1. Overview
Cristian Costin Dănălache (born 15 July 1982) is a Romanian professional football coach and former football player who played as a striker. Known for his prolific scoring ability, Dănălache had a notable career spanning Romanian, Chinese, and South Korean leagues, achieving significant individual accolades such as top scorer awards in China and South Korea, and a league title in Romania. His career is characterized by impactful spells in multiple countries, particularly in the Chinese Super League and K League.
2. Early Life and Personal Background
Cristian Costin Dănălache was born on 15 July 1982 in Romania. Details regarding his family background or specific educational institutions are not widely publicized. However, it is known that Dănălache holds a university degree. Due to his university education, he was exempt from military service in Romania, which grants military exemption to university graduates.
3. Playing Career
Cristian Dănălache's professional football career spanned several countries, beginning in his native Romania before significant periods in China and South Korea.
3.1. Early Career in Romania and Overseas Spells
Dănălache began his professional career in the Liga III, the third tier of Romanian football, with CS Otopeni during the 2003-04 season. He played a key role in helping the club achieve promotion to the Liga II at the end of that season. In 2006, he transferred to UTA Arad, where he made his debut in Liga I, Romania's top professional league. After a brief period there, he signed with Unirea Urziceni. He spent two and a half years with Unirea Urziceni, culminating in winning the Liga I championship in the 2008-09 season. Following his successful tenure in Romania, Dănălache agreed to short-term deals overseas in 2010, playing for Al-Ettifaq in Saudi Arabia and Bnei Sakhnin in Israel.
3.2. Chinese League Career
Dănălache's most significant period in Asia began with his move to China, where he played in both the Chinese Super League and China League One.
3.2.1. Jiangsu Sainty
Before the 2011 season, scouts from Jiangsu Sainty observed Dănălache during their training camp in Turkey. On 21 March 2011, the club officially announced the signing of the Romanian striker. His initial months at Jiangsu Sainty were challenging, as he struggled to adapt to his new environment and find his game form. However, his performance significantly improved under manager Dragan Okuka, who joined Jiangsu in May. Dănălache scored his first goal for the club on 29 May 2011, a winning goal against Guizhou Renhe that secured a 1-0 victory. His most impactful season came in 2012 when he scored 23 goals in the Chinese Super League, earning him the Chinese Super League Golden Boot award. His exceptional performance also led to him being named the Chinese Football Association Footballer of the Year and included in the Chinese Super League Team of the Year for 2012. Jiangsu Sainty also finished as runner-up in the 2012 Chinese Super League season.
3.2.2. China League One Clubs
On 28 February 2014, Dănălache transferred to Qingdao Jonoon, a club in the China League One, the second tier of Chinese football. After one season with Qingdao Jonoon, he moved to another China League One side, Xinjiang Tianshan Leopard, in February 2015. During his time at Xinjiang Tianshan Leopard, Dănălache continued to demonstrate his scoring prowess, netting 24 goals in the 2015 China League One season, placing him second in the league's scoring charts.
3.3. South Korean K League Career
On 20 January 2016, Dănălache moved to South Korea, joining K League 2 side Gyeongnam FC. In the K League, his registered name was Christian (크리스찬Korean). During the 2016 season, he scored 19 goals for Gyeongnam FC, finishing second in the league's scoring rankings, just one goal behind top scorer Kim Dong-chan. Notably, when considering only field goals (excluding penalty kicks), Dănălache had a higher goal tally than Kim Dong-chan.
In 2017, although he was expected to return to China after his spell with Gyeongnam, Dănălache instead joined Daejeon Citizen in the K League 2 as a replacement for Kim Dong-chan, who had transferred to Thailand. Despite Daejeon Citizen finishing last in the league standings during the 2017 season, Dănălache still managed to score 9 goals, placing him 7th in the league's scoring rankings.
4. Career Statistics
Cristian Dănălache's career statistics provide a detailed overview of his appearances and goals across various clubs, seasons, and competitions. The national cup competitions included in this overview are the Cupa României, Crown Prince Cup, Israel State Cup, Chinese FA Cup, and Korean FA Cup.
| Club | Season | League | National cup | Continental | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| CS Otopeni | 2003-04 | Liga III | 2 | 1 | - | 2 | 1 | |||
| 2004-05 | Liga II | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | - | 9 | 1 | ||
| 2005-06 | 22 | 9 | 1 | 1 | - | 23 | 10 | |||
| Total | 31 | 10 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 12 | ||
| UTA Arad | 2006-07 | Liga I | 26 | 2 | 2 | 2 | - | 28 | 4 | |
| Unirea Urziceni | 2007-08 | Liga I | 27 | 9 | 4 | 2 | - | 31 | 11 | |
| 2008-09 | 20 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 25 | 4 | ||
| 2009-10 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 4 | ||
| Total | 56 | 13 | 9 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 67 | 19 | ||
| Sportul Snagov | 2018-19 | Liga II | 21 | 5 | 1 | 0 | - | 22 | 5 | |
| Al-Ettifaq | 2009-10 | Saudi Professional League | 8 | 4 | 0 | 0 | - | 8 | 4 | |
| Bnei Sakhnin | 2010-11 | Israeli Premier League | 10 | 2 | 0 | 0 | - | 10 | 2 | |
| Jiangsu Sainty | 2011 | Chinese Super League | 30 | 13 | 1 | 0 | - | 31 | 13 | |
| 2012 | 28 | 23 | 1 | 0 | - | 29 | 23 | |||
| 2013 | 15 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 1 | ||
| Total | 73 | 37 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 77 | 37 | ||
| Qingdao Jonoon | 2014 | China League One | 27 | 10 | 3 | 1 | - | 30 | 11 | |
| Xinjiang Tianshan Leopard | 2015 | China League One | 27 | 24 | 3 | 2 | - | 30 | 26 | |
| Gyeongnam | 2016 | K League 2 | 38 | 19 | 0 | 0 | - | 38 | 19 | |
| Daejeon Citizen | 2017 | K League 2 | 25 | 9 | 1 | 0 | - | 26 | 9 | |
| Career total | 342 | 135 | 26 | 13 | 2 | 0 | 370 | 148 | ||
5. Honours
Cristian Dănălache has received several team and individual honours throughout his playing career.
- Team Honours:
- Unirea Urziceni:
- Romanian League: 2008-09
- Romanian Cup runner-up: 2007-08
- Jiangsu Sainty:
- Chinese Super League runner-up: 2012
- Individual Honours:
- Chinese Football Association Footballer of the Year: 2012
- Chinese Super League Golden Boot winner: 2012
- Chinese Super League Team of the Year: 2012
- Unirea Urziceni:
6. Post-Playing Career
After retiring from his professional playing career, Cristian Dănălache transitioned into a role as a football coach. Specific details about his coaching assignments or the teams he has worked with are not widely documented.
7. Personal Life and Trivia
In his personal life, Cristian Dănălache is notable for having obtained a university degree, which, under Romanian law, granted him an exemption from mandatory military service. During his time playing in the K League in South Korea, he was known by the registered name Christian (크리스찬Korean).