Marco Alexandru Dulca (born 11 May 1999) is a Romanian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Slovenian PrvaLiga club Celje.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Marco Alexandru Dulca | ||
| Date of birth | 11 May 1999 | ||
| Place of birth | Pohang, South Korea | ||
| Height | 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Celje | ||
| Number | 4 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2004–2015 | Universitatea Cluj | ||
| 2015–2019 | Swansea City | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2019–2021 | Viitorul Constanța | 14 | (0) |
| 2020–2021 | → Chindia Târgoviște (loan) | 31 | (2) |
| 2021–2022 | Chindia Târgoviște | 36 | (2) |
| 2022–2023 | FCSB | 5 | (0) |
| 2023 | Chindia Târgoviște | 16 | (0) |
| 2023– | Celje | 16 | (0) |
| International career | |||
| 2015 | Romania U17[a] | 1 | (0) |
| 2018 | Romania U19[a] | 3 | (0) |
| 2017–2021 | Romania U21[a] | 6 | (0) |
| 2021 | Romania Olympic[a] | 3 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 2 March 2024 | |||
Club career edit
Early career / Viitorul Constanța edit
Dulca started practising football with Universitatea Cluj at the age of five,[1] and remained at the club for more than a decade before joining the academy of Swansea City in 2015.
He returned to Romania four years later by signing for Viitorul Constanța,[2] where he recorded his senior debut in a 3–2 Liga I victory over Hermannstadt on 28 July 2019.[3]
Chindia Târgoviște edit
On 30 August 2020, Dulca was loaned out to fellow league team Chindia Târgoviște.[4] He scored his first career goal in a 2–2 home draw with Argeș Pitești on 19 December, and totalled 33 matches in all competitions during the 2020–21 season.
During the summer of 2021, Dulca joined Chindia Târgoviște on a permanent basis as part of a swap deal.[5]
FCSB edit
On 5 August 2022, FCSB officially announced the signing of Dulca after diverting him from his way to 1899 Hoffenheim and meeting his €200,000 release clause.[6][7][8] He made his debut the following day in a 1–1 league draw at Mioveni.
Celje edit
On 14 September 2023, Dulca moved abroad for the first time in his senior career and signed with Slovenian PrvaLiga outfit Celje on a contract until 2026.[9]
International career edit
Dulca represented the Romania national under-23 team in the 2020 Summer Olympics in Japan,[10] starting in all three games of the group-stage exit.[11]
Personal life edit
Dulca was born in Pohang, South Korea, where his father Cristian was playing for Pohang Steelers. The latter was also a professional footballer and was part of the Romania squad for the 1998 FIFA World Cup.[12]
In 2021, it was reported that Dulca started dating Mihaela Buzărnescu, a Romanian tennis player 11 years his senior.[1] They ended their relationship the following year, after she accused him of emotional abuse.[8][13]
Career statistics edit
Club edit
- As of match played 2 March 2024[11]
| Club | Season | League | National cup | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Viitorul Constanța | 2019–20 | Liga I | 14 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| Chindia Târgoviște (loan) | 2020–21 | Liga I | 31 | 2 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 33 | 2 | ||
| Chindia Târgoviște | 2021–22 | Liga I | 33 | 2 | 2 | 0 | — | 2[b] | 0 | 37 | 2 | |
| 2022–23 | Liga I | 19 | 0 | — | — | — | 19 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 83 | 4 | 4 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | 89 | 4 | |||
| FCSB | 2022–23 | Liga I | 5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 0 | — | 13 | 0 | |
| Celje | 2023–24 | Slovenian PrvaLiga | 16 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 18 | 0 | ||
| Career total | 118 | 4 | 10 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 135 | 4 | ||
Honours edit
Viitorul Constanța
References edit
- ^ a b "O nouă poveste de dragoste în sportul românesc: Marco Dulca se iubește cu Mihaela Buzărnescu | SPECIAL" [A new love story in Romanian sports: Marco Dulca is in a relationship with Mihaela Buzărnescu | SPECIAL] (in Romanian). ProSport. 15 September 2021. Retrieved 24 September 2021.
- ^ "Marco Dulca a semnat cu Viitorul » Din Anglia, direct în Liga 1" [Marco Dulca signed with Viitorul » From England, directly to Liga 1]. Gazeta Sporturilor (in Romanian). 2 July 2019. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
- ^ "Hagi revine pe locul 1! Spectacol total la Viitorul – Hermannstadt: 3-2, după 0-0 la pauză. VIDEO" [Hagi returns to the first place! Total entertainment in Viitorul – Hermannstadt: 3–2, after 0–0 at the break. VIDEO] (in Romanian). Fanatik.ro. 28 July 2019. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
- ^ "Tiberiu Căpușă, Marco Dulca și Paul Iacob vor evolua la Chindia Târgoviște" [Tiberiu Căpușă, Marco Dulca și Paul Iacob will play for Chindia Târgoviște] (in Romanian). FC Viitorul Constanța. 30 August 2020.
- ^ "Chindia dă lovitura pe piața transferurilor! Șase jucători de la clubul lui Gheorghe Hagi ajung la echipa din Târgoviște, după plecarea lui Marian Aioani la noul Farul" [Chindia hits the jackpot on the transfer market! Six players from Gheorghe Hagi's club are joining the team from Târgoviște, after Marian Aioani left for the new Farul] (in Romanian). ProSport. 21 June 2021.
- ^ "Bine ai venit, Marco Dulca!" [Welcome, Marco Dulca] (in Romanian). FCSB. 5 August 2022. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
- ^ "S-a aflat cum a reușit FCSB super transferul lui Marco Dulca! Conducătorul Chindiei a dat cărțile pe față: "Am fost obligați să-l cedăm! Se știe asta de acum un an!" | EXCLUSIV" [It was found out how FCSB managed the super transfer of Marco Dulca! Chindia's director revealed everything: "We were forced to give up on him! This has been known since a year ago!" | EXCLUSIVE] (in Romanian). ProSport. 6 August 2022. Retrieved 6 August 2022.
Marcel Ghergu, the director of Chindia, said that Marco Dulca had the 250,000 euro clause since the moment the contract was signed.
- ^ a b "FCSB a transferat un jucător cu probleme? Marco Dulca, acuzat de Mihaela Buzărnescu că a agresat-o fizic" [FCSB transferred a problem player? Marco Dulca, accused by Mihaela Buzărnescu of physical abuse] (in Romanian). Fanatik.ro. 9 August 2022.
- ^ "Albert Riera je dobil novo okrepitev, v zvezni vrsti bo igral Marco Dulca, ki ima tržno vrednost 750.000 evrov" (in Slovenian). Nogomania. 14 September 2023. Retrieved 14 September 2023.
- ^ "Lotul României U23 convocat pentru Jocurile Olimpice de la Tokyo" [Romania U23's squad called up for the Olympic Games in Tokyo]. Romanian Football Federation. 29 June 2021. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
- ^ a b c Marco Dulca at Soccerway. Retrieved 30 August 2021.
- ^ "Marco Dulca o ia pe urmele tatălui său! E gata să se vopsească blond dacă România se întoarce cu o medalie de la Tokyo" [Marco Dulca follows in his father's footsteps! He is ready to paint his hair blonde if Romania returns with a medal from Tokyo] (in Romanian). Digi Sport. 3 July 2021. Retrieved 24 September 2021.
- ^ "Marco Dulca reacționează la acuzațiile aduse de Mihaela Buzărnescu, fosta lui iubită" [Marco Dulca reacts to the accusations brought by Mihaela Buzărnescu, his ex-girlfriend]. Gazeta Sporturilor (in Romanian). 30 March 2022. Retrieved 1 April 2022.
External links edit
- Marco Dulca at RomanianSoccer.ro (in Romanian)