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Marian Aliuță

Marian Aliuță is a retired Romanian professional footballer and midfielder known for playing internationally, being named Divizia A's best player, and having a career marked by club disputes.

1. Overview

Marian Aliuță, born on February 3, 1978, is a retired Romanian professional footballer who primarily played as a midfielder. Throughout his career, Aliuță played for numerous clubs across several countries, including his native Romania, Ukraine, South Korea, Greece, Moldova, and Azerbaijan. Noted for his skill, he was once recognized as the 'Best Player of Divizia A' in Romania. However, his career was also marked by several high-profile disputes with club management, leading to frequent transfers, including a notable brief and uneventful spell in the K League.

2. Personal Information

Marian Aliuță was born on February 3, 1978. He is a Romanian national and played as a midfielder throughout his professional football career.

3. Career

Marian Aliuță's professional football career spanned over a decade, taking him through various clubs in Romania and several international leagues, including those in Ukraine, South Korea, Greece, Moldova, and Azerbaijan.

3.1. Early Career and Loans

Aliuță began his football journey at Steaua București's youth academy. Upon reaching the age of 18, he was loaned out to several Romanian clubs to gain experience. His initial loan spells included stints at Steaua Mizil, followed by Chindia Târgovişte, and then Gloria Bistriţa.

3.2. Club Career in Romania

After being released from his contract with Steaua București, Aliuță signed with FC Farul Constanţa in 1997. Following a year abroad, he returned to Romania in 2002 to make his official debut for Steaua București, the club where he started his youth career. At this time, he was notably the highest-paid footballer in Divizia A (now Liga I), earning 135.00 K USD. Despite being voted The Best Player of Divizia A at the end of the 2002-03 season, Aliuță's time at Steaua București ended after an altercation with the club's Chief Executive, Mihai Stoica.

His next move within Romania was to Rapid Bucharest. However, his tenure there was very brief, lasting only a few weeks before he departed for an international opportunity. After a period playing abroad, he returned to Romania in 2007, signing with FC Timişoara, a club known for its large fan base. In the summer of 2008, he transferred to FC Vaslui, which was participating in the UEFA Cup qualifiers at the time. His spell at Vaslui was also short-lived; after playing only 11 games, he had a significant dispute with the club's powerful owner, Adrian Porumboiu, which resulted in him being granted a free transfer.

3.3. International Career

Aliuță's career saw him play for clubs in various countries outside Romania, including Ukraine, South Korea, Greece, Moldova, and Azerbaijan.

3.3.1. Ukraine

In 1999, Aliuță moved to Ukraine, joining Shakhtar Donetsk. He spent several seasons with the club, achieving significant success. Later, in the 2005-06 season, he played for FC Metalurg Donetsk, another club in the Ukrainian Premier League.

3.3.2. South Korea

Following his brief stint at Rapid Bucharest, Aliuță ventured to South Korea to play for Chunnam Dragons in the K League. He was registered under the name Ali 알리AliKorean. Despite being part of the squad during the K League 2005 season, Aliuță did not make any official appearances for Chunnam Dragons before departing the team.

3.3.3. Greece

In November 2006, Aliuță signed a two-year contract with Iraklis Thessaloniki in Greece. He played for the Greek club for one year before returning to Romania.

3.3.4. Moldova and Azerbaijan

Before his return to FC Steaua București in 2002, Aliuță had a spell with Sheriff Tiraspol in Moldova, where he achieved early club honours. In early 2009, after his departure from FC Vaslui, Aliuță signed with the Azerbaijani club Neftchi Baku, where he reunited with his long-time friend and former teammate, Adrian Neaga.

4. Position and Play Style

Marian Aliuță primarily played as a midfielder throughout his professional career.

5. Honours

Marian Aliuță achieved several team honours during his professional playing career.

5.1. Club Honours

  • Sheriff Tiraspol
    • Moldovan Cup: 1998-99
  • Shakhtar Donetsk
    • Ukrainian Premier League: 2001-02
    • Ukrainian Cup: 2000-01, 2001-02
  • Vaslui
    • UEFA Intertoto Cup: 2008

6. Evaluation and Controversy

Marian Aliuță's career was marked by both notable achievements and significant controversies. On the positive side, his talent was recognized when he was voted The Best Player of Divizia A at the end of the 2002-03 season, a testament to his impact on the field.

However, Aliuță also experienced several high-profile disputes with club management. His first stint at FC Steaua București ended prematurely due to an altercation with the club's Chief Executive, Mihai Stoica. Later in his career, while at FC Vaslui, he had another public dispute with the club's powerful owner, Adrian Porumboiu, which led to his departure after only 11 games. These incidents contributed to his frequent club changes throughout his career.