Denis Alibec

4.1. Inter Milan and loan spells

After signing with Inter Milan in July 2009, Alibec made his Serie A debut in November 2010. However, first-team opportunities were limited, leading to several loan spells. On 24 August 2011, he joined Belgian Pro League side Mechelen on a one-year deal for the 2011-12 season. The following two years saw him move to Viitorul Constanța in his home country, starting in March 2012 for the 2012-13 season, and then to Bologna in Italy for the 2013-14 season.

4.2. Astra Giurgiu

In January 2014, Alibec returned to Romania, joining Astra Giurgiu on a four-and-a-half-year contract for an undisclosed fee. His first goal for the club came on 30 March 2014, in a 2-0 victory over Ceahlăul Piatra Neamț. On 6 December of the same year, he scored in a dominant 6-1 win against Dinamo București.

On 30 April 2015, Alibec scored an 86th-minute volley in a 2-1 win against Petrolul Ploiești, marking Astra's first Liga I away victory in the Former Ploiești derby. He became one of the league's standout players during the 2015-16 campaign, amassing 20 goals from 33 matches across all competitions. His significant contributions were instrumental in leading Astra Giurgiu to its maiden national championship title under manager Marius Șumudică. On 16 August 2015, Alibec scored Astra's 500th goal in Liga I during a match against FC Voluntari.

In European competitions, Alibec continued his strong form. On 18 August 2016, he netted the equalizer in a 1-1 Europa League play-off round draw with West Ham United. He made five appearances and scored two goals in the group stage of the competition. His impressive performances throughout 2016 earned him the prestigious Gazeta Sporturilor Romanian Footballer of the Year award.

4.3. FCSB

On 5 January 2017, Alibec transferred to fellow Liga I team FCSB (formerly Steaua București) on a five-year deal. The transfer fee was rumored to be around 2.00 M EUR, with his buyout clause set at 20.00 M EUR. He scored his first competitive goal for the club from the penalty spot in a 1-1 league draw against CFR Cluj on 5 February, a match in which he was also sent off.

On 2 August 2017, Alibec scored his first European goal for FCSB in a 4-1 away victory over Viktoria Plzeň in the Champions League third qualifying round. After a period of 12 matches without scoring in the 2017-18 Liga I, Alibec finally found the net on 3 February 2018, in a 2-1 away win against Gaz Metan Mediaș. However, despite this goal, his overall performances during this period were considered to be below expectations.

4.4. Return to Astra Giurgiu

In July 2018, after falling out of favor at FCSB, Alibec made a return to Astra Giurgiu in a transfer reportedly worth 1.40 M EUR. During his second spell at the Marin Anastasovici Stadium, he successfully regained his form, scoring 22 goals in 61 appearances across all competitions.

4.5. Overseas experience

On 2 October 2020, Alibec officially transferred to Turkish team Kayserispor, where he reunited with compatriots and former Astra teammates Silviu Lung Jr. and Cristian Săpunaru. Notably, the day before, Saudi Arabian club Al-Qadsiah had also announced his signing, but that move ultimately fell through. Alibec scored his first goals in the Süper Lig on 19 January 2021, netting a double in a 2-0 victory over defending champions İstanbul Başakşehir. However, he suffered an injury after his second goal in that match, limiting him to only five more appearances during the remainder of the season without scoring.

On 17 July 2021, Alibec was sent on a one-year loan to CFR Cluj in Romania, a move that reunited him with his former Astra manager, Marius Șumudică. However, Șumudică was soon replaced by Dan Petrescu, leading to Alibec featuring less frequently for the Romanian defending champions. In the winter transfer window, he moved to Super League Greece club Atromitos, also on loan until the end of the campaign.

On 15 August 2023, Alibec joined Qatar Stars League club Muaither. He made 21 league appearances for the club, scoring 5 goals, and also contributed 2 goals in 1 cup appearance, totaling 7 goals in 22 matches.

4.6. Return to Farul Constanța

On 14 July 2022, Alibec made a homecoming to his boyhood club, Farul Constanța, on a free transfer. He signed a one-year deal with an option for an additional season. His return proved impactful, as he scored a double on 16 September in a 3-1 away victory over newly-promoted Petrolul Ploiești. On 4 December, he netted a hat-trick in an emphatic 8-0 Liga I home thrashing of Botoșani.

Following his strong performances, Farul Constanța announced on 8 March 2023 that Alibec had agreed to a two-year contract extension. He scored his second hat-trick of the season on 6 May, in a 7-2 home win over Rapid București, bringing his tally to 14 goals in 30 league matches.

One week later, in a match against Universitatea Craiova, Alibec missed a penalty kick, provided an assist, and received a straight red card before half-time in an eventual 1-1 draw. This incident resulted in his suspension for the final two crucial fixtures against title contenders and his former clubs, FCSB and CFR Cluj. Despite this setback, on 21 May 2023, after Farul secured a 3-2 victory over FCSB, Alibec made history by becoming the first player to win the national title with three different teams from outside the capital, Bucharest.

On 3 August 2023, Alibec netted a double in a 3-2 away win over Urartu in the second qualifying round of the Europa Conference League.

In December 2023, the Gazeta Sporturilor newspaper announced that Alibec finished third in the voting for the 2023 Romanian Footballer of the Year award, marking his second appearance in the top five since his 2016 win. He returned to Farul Constanța for the 2024-25 season, making 19 appearances and scoring 6 goals.

5.1. Romania youth teams

Alibec played for Romania's youth national teams, featuring for the under-17, under-19, and under-21 squads. For the U-17 team, he made 6 appearances and scored 2 goals between 2007 and 2008. From 2008 to 2010, he played 9 matches and scored 5 goals for the U-19 team. He then appeared 5 times for the U-21 team between 2011 and 2012, scoring 3 goals.

5.2. Romania senior team

After receiving several call-ups, Alibec earned his first cap for the senior national team on 11 October 2015, in the final UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying match against the Faroe Islands. He came on as a 90th-minute substitute for Bogdan Stancu in a 3-0 victory.

In June 2016, Alibec was selected by coach Anghel Iordănescu for Romania's squad at the final tournament in France. He made a substitute appearance in the opening 1-2 defeat to the host nation, France. He then started in the 0-1 loss to Albania on 19 June, which resulted in Romania's group-stage exit.

Alibec appeared sparingly for the national team in the subsequent years. He scored his first official goal for the senior team on 7 September 2020, in a 3-2 Nations League away win over Austria.

In the Euro 2024 qualifiers, Alibec played in nine matches and scored three goals, including a crucial one in the final 1-0 victory over Switzerland. Romania finished its group unbeaten, securing qualification from the first place. On 7 June 2024, Alibec was named in the squad for UEFA Euro 2024. He made two substitute appearances in the tournament. Romania topped its group but was eventually eliminated by the Netherlands in the round of 16.

6.1. Club statistics

6.2. International statistics

Scores and results list Romania's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Alibec goal.

7.1. Club honours

• Inter Milan
  • Coppa Italia: 2010-11
  • Supercoppa Italiana: 2010
  • FIFA Club World Cup: 2010
• Astra Giurgiu
  • Liga I: 2015-16
  • Cupa României: 2013-14; runner-up: 2018-19
  • Supercupa României: 2014, 2016
• CFR Cluj
  • Liga I: 2021-22
• Farul Constanța
  • Liga I: 2022-23
  • Supercupa României runner-up: 2023

7.2. Individual honours

• Gazeta Sporturilor Romanian Footballer of the Year: 2016; third place: 2023
• Liga I Player of the Season: 2022-23
• Liga I Team of the Season: 2016-17, 2019-20, 2022-23
• DigiSport Liga I Player of the Month: December 2015, April 2016, May 2017