Nicușor_Bancu
Nicușor Bancu
Romanian footballer (born 1992)
Nicușor Silviu Bancu (Romanian pronunciation: [nikuˈʃor ˈsilvju ˈbaŋku]; born 18 September 1992) is a Romanian professional footballer who plays as a left-back or a midfielder for Liga I club Universitatea Craiova, which he captains, and the Romania national team.
|
Bancu with Romania in 2019 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Nicușor Silviu Bancu[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1992-09-18) 18 September 1992 (age 31) | ||
| Place of birth | Crâmpoia, Romania | ||
| Height | 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Left-back, midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Universitatea Craiova | ||
| Number | 11 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2010–2011 | Olt Piatra-Olt | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2011–2014 | Olt Slatina | 68 | (8) |
| 2014– | Universitatea Craiova | 296 | (24) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2017– | Romania | 34 | (2) |
|
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 13 May 2024 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 21 November 2023 | |||
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Bancu recorded his competitive debut for CS Universitatea Craiova on 16 July 2014, a 0–1 Cupa Ligii loss to Rapid București. His first Liga I match came nine days later in a 1–1 home draw with Pandurii Târgu Jiu.
He scored his first goal for the Alb-albaștrii on 9 September that year, in a 2–0 defeat of Universitatea Cluj. 29 October, Bancu was injured by Viitorul Constanța player Alin Șeroni in a Cupa României Round of 16 game, which ended 1–1 after 90 minutes. He suffered a broken tibia and was sidelined for around half a year.[2]
Bancu made 34 appearances in all competitions in the following season, as his team finished on the eighth place in the domestic league.
In 2019, it was announced that Lazio are keen on bringing Craiova captain Bancu to Stadio Olimpico. They have been monitoring his progress over the past few seasons. Former Biancocelesti captain, Cristiano Bergodi, likened Bancu to Senad Lulić.[3] Earlier, in 2016, Universitatea Craiova rejected an offer from PSV Eindhoven for Bancu.[4]
Club
- As of 13 May 2024[5]
| Club | Season | League | National Cup | League Cup | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Olt Slatina | 2011–12 | Liga II | 15 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 15 | 1 | |||
| 2012–13 | 23 | 3 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 23 | 3 | |||||
| 2013–14 | 30 | 4 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 31 | 4 | |||||
| Total | 68 | 8 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 69 | 8 | |||||
| Universitatea Craiova | 2014–15 | Liga I | 13 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 16 | 1 | ||
| 2015–16 | 32 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 34 | 3 | ||||
| 2016–17 | 35 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 40 | 3 | ||||
| 2017–18 | 34 | 3 | 4 | 1 | — | 2 | 0 | — | 40 | 4 | ||||
| 2018–19 | 33 | 4 | 5 | 2 | — | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 41 | 6 | |||
| 2019–20 | 31 | 4 | 3 | 0 | — | 6 | 1 | — | 13 | 1 | ||||
| 2020–21 | 35 | 2 | 5 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | — | 41 | 2 | ||||
| 2021–22 | 35 | 2 | 3 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 40 | 2 | |||
| 2022–23 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 6 | 1 | — | 19 | 1 | ||||
| 2023–24 | 35 | 2 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 37 | 2 | |||||
| Total | 296 | 24 | 29 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 19 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 348 | 29 | ||
| Career total | 364 | 32 | 30 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 19 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 417 | 37 | ||
International
- As of 21 November 2023.[6]
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Romania | |||
| 2017 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2018 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2019 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2020 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2021 | 5 | 1 | |
| 2022 | 6 | 1 | |
| 2023 | 6 | 0 | |
| Total | 34 | 2 | |
- As of 11 June 2022.
- Scores and results list Romania's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Bancu goal.[6]
| No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 14 November 2021 | Rheinpark Stadion, Vaduz, Liechtenstein | 22 |  Liechtenstein | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 2 | 11 June 2022 | Stadionul Rapid-Giulești, Bucharest, Romania | 25 |  Finland | 1–0 | 1–0 | UEFA Nations League B |
Universitatea Craiova[5]
Individual
- "UEFA Nations League 2021: Booking List before League phase Matchday 6" (PDF). UEFA. 16 November 2020. p. 5. Retrieved 23 November 2020.
- "Bancu, ofertă de milioane de euro de la PSV. Cât cere Rotaru!". fanatik.ro (in Romanian). 27 June 2018.
- Nicușor Bancu at Soccerway. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
- "Nicușor Bancu". European Football. Retrieved 9 October 2017.
- "LPF a ales "echipa ideală" a sezonului din Liga 1! Care echipă a oferit cei mai mulți jucători" [LPF has chosen the "ideal team" of the Liga 1 season! Which team offers the most players] (in Romanian). Digi Sport. 4 June 2021. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
- "LLPF a anunțat echipa ideală a sezonului de Liga 1 » FCSB și CFR Cluj, reprezentate de câte 3 jucători" [LPF has chosen the "ideal team" of the Liga 1 season! Which team offers the most players] (in Romanian). Gazeta Sporturilor. 3 June 2022. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
- Nicușor Bancu at RomanianSoccer.ro (in Romanian)
- Universitatea Craiova official profile (in Romanian)