Marian Mihai Aioani (born 7 November 1999) is a Romanian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Liga I club Rapid București.

Marian Aioani
Personal information
Full name Marian Mihai Aioani[1]
Date of birth (1999-11-07) 7 November 1999 (age 24)[1]
Place of birth Buftea, Romania[1]
Height 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)
Position(s) Goalkeeper
Team information
Current team
Rapid București
Number 16
Youth career
AS Libertatea Urziceanca
0000–2016 Chindia Târgoviște
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2016–2021 Chindia Târgoviște 118 (0)
2021–2024 Farul Constanța 94 (0)
2024– Rapid București 14 (0)
International career
2018–2019 Romania U19 3 (0)
2019–2021 Romania U21 2 (0)
2021 Romania Olympic 7 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 24 April 2024
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 28 July 2021

Aioani started out as a senior at Chindia Târgoviște in 2016, aged 16, and amassed over 60 matches in the first division before moving to Farul Constanța in 2021. With the latter, he won a national title in his second season at the club.

Internationally, Aioani represented Romania at under-19, under-21, and under-23 levels, being selected in the squads for the UEFA Under-21 Euro 2021 and the 2020 Summer Olympics.

Early life edit

Aioani was born in Buftea, a town located 20 km north-west of Bucharest, and grew up sympathising Dinamo București.[2]

Club career edit

Chindia Târgoviște edit

Aioani started his senior career with Chindia Târgoviște on 9 March 2016, at age 16, recording his debut in a 7–0 Liga II thrashing of CSM Metalul Reșița.[3] He became an undisputed starter in the 2018–19 campaign, as his side achieved promotion to the Liga I by winning the second division.

Aioani's first match in the former competition came on 15 July 2019, playing the full 90 minutes in a 2–2 away draw with Gaz Metan Mediaș.[4]

Farul Constanța edit

On 22 June 2021, Aioani agreed to a four-year contract with fellow Liga I team Farul Constanța,[5][6] being part in a swap deal which took several players in the other direction.[note 1]

In the 2022–23 campaign, Aioani made 39 league appearances to help Farul in winning the national title. He had the most clean sheets (13, shared with Mihai Popa) and was named in the Liga I Team of the Season.[8] On 12 July 2023, he made his debut in European competitions by playing in a 1–0 home win over Sheriff Tiraspol in the UEFA Champions League first qualifying round.[9]

Rapid București edit

On 23 January 2024, it was announced that Aioani joined Rapid București on a three-and-a-half-year deal[10] for a rumoured fee of €400,000 plus 20% interest on a future sale.[11] Four days later, he made his debut in a 2–1 league derby win over Dinamo București.[12]

International career edit

Aioani was selected by manager Adrian Mutu in the Romania squad for the 2021 UEFA European Under-21 Championship,[13] but did not make any appearance as his nation exited the tournament in the group stage. He was then called up to the postponed 2020 Summer Olympics,[14] this time starting in all three matches of another group-stage exit.

Career statistics edit

Club edit

As of match played 24 April 2024[15]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National Cup Continental Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Chindia Târgoviște 2015–16 Liga II 4 0 0 0 4 0
2016–17 Liga II 7 0 0 0 7 0
2017–18 Liga II 10 0 0 0 2[a] 0 12 0
2018–19 Liga II 35 0 0 0 35 0
2019–20 Liga I 30 0 1 0 2[a] 0 33 0
2020–21 Liga I 32 0 0 0 1[b] 0 33 0
Total 118 0 1 0 5 0 124 0
Farul Constanța 2021–22 Liga I 37 0 0 0 37 0
2022–23 Liga I 39 0 0 0 39 0
2023–24 Liga I 18 0 0 0 8[c] 0 1[d] 0 27 0
Total 94 0 0 0 8 0 1 0 103 0
Rapid București 2023–24 Liga I 14 0 14 0
Career total 226 0 1 0 8 0 6 0 241 0
  1. ^ a b Appearances in Liga I promotion/relegation play-offs
  2. ^ Appearance in Liga I European play-offs
  3. ^ Two appearances in UEFA Champions League, six appearances in UEFA Europa Conference League
  4. ^ Appearance in Supercupa României

Honours edit

Chindia Târgoviște[15]

Farul Constanța[15]

Individual

References edit

Notes

  1. ^ As compensation for the signing of Aioani, Farul Constanța players Paul Iacob, Marco Dulca, Tiberiu Căpușă, and Cătălin Căbuz joined Chindia Târgoviște on full transfers.[7]

Citations

  1. ^ a b c "Marian Mihai Aioani - Comitetul Olimpic si Sportiv Roman" (in Romanian). Romanian Olympic and Sports Committee. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
  2. ^ "Portarul de națională care ar merge cu ochii închiși la Dinamo: "Oricine ar vrea să joace acolo!" | VIDEO EXCLUSIV" [The national team's goalkeeper who would go to Dinamo with his eyes closed: "Anybody would wish to play there!" | EXCLUSIVE VIDEO] (in Romanian). ProSport. 15 February 2021. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
  3. ^ "Chindia visează la promovare după ce a umilit Reșița și s-a urcat în fotoliul de lider. "Suntem o echipă mare și merităm să fim pe primul loc"" [Chindia dreams of promotion after it humiliated Reșița and climbed into the leader's chair. "We are a great team and we deserve to be on the first place"] (in Romanian). ProSport. 10 March 2016. Retrieved 22 June 2021.
  4. ^ "Ne-au gazat, dar am supraviețuit! Chindia rămâne în picioare după duelul debutului de la Mediaș" [They gassed us, but we survived! Chindia remains standing after the debut in Mediaș] (in Romanian). SportImpact.ro. 15 July 2019.
  5. ^ "Gică Hagi a făcut primele transferuri la Farul! Aduce doi internaționali de tineret" [Gică Hagi made the first transfers at Farul! He brings two youth internationals!]. Gazeta Sporturilor (in Romanian). 21 June 2021.
  6. ^ "Bine ai venit, Marian Aioani!" [Welcome, Marian Aioani!] (in Romanian). FCV Farul Constanța. 22 June 2021. Retrieved 22 June 2021.
  7. ^ "Superafacere pentru Chindia: Hagi a dat jucători de 2,3 milioane de euro pentru Aioani" [Super deal for Chindia: Hagi gave out players worth 2.3 million euros in exchange of Aioani]. Gazeta Sporturilor (in Romanian). 24 June 2021. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
  8. ^ a b "S-a stabilit echipa sezonului trecut din Superliga. Care este echipa cu cei mai mulți reprezentanți" [Last season's Superliga team has been decided. Which team has the most representatives?] (in Romanian). Playsport.ro. 9 June 2023. Retrieved 18 June 2023.
  9. ^ "Farul Constanța - Sheriff 1–0". UEFA.com. 12 July 2023. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
  10. ^ "Marian Aioani este noul portar al Rapidului" [Marian Aioani is Rapid's new goalkeeper] (in Romanian). FC Rapid București. 23 January 2024. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
  11. ^ "OFICIAL. Dan Șucu și Victor Angelescu s-au înțeles cu Gică Hagi pentru transferul bombă la Rapid! Fotbalistul va semna imediat cu giuleștenii: 400.000 de euro plus 20 la sută dintr-o viitoare vânzare" [OFFICIAL. Dan Șucu and Victor Angelescu reached an agreement with Gică Hagi for the explosive transfer to Rapid! The footballer will sign immediately with the Giuleștenii: 400,000 euros plus 20 percent of a future sale] (in Romanian). ProSport. 23 January 2024. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
  12. ^ "Dinamo - Rapid 1-2. Derby aprins pe Arena Națională! Giuleștenii au câștigat cu mari emoții" [Dinamo - Rapid 1–2. Lit derby at the National Arena! Giuleștenii won with great emotions] (in Romanian). Digi Sport. 27 January 2024. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
  13. ^ "Adrian Mutu a anunțat lotul României pentru Euro 2021! Ce jucători vor merge în Ungaria și Slovenia" [Adrian Mutu announced Romania's squad for Euro 2021! What players will go to Hungary and Slovenia] (in Romanian). Eurosport România. 14 March 2021. Retrieved 22 June 2021.
  14. ^ "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 12 September 2021.
  15. ^ a b c Marian Aioani at Soccerway. Retrieved 22 June 2021.

External links edit