Daniel Pancu

Daniel Pancu

Personal information
Full name	Daniel Gabriel Pancu
Height	1.84 m (6 ft 1⁄2 in)
Position(s)	Attacking Midfielder, Striker
Team information
Current team	CSKA Sofia
Number	23
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of January 1, 2005

Daniel Gabriel Pancu (born August 17, 1977 in Iaşi) is a Romanian footballer currently playing for Bulgarian side CSKA Sofia.

Career

Pancu began his playing career at FC Politehnica Iaşi. He made his debut in the Romanian First Division in 1995. In the winter of 1996 he was transferred to Rapid Bucureşti for the sum of US$200 000. He was, at that time, the most expensive player who has left from Iaşi. After two and a half seasons, he moved to A.C. Cesena, in the Italian Serie B, for a transfer fee of $1 200 000. After a year, Cesena was relegated from the Serie B and Pancu returned to Rapid for a transfer fee of $800 000, where he stayed for two seasons. During this tenure he gained the nickname "Ronaldo of Giuleşti". In 2002 he was bought by Beşiktaş, at the request of the manager that discovered him, Mircea Lucescu, for a fee of $2 250 000. In the winter of 2005/2006 he returned to Rapid, as a loan with the possibility of becoming a permanent transfer in the summer. Then he was bought by Bursaspor, but he returned to Rapid in the spring of 2008 and score one goal in first match for Rapid in 2008. In July 2008 he moved to FC Terek Grozny and left the club on 30 November 2009. On December 11, 2009, it was announced in the Bulgarian media that CSKA Sofia are having an interest of signing the midfielder to the club. On 12 January 2010, CSKA signed Pancu to a one-a-half-year deal.

International career

He gained his first cap for the Romanian National Team in 2001, he even became captain for a few matches.

Honours

• Rapid Bucureşti
  • Romanian League: (1) 1998–99
  • Romanian Cup: (3) 1997-98, 2001-02, 2005-06
  • Romanian Supercup: (2) 1999, 2002

• Beşiktaş
  • Turkish League: (1) 2002–03
  • Turkish Cup: (1) 2005–06