1. Overview
Costin Lazăr is a former Romanian professional footballer who played as a defensive midfielder. Born on 24 April 1981 in Bucharest, Romania, he is known for his extensive club career primarily in Romania and Greece, and his contributions to the Romania national football team. A right-footed player, he stands at 70 in (179 cm) tall. Throughout his career, Lazăr played for several prominent clubs including Sportul Studențesc, Rapid București, PAOK, Panetolikos, Iraklis, and FC Voluntari. He earned 32 caps for the Romanian national team, scoring two goals. Lazăr is also particularly recognized for an exemplary act of fair play during a match in 2009.
2. Early life
2.1. Birth and youth career
Costin Lazăr was born on 24 April 1981 in Bucharest, Romania. His football journey began at a young age when he joined the youth academy of Sportul Studențesc. He was part of Sportul Studențesc's youth setup from 1994 to 1999, developing his skills before embarking on his professional career.
3. Club career
Costin Lazăr enjoyed a long and varied club career, playing for several teams across Romania and Greece, where he often held key positions in midfield.
3.1. Sportul Studențesc
Lazăr started his senior professional career at Sportul Studențesc, the same club where he spent his youth. He played for their senior team from 1999 until 2006, establishing himself as a reliable midfielder. During this period, he made 157 appearances for the club, scoring 11 goals.
3.2. Rapid București
In the summer of 2006, Lazăr made a significant move to FC Rapid București. He quickly became an integral part of the team, known for his consistent performances in the midfield. His leadership qualities were recognized, leading him to become the club's captain. Lazăr remained at Rapid București until 2011, making 134 appearances and scoring 9 goals across all competitions. His tenure at the club ended after he declined to renew his contract.
3.2.1. Fair Play episode
On 21 March 2009, during a Liga I match between Rapid București and FC Oțelul Galați, Costin Lazăr demonstrated exceptional sportsmanship. The referee awarded a penalty kick to Rapid București after judging that Lazăr had been fouled inside the penalty area by Oțelul's Alexandru Bourceanu. However, Lazăr immediately insisted to the referee that it was a fair tackle and he had not been fouled. He refused to take the penalty kick and ultimately persuaded the referee to reverse the decision, resulting in a drop ball. His teammate, Ovidiu Herea, then deliberately kicked the ball out for a goal kick, further underscoring the team's commitment to fair play. This remarkable act of honesty was widely applauded and became a notable example of integrity in football.
3.3. PAOK
Following his departure from Rapid București, Costin Lazăr transferred to the Greek club PAOK FC, signing a three-year contract on 21 July 2011. He was specifically recruited by PAOK's coach at the time, László Bölöni. Lazăr quickly adapted to the Greek football environment and established himself as a vital player for the club, making a significant impact within just five matches. On 25 March, during a match against Kerkyra, Lazăr scored two goals, contributing to PAOK's 4-0 victory. He continued to impress, notably scoring a "wonderful goal" on 6 January 2013, in an away match against Panthrakikos in the Superleague Greece, which PAOK won 4-1. This goal was subsequently voted as the best goal of the week. Lazăr remained with PAOK until 2014, completing 80 appearances and scoring 7 goals during his time in Greece.
3.4. Panetolikos and Iraklis
After his spell at PAOK, Lazăr continued his career in Greece with two shorter stints at different clubs. On 19 January 2015, he joined Panetolikos F.C. on a six-month contract. During his time there, he made 10 appearances but did not score any goals. Later that year, on 25 June 2015, Lazăr signed an annual contract with Iraklis, another club in the Superleague Greece. He played for Iraklis until 2016, making 6 appearances without scoring.
3.5. FC Voluntari
In 2016, Costin Lazăr returned to Romania, joining FC Voluntari in Liga I. His move was confirmed on 1 September 2016. He played for FC Voluntari until the 2018-19 season, concluding his professional career there. In total, he made 51 appearances for the club in league matches.
4. International career
Costin Lazăr was a consistent presence in the Romania national football team at the senior level. He earned a total of 32 international caps for his country, during which he scored 2 goals. His first goal for the national team came on 11 September 2012, when he scored Romania's second goal in a 4-0 victory over Andorra as part of the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign. He scored his second international goal on 11 October 2013, once again against Andorra, netting Romania's fourth goal in another 4-0 win during the same World Cup qualification process.
5. Career statistics
The following tables provide detailed statistical information regarding Costin Lazăr's appearances and goals during his club and international career.
5.1. Club
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Europe | Other | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Sportul Studențesc | 1999-2000 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| 2000-01 | 28 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 32 | 2 | |
| 2001-02 | 28 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 1 | |
| 2002-03 | 21 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 0 | |
| 2003-04 | 30 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 31 | 5 | |
| 2004-05 | 19 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 1 | |
| 2005-06 | 25 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 2 | |
| 2006-07 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
| Total | 157 | 11 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 171 | 11 | |
| Rapid București | 2006-07 | 26 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 2 |
| 2007-08 | 24 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 27 | 5 | |
| 2008-09 | 30 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 1 | |
| 2009-10 | 31 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 3 | |
| 2010-11 | 23 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 1 | |
| Total | 134 | 9 | 12 | 2 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 155 | 12 | |
| PAOK | 2011-12 | 26 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 39 | 4 |
| 2012-13 | 29 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 39 | 3 | |
| 2013-14 | 25 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 39 | 2 | |
| Total | 80 | 7 | 12 | 1 | 24 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 117 | 9 | |
| Panetolikos | 2014-15 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Iraklis | 2015-16 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Voluntari | 2016-17 | 20 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 0 |
| 2017-18 | 26 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 28 | 1 | |
| 2018-19 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | |
| Total | 51 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 57 | 1 | |
| Career total | 438 | 27 | 42 | 3 | 32 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 516 | 33 | |
5.2. International
| # | Date | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11 September 2012 | Andorra | 2-0 | 4-0 | 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 2 | 11 October 2013 | Andorra | 4-0 | 4-0 | 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification |
6. Honours
Sportul Studențesc
- Romanian Second League: 2000-01, 2003-04
Rapid București
- Romanian Cup: 2006-07
- Romanian Supercup: 2007
PAOK
- Superleague Greece Runner-up: 2012-13, 2013-14
- Greek Cup Runner-up: 2013-14
FC Voluntari
- Romanian Cup: 2016-17
- Romanian Supercup: 2017