Cristian Săpunaru

Cristian Săpunaru

Săpunaru playing for Porto
Personal information
Full name	Ionuţ Cristian Săpunaru
Date of birth	5 April 1984 (1984-04-05) (age 27)
Place of birth	Bucharest, Romania
Height	1.87 m (6 ft 1 1⁄2 in)
Playing position	Defender
Club information
Current club	Porto
Number	21
Youth career
1990–2002	Naţional Bucureşti
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2002–2006	Naţional Bucureşti	34	(3)
2003–2004	→ Callatis Mangalia (loan)	10	(0)
2006–2008	Rapid Bucureşti	51	(2)
2008–	Porto	44	(2)
2010	→ Rapid Bucureşti (loan)	10	(3)
National team‡
2006	Romania U21	3	(0)
2008–	Romania	9	(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 23 October 2011. † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 3 June 2011

Ionuţ Cristian Săpunaru (born 5 April 1984 in Bucharest) is a Romanian footballer who plays for F.C. Porto in Portugal. Mainly a right defender, he can also play as centre back.

Club career

A product of FC Naţional Bucureşti's youth system, playing with the team since he was six years old, Săpunaru joined FC Rapid Bucureşti in July 2006.

In July 2008, he was transferred from Rapid for €2.5 million and signed a five-year contract with Portugal's F.C. Porto,^[1] with the Portuguese first division outfit owning 50% of the player's rights. Romanian sources indicated the price was actually €6 million plus two players.^[2] During his debut campaign, he was the first-choice right-back, as the northerners achieved a double, and scored his first goal in a League Cup 1–2 away loss against C.D. Nacional.

In early February 2010, Săpunaru was suspended in Portugal – as his teammate Hulk – following incidents during a league loss at Sport Lisboa e Benfica (0–1), so he returned to his country for a five-month loan, joining former club Rapid.^[3] He did not manage to be played regularly at Porto during that time but, following his return for 2010–11, became a very important first-team unit as the team won three major titles, appearing in 40 official games.

International career

Săpunaru made his debut for the Romanian national team on 31 May 2008 against Montenegro, and was selected to the nation's squad at UEFA Euro 2008, although he did not play in the final stages.

Club statistics

(Correct as of 23 October 2011)

Club	Season	League		Cup		Europe		Total
		Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Național
	2002–03	4	0	?	?	0	0	4	0
	2003–04	1	0	?	?	0	0	1	0
Callatis Mangalia
	2003–04	10	0	?	?	0	0	10	0
Total		10	0	?	?	0	0	10	0
Național
	2004–05	6	0	?	?	0	0	6	0
	2005–06	23	3	?	?	0	0	23	3
Total		44	3	?	?	0	0	44	3
Rapid Bucureşti
	2006–07	19	1	?	?	6	0	25	1
	2007–08	32	1	?	?	2	0	34	1
Total		51	2	?	?	8	0	59	2
Porto
	2008–09	17	0	?	?	8	0	25	0
	2009–10	5	0	?	?	5	0	10	0
Rapid Bucureşti
	2009–10	10	3	?	?	0	0	10	3
Total		10	3	?	?	0	0	10	3
Porto
	2010–11	19	0	6	0	11	0	36	0
	2011–12	3	2	1	0	1	0	5	2
Total		43	0	7	0	25	0	69	2
Career total		168	9	7	0	33	0	208	10

Honours

Club

Rapid Bucharest

• Romanian Cup: 2006–07
• Romanian Supercup: 2007

Porto

• UEFA Europa League: 2010–11
• Portuguese League: 2008–09, 2010–11
• Portuguese Cup: 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11
• Portuguese Supercup: 2009, 2010, 2011
• UEFA Super Cup: Runner-up 2011

References

1. ^ Rapid's Săpunaru plumps for Porto; UEFA.com, 14 July 2008
2. ^ Ce transfer !!! Sapunaru la FC Porto pentru 6 milioane + 2 jucatori (We have a transfer !!! Sapunaru to FC Porto for 6 million + 2 players); Sport Magazin, 9 July 2008 (Romanian)
3. ^ Sapunaru to return on loan to Rapid Bucharest; Romanian Times, 1 February 2010

External links

• RomanianSoccer profile and stats
• Stats and profile at Zerozero
• Stats at ForaDeJogo (Portuguese)
• Cristian Săpunaru – UEFA competition record
• Cristian Săpunaru – FIFA competition record

Romanian football portal

Persondata
Name	Sapunaru, Cristian
Alternative names
Short description	Footballer
Date of birth	5 April 1984
Place of birth	Bucharest, Romania
Date of death
Place of death