1. Early Life and Football Beginnings
Gabriel Tamaș's journey in football began in his hometown, where he developed his skills before making his professional debut at a young age.
1.1. Birth and Youth Career
Gabriel Tamaș was born on 9 November 1983 in Brașov, Romania. He started his youth football development at the local club, ICIM Brașov.
1.2. Early Professional Debut
Tamaș commenced his senior career during the 1998-99 Divizia B season with FC Brașov. His debut came when coach Cornel Țălnar brought him onto the field for the final minutes of a league game against Sportul Studențesc București. This remained his sole appearance for FC Brașov, as he moved to Liga I team Rapid București alongside teammate Tiberiu Ghioane. However, he did not make his debut for Rapid, as coach Anghel Iordănescu sent him back to the Liga II on loan to Tractorul Brașov for two seasons, from 2000 to 2002.
2. Club Career
Gabriel Tamaș's club career was marked by numerous transfers and loan spells across several European countries, showcasing his adaptability and journeyman status in football.
2.1. Dinamo București and Early European Transfers
In July 2002, Gabriel Tamaș became a free agent, and coach Țălnar facilitated his move to Dinamo București. He made his Divizia A debut on 17 August, when coach Ion Moldovan substituted him in the 79th minute of a 5-0 victory against Ceahlăul Piatra Neamț. His first goal in the competition followed on 20 October, contributing to a 2-0 win over Național București. By the end of the 2002-03 season, he secured his first professional trophy, the Cupa României, under coach Ioan Andone, playing the first 71 minutes of the 1-0 final victory against Național București in the 2003 Cupa României final.
In the summer of 2003, Dinamo transferred Tamaș to Turkish club Galatasaray for 2.00 M EUR. He spent only half a season with the "Cim Bom Bom" side, alongside fellow Romanians Florin Bratu and Ovidiu Petre. He was used sparingly in the Süper Lig by coach Fatih Terim but made four appearances in the Champions League group stage, including a notable 2-0 home win against Juventus.
2.2. Loans and Journeyman Years
In January 2004, Tamaș moved to Russian Premier League club Spartak Moscow, which paid Galatasaray 3.50 M EUR for his services. He spent half a season with "The Gladiators," playing consistently in defense alongside compatriots Adrian Iencsi and Florin Șoavă. In January 2005, he was loaned back to Dinamo București as Spartak acquired Nemanja Vidić to fill his position. By the end of the 2004-05 season, he won another Cupa României with "The Red Dogs," with Andone utilizing him for the full 90 minutes in the 1-0 final victory over Farul Constanța in the 2005 Cupa României final.
He began the 2005-06 season by helping Dinamo secure the Supercupa României for the first time in the club's history, playing the first half of the 3-2 victory against rivals Steaua București. Tamaș also played a crucial role in eliminating Everton with a historic 5-2 aggregate score, allowing Dinamo to reach the group stage of the 2005-06 UEFA Cup. After Spartak sold Vidić to Manchester United, Tamaș briefly returned to play for the Russian club before being loaned out again, this time to Celta Vigo in Spain for the 2006-07 season, at the request of coach Fernando Vázquez. He featured regularly for Celta, notably eliminating his former club Spartak Moscow in the UEFA Cup Round of 32, before Celta was eliminated by Werder Bremen in the next round.
At the start of the 2007-08 campaign, Tamaș was acquired by Ligue 1 club Auxerre for 3.00 M EUR, where he played under coach Jean Fernandez and was teammates with Romanians Daniel Niculae and Vlad Munteanu. After one year in France, he once again returned to Dinamo București on a season-long loan for 400.00 K EUR. His loan deal was extended for another year, and he was elected captain by his teammates. During this period, he scored the only goal in a derby victory against Steaua, played at the Ghencea stadium, and also netted in another 1-0 win against Sturm Graz in the 2009-10 Europa League group stage.
2.3. Stays in England and First Return to Romania
Tamaș's third spell at Dinamo was cut short in December 2009 when he signed a six-month loan deal with English EFL Championship club West Bromwich Albion, with Auxerre receiving 1.00 M EUR. He made his debut under coach Roberto Di Matteo on 8 January 2010, in a 1-3 Football League Championship loss to Nottingham Forest. His first goal for West Brom came on 27 March in a 1-1 draw against Reading. The team finished the season in second place, earning promotion to the Premier League.
On 19 May 2010, Tamaș signed a three-year permanent contract with West Bromwich Albion, with an option for an additional year, for a fee of 800.00 K GBP. He made his Premier League debut on 14 August in a heavy 6-0 away defeat to Chelsea. Despite the scoreline, he was generally appreciated in his first top-flight season, and the club later granted him a contract raise. Manager Di Matteo acknowledged his importance, stating: "Gabi is an important figure at West Bromwich. Both on the field and off it." On 26 September 2012, he opened the scoring for West Brom in the 3rd minute of an eventual 2-1 loss against Liverpool in the League Cup. Tamaș later cited this goal as the most beautiful moment of his career after retiring in 2023. He mutually terminated his contract with West Brom in September 2013.
The following month, he spent a week at CFR Cluj in Romania but was dismissed due to an incident in a bar. On 17 January 2014, Tamaș returned to England, signing for Football League Championship side Doncaster Rovers. Upon the expiration of his contract, he moved to Watford in the same league on a one-year agreement effective from 1 July 2014. After dealing with a cruciate knee ligament injury for several months, he left Watford in January 2015.
On 15 January 2015, Tamaș signed a two-year contract with Steaua București, the cross-town rival of his former club Dinamo. He made ten league appearances in the remainder of the campaign. He played all 90 minutes of the 3-0 win over Pandurii Târgu Jiu in the Cupa Ligii final and was substituted in the 77th minute of another 3-0 victory against Universitatea Cluj in the Cupa României final, contributing to Steaua's Treble win that season.
On 26 August 2015, Tamaș returned to the Football League Championship, joining Cardiff City on a one-year contract with an option for an additional year. During the first half of the season, he primarily appeared for the development squad and was excluded from first-team training from November, leading to his frustration and desire to leave the Welsh capital. He eventually made his debut on 10 January 2016, in a 0-1 FA Cup loss to Shrewsbury Town. On 1 February 2016, Cardiff City announced the mutual termination of his contract.
Tamaș then returned to Steaua București for a second spell, under the condition that he would address his alcohol issues and attend church on Sundays. He helped the club win the 2015-16 Cupa Ligii, playing the full 120 minutes of the 2-1 extra time victory in the final against Concordia Chiajna. In the following season, he played for Steaua in the group stage of the 2016-17 UEFA Europa League, where he scored the decisive goal in a 2-1 home win over Osmanlıspor. He was a regular player in the national league but received a red card on 18 March in the 17th minute of a 1-0 loss against Viitorul Constanța after a hard tackle on Florin Purece. Subsequently, he was no longer used in the remaining league matches, which Steaua ultimately lost to Viitorul, leading to his departure from the team.
2.4. Hapoel Haifa and Later Career in Romania
In June 2017, Tamaș was signed by Israeli Premier League team Hapoel Haifa, at the request of coach Nir Klinger. By the end of his first season with the club, he won the Israel State Cup, playing all minutes in the 3-1 final victory against Beitar Jerusalem. At the beginning of the 2018-19 season, he won the Super Cup, scoring an equalizer in the 28th minute of a 1-1 draw against Hapoel Be'er Sheva. He then successfully converted a panenka penalty in the subsequent penalty shoot-out, which Hapoel Haifa won 5-4.
Gabriel Tamaș spent the final years of his career in Romania, first with Liga I side Astra Giurgiu for one season. He then had a half-season stint at Liga II team Universitatea Cluj, before returning to first-league football for one and a half years at Voluntari and half a season at Petrolul Ploiești. After approximately one year in Liga II with Concordia Chiajna, Tamaș, at the age of 39, unexpectedly announced his retirement in October 2023. He cited psychological exhaustion rather than physical inability, expressing disappointment with the standard of Romanian football. He also stated that Dinamo București was the club he most enjoyed playing for.
3. International Career
Gabriel Tamaș had a notable international career with the Romania national football team.
He made his debut for the Romania national team on 12 February 2003, under coach Anghel Iordănescu, entering as a substitute for Cosmin Contra in the 90+1st minute of a 2-1 friendly victory against Slovakia. After playing five games in the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, manager Victor Pițurcă selected him as a starter in all ten matches of the successful UEFA Euro 2008 qualifiers, where Romania finished first in its group. He scored two goals during this campaign: one in a 2-1 away victory against Slovenia and another in a 6-1 home victory over Albania.
On 25 March 2008, Romanian president Traian Băsescu honored Tamaș for his performances in the Euro 2008 qualifiers, awarding him the Medalia "Meritul Sportiv" ("The Sportive Merit" Medal) class III. At the final tournament, he played in all three group stage matches. Romania exited the competition after two draws with France and Italy, and a loss to the Netherlands.
Tamaș participated in four games during the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. He scored his last international goal on 29 May 2010, in a 3-2 friendly loss to Ukraine in Lviv. In subsequent years, he earned eight caps in the Euro 2012 qualifiers, four in the 2014 World Cup qualifiers, and two in the Euro 2016 qualifiers. His final two international appearances came in 2018, when he was called up by his former teammate Cosmin Contra for the inaugural season of the UEFA Nations League. Tamaș played in a 2-1 away victory over Lithuania and a goalless draw with Serbia, receiving a red card in the 44th minute of the latter game.
4. Controversies and Disciplinary Issues
Gabriel Tamaș became widely known for a series of incidents and a controversial lifestyle off the pitch, frequently making headlines in Romanian media due to alcohol-related issues, altercations, and disciplinary actions.
In October 2003, Tamaș was involved in a fight at a nightclub in his hometown of Brașov, which resulted in the other man requiring hospitalization and facial surgery. In November 2004, he and a group of friends reportedly vandalized a restaurant in Poiana Brașov after being denied entry. The following year, in November 2005, after playing for Dinamo București in a 1-1 draw with Jiul Petroșani, Tamaș caused a public disturbance at a nightclub in Brașov, nearly escalating into a physical confrontation.
On 14 February 2009, Tamaș was expelled to Dinamo București's reserve team after being caught drinking alcohol and causing a disturbance during the team's training camp in Turkey. In July 2010, he became intoxicated and initiated a fight with waiters at his brother's wedding. In December of the same year, he allegedly physically abused his then-girlfriend at a nightclub in Bucharest, accusing her of infidelity.
In June 2011, Tamaș missed a flight for the national team's tournament in South America after oversleeping, following a night of partying until dawn in Poiana Brașov. On 11 August 2011, Tamaș and teammate Adrian Mutu were excluded from the Romania squad after they were found drinking in a bar the night before a friendly match against San Marino. This incident initially led to a "permanent ban" from the national team for both players, as reported by some media outlets. However, after issuing an apology, their suspension was lifted after just three games, and they were reinstated into the squad.
In May 2013, after partying in a Bucharest nightclub, Tamaș attempted to enter a block of flats for shelter. When the cleaning lady denied him access, he forced open the door, went to the first floor, and fell asleep on the stairway. He was subsequently taken to a police station, where he reportedly caused another disturbance by yelling at and insulting officers. For these actions, he received an eight-month suspended sentence.
In October 2013, while drinking with national team colleague Daniel Pancu at a bar in Bucharest, Tamaș engaged in a physical altercation with Pancu. One week later, after signing a one-year contract with CFR Cluj, he was dismissed from the club shortly after he and teammate Florin Costea caused an incident in a local pub. On New Year's Eve 2014, Tamaș was involved in another fight in the lobby of a restaurant in Brașov. Also in 2014, while waiting in line at a pizzeria in Doncaster, he was reportedly punched without provocation, suffering a broken zygomatic bone (cheekbone) that required surgery. For a period, he wore a protective mask during training sessions and matches.
While at Steaua București in February 2015, Tamaș got into a fight with teammate Alexandru Bourceanu and Bourceanu's brother during a wedding celebration. His first spell at Steaua ended when he was dismissed after missing a training session following a night out; manager Mirel Rădoi stated that Tamaș had lied to him by claiming his phone alarm did not ring.
On 23 March 2019, during his time in Israel, Tamaș was arrested by police after driving his car at 127 mph (205 km/h) with a reported alcohol concentration of 0.0 oz (0.66 mg) per liter of exhaled air. He spent a week in jail, followed by a month of house arrest, and was sentenced to two months of community service.
In October 2022, while drinking with several Petrolul Ploiești teammates at a restaurant, Tamaș made a phone call to their manager Nicolae Constantin, during which he criticized Constantin's tactics. He also reportedly cursed chairman Costel Lazăr, sporting director Claudiu Tudor, and the club's fans. Constantin subsequently sent the recording to the leaders of supporter groups, and the recording eventually made its way into the media. Following this incident, Tamaș left the club in the subsequent days.
5. Honours
Dinamo București
- Cupa României: 2002-03, 2004-05
- Supercupa României: 2005
Spartak Moscow
- Russian Super Cup runner-up: 2004, 2006
Steaua București
- Liga I: 2014-15
- Cupa României: 2014-15
- Supercupa României runner-up: 2015
- Cupa Ligii: 2014-15, 2015-16
Hapoel Haifa
- Israel State Cup: 2017-18
- Israeli Super Cup: 2018
Voluntari
- Cupa României runner-up: 2021-22
Individual
- Gazeta Sporturilor Romania Player of the Month: December 2021
6. Retirement and Post-Playing Career
Gabriel Tamaș officially announced his retirement from professional football in October 2023, at the age of 39. He stated that his decision was primarily due to psychological factors rather than physical limitations, expressing his disappointment with the perceived decline in the level of Romanian football. Following his retirement, Tamaș transitioned into a post-playing role and currently serves as the sporting director for Liga II club Concordia Chiajna.
7. Career Statistics
7.1. Club Statistics
| Club | Season | League | National Cup | League Cup | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| FC Brașov | 1998-99 | 1 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 1 | 0 | |||||
| 1999-00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | 0 | 0 | |||||
| Total | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | 1 | 0 | |||||
| Tractorul Brașov (loan) | 2000-01 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | 15 | 1 | ||||
| 2001-02 | 19 | 2 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | 19 | 2 | |||||
| Total | 34 | 3 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | 34 | 3 | |||||
| Dinamo București | 2002-03 | 19 | 4 | 7 | 0 | - | - | - | 26 | 4 | ||||
| Galatasaray | 2003-04 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 | - | 5 | 0 | - | 13 | 0 | |||
| Spartak Moscow | 2004 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 15 | 0 | ||
| 2006 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 0 | 0 | - | 3 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 18 | 0 | ||
| Dinamo București (loan) | 2004-05 | 13 | 0 | 3 | 0 | - | 0 | 0 | - | 16 | 0 | |||
| 2005-06 | 14 | 1 | 2 | 0 | - | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 23 | 1 | |||
| Total | 27 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 39 | 1 | ||
| Celta Vigo (loan) | 2006-07 | 29 | 0 | 2 | 0 | - | 9 | 0 | - | 40 | 0 | |||
| Auxerre | 2007-08 | 27 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | - | - | 31 | 0 | |||
| Dinamo București (loan) | 2008-09 | 22 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | 2 | 0 | - | 25 | 0 | |||
| 2009-10 | 12 | 2 | 2 | 0 | - | 7 | 1 | - | 21 | 3 | ||||
| Total | 34 | 2 | 3 | 0 | - | 9 | 1 | - | 46 | 3 | ||||
| West Bromwich Albion (loan) | 2009-10 | 23 | 2 | 3 | 0 | - | - | - | 26 | 2 | ||||
| West Bromwich Albion | 2010-11 | 26 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 26 | 0 | |||
| 2011-12 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 10 | 0 | ||||
| 2012-13 | 11 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | - | - | 15 | 1 | ||||
| Total | 68 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 77 | 3 | ||
| Doncaster Rovers | 2013-14 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | 14 | 0 | ||||
| Watford | 2014-15 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | - | - | 9 | 0 | |||
| Steaua București | 2014-15 | 10 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 13 | 0 | |||
| Cardiff City | 2015-16 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 1 | 0 | |||
| Steaua București | 2015-16 | 12 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 18 | 0 | |
| 2016-17 | 28 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 1 | - | 41 | 2 | |||
| Total | 40 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 59 | 2 | ||
| Hapoel Haifa | 2017-18 | 33 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 0 | - | - | 42 | 2 | |||
| 2018-19 | 23 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 29 | 2 | ||
| Total | 56 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 71 | 4 | ||
| Astra Giurgiu | 2019-20 | 22 | 1 | 1 | 0 | - | - | - | 23 | 1 | ||||
| Universitatea Cluj | 2020-21 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | 9 | 1 | ||||
| Voluntari | 2020-21 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 2 | 0 | 18 | 0 | |||
| 2021-22 | 35 | 1 | 4 | 0 | - | - | - | 39 | 1 | |||||
| Total | 51 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 57 | 1 | ||
| Petrolul Ploiești | 2022-23 | 13 | 2 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | 13 | 2 | ||||
| Concordia Chiajna | 2022-23 | 9 | 1 | - | - | - | - | 9 | 1 | |||||
| 2023-24 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | 9 | 0 | |||||
| Total | 18 | 1 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | 18 | 1 | |||||
| Career total | 502 | 22 | 43 | 1 | 18 | 1 | 43 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 613 | 26 | ||
7.2. International Statistics
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Romania | |||
| 2003 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2004 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2005 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2006 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2007 | 9 | 2 | |
| 2008 | 8 | 0 | |
| 2009 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2010 | 8 | 1 | |
| 2011 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2012 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2013 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2014 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2015 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2016 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2017 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2018 | 2 | 0 | |
| Total | 61 | 3 | |
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 June 2007 | Arena Petrol, Celje, Slovenia | 1-0 | 2-1 | UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying | |
| 2 | 1 November 2007 | Național Stadium, Bucharest, Romania | 2-0 | 6-1 | UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying | |
| 3 | 29 May 2010 | Ukraina Stadium, Lviv, Ukraine | 1-1 | 2-3 | Friendly |