Gheorghe Popescu: Biography, Facts and Career

Gheorghe "Gică" Popescu (Romanian pronunciation: [ˈɡe̯orɡe ˈdʒikə poˈpesku]; born 9 October 1967) is a Romanian former professional football player who played as a defender, currently he is the owner and the president of Liga I club Farul Constanța. He notably played in La Liga, where he was a former captain of FC Barcelona. He played for a string of European clubs in that period, including a four-year stint at PSV Eindhoven and winning the UEFA Cup with Galatasaray. He also played in the Premier League with Tottenham Hotspur, in Serie A with Lecce and in the Bundesliga with Hannover 96. In his native country he played for Universitatea Craiova, Steaua București and Dinamo București. In addition to his defensive skills, he was also capable of starting attacks deep from his own half. For 13 years, Popescu consistently ranked within the top four of the Romanian Footballer of the Year award between 1989 and 2001, winning it six times. His tactical knowledge as a defender made him a valuable team member in top European competitions until he reached his late thirties. He was a key part of the Romania national team in the 1990s and earned 115 caps, scoring 16 goals. He was present at the 1990 World Cup, the 1994 World Cup, Euro 1996, the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000. He is the brother-in-law of fellow Romanian international Gheorghe Hagi.

Quick facts about Gheorghe Popescu

• Full name: Gheorghe Popescu
• Born: 1967-10-09
• Nationality: Romania
• Known as: Athlete
• Wikidata ID: Q313205

Profile compiled from public Wikipedia and Wikidata data. Details can change over time.