1. Overview
Vlad Ioan Munteanu (born January 16, 1981) is a former Romanian professional footballer who primarily played as a midfielder. Standing 72 in (183 cm) and weighing 170 lb (77 kg), Munteanu was a left-footed player. He began his professional career with FCM Bacău before joining FC Dinamo București, where he achieved significant success, winning multiple domestic trophies including two Liga I titles and three Cupa României titles. He also made appearances in European competitions, scoring crucial goals for Dinamo. His career included a notable period in the German Bundesliga with Energie Cottbus, where he was recognized for his prolific scoring alongside fellow Romanian Sergiu Radu, earning them the nickname "The Twins of the Goal." After his time in Germany, which included spells at VfL Wolfsburg and various loan assignments in France and Germany, Munteanu returned to Romania before concluding his playing career in Germany at the age of 32. He earned one cap for the Romania national football team.
2. Early life and football beginnings
Vlad Munteanu's journey into professional football began in his hometown, where he developed his skills from an early age.
2.1. Birth and early training
Vlad Munteanu was born on January 16, 1981, in Bacău, Romania. He started his football training at his local club, FCM Bacău, progressing through its youth system. His professional debut in Divizia A occurred on March 6, 1999, in a 2-0 home victory for FCM Bacău against Astra Ploiești.
3. Club career
Munteanu's club career spanned over a decade, marked by periods of significant achievement in Romania and a notable spell in Germany.
3.1. Debut and first spell at Dinamo București
After spending two seasons with FCM Bacău, where he made 39 appearances and scored 7 goals, Munteanu transferred to FC Dinamo București in 2000. His first period with Dinamo lasted for six seasons, during which he won all the trophies of his career. In this time, he accumulated 94 appearances and scored 11 goals for the club in league play.
His first major trophy was the 2000-01 Cupa României, although coach Cornel Dinu did not feature him in the final match. In the following season, Munteanu played a crucial role in Dinamo winning the league title, making 19 appearances and scoring 5 goals under coaches Dinu and Marin Ion. During this same season, he also played three games for Dinamo's satellite team, Poiana Câmpina, scoring two goals.
Under the guidance of coach Ioan Andone, Munteanu achieved some of his most significant performances for "The Red Dogs." He contributed to winning the 2002-03 Cupa României, being substituted into the final in the 90+2 minute of a 1-0 victory against Național București. In the subsequent season, Munteanu helped the club secure "The Double" (both the league title and the Cupa României). He played in 18 league games, scoring one goal. He was also a substitute in the 2004 Cupa României final, coming on in the 55th minute and opening the scoring about 10 minutes later in a 2-0 victory against Oțelul Galați. Beyond domestic success, Munteanu also provided two assists in a 2-0 home victory against Shakhtar Donetsk in the 2003-04 UEFA Cup, helping Dinamo eliminate the Ukrainian side.
In the first half of the 2004-05 season, after playing only a few games, Munteanu was informed by coach Andone that he was not part of his plans for the latter half of the season. Consequently, he was loaned to Național București, where he made 14 appearances and scored 1 goal.
He returned to Dinamo for the 2005-06 season. Andone utilized him as a starter in a 3-2 victory against rivals Steaua București, a match that saw Dinamo win the 2005 Supercupa României for the first time in its history. Munteanu also participated in six matches during Dinamo's 2005-06 UEFA Cup campaign. He scored a goal against Omonia Nicosia and contributed to a historical 5-2 aggregate win against Everton, which saw Dinamo reach the group stage. In the group stage, he scored the only goal in a 1-0 victory against CSKA Moscow, mathematically eliminating the title holders from the competition. In total, he made 10 UEFA Cup appearances and scored 2 goals during his time at Dinamo.
3.2. Energie Cottbus and German Bundesliga period
In 2006, Munteanu signed with FC Energie Cottbus in the German Bundesliga. Here, he formed a formidable attacking partnership with fellow Romanian Sergiu Radu. The German press affectionately nicknamed them "The Twins of the Goal" due to their impressive scoring record. During the 2006-07 Bundesliga season, Munteanu achieved a personal best of 11 goals, while Radu netted 14 times. Their combined 25 goals accounted for over half of Energie Cottbus's total of 38 goals, a crucial factor in the team avoiding relegation that season. Munteanu's 11 goals placed him tied for 13th in the Bundesliga scoring charts that season, on par with Naohiro Takahara, who was playing for Eintracht Frankfurt.
In the summer of 2007, both Munteanu and Sergiu Radu were transferred to VfL Wolfsburg. The club paid a combined fee of 4.50 M EUR for the pair, with 1.50 M EUR specifically for Munteanu.
3.3. Loan spells and return to Romania
During the first half of the 2007-08 Bundesliga season at VfL Wolfsburg, Munteanu was used by coach Felix Magath in 10 league games. For the second half of the season, he was loaned to French Ligue 1 side AJ Auxerre, under coach Jean Fernandez, where he played alongside compatriots Daniel Niculae and Gabriel Tamaș. After making only 12 appearances across all competitions, he returned to Wolfsburg, stating that he struggled to adapt to the physically demanding style of French football.
Munteanu did not feature in Magath's plans for "The Wolves" in the 2008-09 Bundesliga season, playing only for the club's satellite team, VfL Wolfsburg II, in the fourth division, where he made 5 appearances and scored 1 goal. He was subsequently loaned for the second half of the season to Arminia Bielefeld, making his final Bundesliga appearances there. In total, Munteanu registered 58 appearances and scored 13 goals in the Bundesliga.
The following season, Munteanu again began by playing for Wolfsburg's satellite team in the first half of the season before being loaned to 2. Bundesliga club FSV Frankfurt for the second half. He made 12 appearances for FSV Frankfurt.
In January 2011, Munteanu terminated his contract with Wolfsburg and signed a six-month deal to return to his former club, Dinamo București. During this brief second spell, he played 5 matches.
3.4. Final years and retirement
Following his second stint at Dinamo, Munteanu moved to CS Concordia Chiajna for the 2011-12 Liga I season. He made 20 appearances and scored 1 goal for Concordia Chiajna. His last Divizia A appearance was on May 9, 2012, in a 3-1 victory against Pandurii Târgu Jiu. He concluded his Divizia A career with a total of 172 matches played and 19 goals scored in the competition.
In 2013, after a season spent at 2. Bundesliga side Erzgebirge Aue, where he made 7 appearances, Vlad Munteanu retired from professional football at the age of 32.
4. International career
Vlad Munteanu had a very limited international career with the Romania national football team, making only a single appearance.
4.1. Senior national team appearance
Vlad Munteanu earned his sole cap for the Romania national football team on August 21, 2002. Coach Anghel Iordănescu brought him onto the field in the 79th minute to replace Paul Codrea in a friendly match against Greece, which Romania lost 1-0.
In 2007, during his highly productive season at FC Energie Cottbus alongside Sergiu Radu, the Romanian press strongly advocated for their inclusion in the national team. However, coach Victor Pițurcă controversially declined to call them up, publicly stating his opinion about the Bundesliga championship: "It's not what it once was! The clubs are at a low level and the players are of average value." Despite Munteanu's impressive 11 goals in the Bundesliga that season, this stance from the national team coach prevented further international opportunities for him.
5. Personal life
Vlad Munteanu comes from a family with a strong footballing background, particularly his father.
5.1. Family background
Munteanu's father, Ion Munteanu, was also a professional footballer. Ion played for FCM Bacău and Universitatea Cluj, accumulating over 250 appearances and scoring 60 goals in Divizia A.
6. Honors
Vlad Munteanu achieved significant success during his time at FC Dinamo București, winning several domestic trophies.
6.1. Club honors
Dinamo București
- Divizia A: 2001-02, 2003-04
- Cupa României: 2000-01, 2002-03, 2003-04
- Supercupa României: 2005