Sorin Ghionea

Sorin Ghionea ( born May 11, 1979 in Galaţi, Galaţi county ) is a Romanian footballer who plays for FC Viitorul Constanta since the summer of 2013.

Club career

With 12 years Ghionea joined his hometown club at Dunărea Galaţi and remained where he played in the youth team until he was first employed with 18 years in the second division team. There he played in 15 games and made at the end of the 1997/98 season in the league with the team. Then he got the opportunity to go to the local rivals Oţelul Galaţi, who played in the highest Romanian league.

Although he regularly came into use at his new club in the following years, it took until his fourth year at Oţelul until he became a regular player. Thus, the Romanian top club and record champions Steaua Bucharest became aware of him and signed him for the 2002/ 03 season. After he had played up to that point in mid-table, he was with Steaua first runner-up, came himself but only six appearances for and could not prevail. Therefore, he was loaned to his old club Oţelul Galaţi by the Capital Club in the following year, where he was part of the core team again.

In 2004 he returned again to Bucharest, where he found a congenial partner in central defense with Dorin Goian. With just 18 goals conceded in 30 games this season Steaua took the championship and secured the participation in the Champions League qualifiers. Even if we excluded prematurely there, again followed by a very successful season, which ended with the defense of the league title with only 16 goals conceded.

The 2006/07 season started again very promising for Ghionea, since the group stage has been reached in the Champions League for the first time. Once there, you was eliminated by Real Madrid and Olympique Lyon.

In February 2007, he suffered a knee injury that would not heal. Even after an operation occurred no improvement and it was even the career end of the speech, but what it did not come. Without him Steaua landed behind local rivals Rapid Bucharest to No. 2 in the league and also the first half of the next season had to do without him from the capital. Then Ghionea but managed again to return to the team in 2008 and was able to celebrate the re- runner. Before the start of the season 2009/10 he moved to the Russian first division side FK Rostov. With his new club, he was also placed in the 2010 season in the middle of the Premjer League.

At the beginning of 2011 Ghionea returned to Romania and plays for FC Timişoara since then. With his new team, he was at the end of the 2010/11 season runner-up behind Oţelul Galaţi. However, his club did not get approval for the 2011/ 12 and was relegated to the Liga II. He then moved up to the first division side FCM Târgu Mureş. After relegation in 2012 he moved to league rivals CS Concordia Chiajna. A year later he joined the league rivals FC Viitorul Constanta.

National

His breakthrough in the 2001/ 02 season at Oţelul Galaţi also led to a nomination for the national team. Against the Ukraine it was used for the first time on 27 March 2002. After that he played with interruptions every now and then friendlies for the national selection. Only in 2006, he came three times in the World Cup qualifiers used, but was not invited to join the World Cup squad.

His long injury also interrupted his international career and although he had played shortly after the World Cup, the last time the national team, he was after convincing performances in the League Championship squad Romania for the 2008 European football championships in Austria and Switzerland appointed. In the pre-season friendly against Montenegro on 31 May 2008 he came on in the second half and was able to report back equally successful with his only Nationalmannschaftstor. Overall, it brought Ghionea to 2008 to 13 matches.

Title / successes

• Romanian champion in 2005 and 2006 with Steaua Bucharest
• Romanian runner-up 2003, 2007 and 2008 with Steaua Bucharest, 2011 FC Timişoara