Gheorghe Popescu Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids
Gheorghe Popescu
Personal information
Popescu in 2018
Date of birth	(1967-10-09) 9 October 1967 (age 57)
Place of birth	Calafat, Romania
Height	1.88 m
Playing position	Sweeper, centre back, midfielder
Club information
Current club	Farul Constanța (chairman)
Youth career
1975–1982	Dunărea Calafat
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps^†	(Gls)^†
1982–1984	Dunărea Calafat
1985–1990	Universitatea Craiova	124	(18)
1988	→ Steaua București (loan)	13	(1)
1990–1994	PSV Eindhoven	108	(23)
1994–1995	Tottenham Hotspur	23	(3)
1995–1997	Barcelona	66	(9)
1997–2001	Galatasaray	111	(6)
2001–2002	Lecce	28	(3)
2002	Dinamo București	8	(0)
2002–2003	Hannover 96	14	(1)
Total		495	(64)
National team
1988–2003	Romania	115	(16)
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Gheorghe Popescu, often called Gică, is a famous Romanian former football player. He was born on October 9, 1967. He mostly played as a defender.

Gică Popescu was known for his strong defense and ability to start attacks from his own half. He played for many big clubs in Europe. These included FC Barcelona in Spain, where he was a captain. He also played for PSV Eindhoven in the Netherlands, Tottenham Hotspur in England, Lecce in Italy, and Hannover 96 in Germany. In his home country, Romania, he played for Universitatea Craiova, Steaua București, and Dinamo București.

He was a very important player for the Romanian national team in the 1990s. He played in 115 international matches and scored 16 goals. He took part in several major tournaments, including the 1990, 1994, and 1998 World Cups, and the 1996 and 2000 European Championships. He is also the brother-in-law of another famous Romanian player, Gheorghe Hagi.

Club Career Highlights
International Career
- World Cup and Euro Appearances
After Retirement
Personal Life
Honours
See also

Club Career Highlights

Early Days in Romania

Gheorghe Popescu, also known as Baciul (which means "The Shepherd" because of his leadership), was born in Calafat, Romania. He started playing junior football in 1975 for a local club called Dunărea. As a child, he often watched Universitatea Craiova play. He once told his father that he would become a great player like Costică Ștefănescu.

Popescu started playing for Dunărea's senior team in 1982. His first coach, Valentin Ghiță, remembered Popescu's strong ambition. He even trained Popescu in the snow during a very cold winter in 1983 because Popescu was so eager to practice.

In 1985, Popescu's talent was noticed by Nicolae Zamfir, who brought him to Universitatea Craiova. He made his top league debut in Romania on June 9, 1985. In 1988, he briefly played for Steaua București on loan. There, he won a league title and reached the semi-finals of the European Cup. He then returned to Universitatea Craiova, where he scored many goals.

Moving to Europe: PSV Eindhoven

In 1990, Popescu moved from Romania to PSV Eindhoven in the Netherlands. He quickly became a key player for PSV. In his first two seasons, he helped the team win two league titles. He also won the 1992 Dutch Supercup. During his time at PSV, he became good friends with famous Brazilian players Romário and Ronaldo.

Short Stop at Tottenham Hotspur

In 1994, Popescu joined Tottenham Hotspur in the English Premier League. He played 23 games and scored three goals. One of his goals was against rival team Arsenal, which helped Tottenham finish seventh in the league. He also helped them reach the FA Cup semi-finals.

Becoming a Captain at Barcelona

After less than a year in England, Popescu moved to Barcelona in Spain in 1995. He joined his fellow Romanian player Gheorghe Hagi there. He played under the legendary coach Johann Cruyff, whom Popescu greatly admired. He made his debut in the Spanish league on September 2, 1995.

In his second season at Barcelona, his former coach from PSV, Bobby Robson, became Barcelona's manager. Robson made Popescu the team's captain, even though there were many other famous players. As captain, Popescu helped Barcelona win three trophies in one season: the 1996 Supercopa de España, the 1996–97 Copa del Rey, and the 1996–97 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup. He even scored a goal in the Cup Winners' Cup quarter-finals and played in the final match.

Success with Galatasaray

In 1997, Popescu moved to Galatasaray in Turkey, where he played alongside Gheorghe Hagi again. He quickly became a leader for the team. In his first two seasons, he helped Galatasaray win two Turkish league titles and one Turkish Cup.

His biggest achievement with Galatasaray was winning the 1999–2000 UEFA Cup in May 2000. In the final, Galatasaray played against Arsenal. The game ended in a draw, so it went to a penalty shootout. Popescu scored the winning penalty, securing the trophy for Galatasaray. The team also won the 2000 UEFA Super Cup against Real Madrid and reached the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League.

Later Career and Retirement

In 2001, Popescu moved to Lecce in Italy. He played 28 games and scored 3 goals there. In 2002, he returned to Romania to play for Dinamo București. He was even made captain in his first game. However, his time there was short, and he left the club after only a few matches.

His final team was Hannover 96 in Germany. He made his debut in the German league in February 2003. He scored one goal for Hannover. His last game was on May 17, 2003, which helped Hannover avoid being relegated from the league. After this game, Popescu announced his retirement from football.

Gheorghe Popescu was recognized as the Romanian Footballer of the Year six times, showing how important he was in Romanian football for many years.

International Career

Gheorghe Popescu played 115 matches and scored 16 goals for the Romanian national team. He first played for his country in 1988.

World Cup and Euro Appearances

Popescu was a key player for Romania's "Golden Generation" in the 1990s. He helped Romania qualify for and play in three World Cups:

1990 World Cup: Romania reached the Round of 16.
1994 World Cup: This was a very successful tournament for Romania, as they reached the quarter-finals. Popescu played in all five games.
1998 World Cup: Romania passed the group stage, beating teams like England, before being eliminated in the Round of 16.

He also played in two European Championships:

Euro 1996: Romania did not advance past the group stage.
Euro 2000: Romania reached the quarter-finals. Popescu was captain in one of the group stage matches.

For his great contributions to Romanian football and representing his country in five major tournaments, Popescu received a special medal called "The Sportive Merit" from the President of Romania in 2008.

After Retirement

After he stopped playing football, Gheorghe Popescu opened the "Gheorghe Popescu Football School" in Craiova in 2000. This school has helped many young players develop their skills and become professional footballers. For a while, he also worked as a sports agent, helping other players with their careers.

In 2003, a book about his life called Gheorghe Popescu - my life was released by Daniel Nanu.

Personal Life

Gheorghe Popescu is married to the sister of Gheorghe Hagi's wife, making them brothers-in-law. His son, Nicolas, is also a football player, following in his father's footsteps.

Honours

Steaua București

Divizia A: 1987–88
Cupa României: 1987–88

PSV Eindhoven

Eredivisie: 1990–91, 1991–92
Johan Cruijff Shield: 1992

Barcelona

Galatasaray

1.Lig: 1997–98, 1998–99, 1999–2000
Turkish Cup: 1998–99, 1999–2000
UEFA Cup: 1999–2000
UEFA Super Cup: 2000

Individual

Romanian Footballer of the Year: 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1995, 1996

Gheorghe Popescu facts for kids

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