2022. However, they ended up finishing second, just two points behind Al Hilal. Contra was dismissed by Al-Ittihad in July 2022.
On March 6, 2023, Contra joined Damac, another club in Saudi Arabia. He coached them until December 2024. As of July 2025, he is the head coach of Al-Kholood.
Honours and Awards
Cosmin Contra has won several awards and trophies both as a player and as a manager.
As a Player
- Politehnica Timișoara
- Divizia B: 1994–95 (Won the second division league)
- Alavés
- UEFA Cup runner-up: 2000–01 (Finished second in this big European tournament)
- Getafe
- Copa del Rey runner-up: 2006–07, 2007–08 (Finished second in the Spanish Cup)
- Individual Awards
- Romanian Footballer of the Year (Gazeta Sporturilor): 2001 (Named the best Romanian footballer)
- UEFA Team of the Year: 2001 (Chosen as one of the best players in Europe)
As a Manager
- Petrolul Ploiești
- Cupa României: 2012–13 (Won the Romanian Cup)
- Supercupa României runner-up: 2013 (Finished second in the Romanian Supercup)
- Dinamo București
- Cupa Ligii: 2016–17 (Won the Romanian League Cup)
- Individual Awards
- Saudi Professional League Manager of the Month: February 2022 (Named best manager in the Saudi league for that month)
See also
In Spanish: Cosmin Contra para niños
