Andrei Ivan

Andrei Ivan

Ivan with Rapid Wien in 2018
Personal information
Full name	Andrei Virgil Ivan
Date of birth	(1997-01-04) 4 January 1997 (age 27)
Place of birth	Moreni, Romania
Height	1.89 m (6 ft 2 in)
Position(s)	Forward
Team information
Current team	Universitatea Craiova
Number	9
Youth career
2003–2011	Flacăra Moreni
2011–2013	Sporting Pitești
2013–2014	Universitatea Craiova
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2014–2017	Universitatea Craiova	91	(18)
2017–2019	Krasnodar	7	(0)
2019	Krasnodar-2	1	(0)
2018–2019	→ Rapid Wien (loan)	24	(1)
2019–	Universitatea Craiova	177	(45)
International career^‡
2013	Romania U16	2	(0)
2013–2014	Romania U17	6	(2)
2014	Romania U19	5	(0)
2014–2019	Romania U21	10	(1)
2015–	Romania	17	(1)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 1 December 2024 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 7 June 2022

Andrei Virgil Ivan (Romanian pronunciation: [anˈdrej virˈd͡ʒil iˈvan]; born 4 January 1997) is a Romanian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Liga I club Universitatea Craiova.

Ivan started out as a senior at Universitatea Craiova in 2014, and three and a half years later earned a €4 million transfer abroad to Russian Premier League side Krasnodar. He did not impose himself in Russia and was loaned for one season to Rapid Wien, before returning to Universitatea Craiova in the summer of 2019.

Ivan registered his senior debut for the Romania national team in November 2015, in a 1–1 exhibition draw with Italy.

Club career

Early career / Universitatea Craiova

Ivan began playing youth football at local Flacăra Moreni, before moving in 2011 to Sporting Pitești. On 30 December 2013, he joined Universitatea Craiova on a two-and-a-half-year deal for an undisclosed fee.^[1] Ivan scored his first goal for the club on 28 May 2014, in a 2–0 home victory over ASA Târgu Mureș counting for the Liga II championship.^[2] He made eight appearances during the season, as Craiova achieved promotion by winning its series.

On 2 August 2014, he netted his first Liga I goal by coming on as an 82nd-minute substitute in a 1–3 away loss to defending champions Steaua București.^[3] In January 2016, Ivan rejected a move to the latter club, which had reached an agreement with Craiova for a transfer worth €2.15 million.^[4] Several foreign teams were also interested in acquiring him^[5] and Ivan revealed his dream of playing abroad.^[6]

At the start of 2017, Ivan gained team captaincy following the departure of Bogdan Vătăjelu to Sparta Prague.^[7]

Krasnodar

On 17 July 2017, Ivan penned a five-year contract with Russian side FC Krasnodar for a rumoured transfer fee of €4 million and 25% interest.^[8][9] He recorded his competitive debut on 20 August, after entering as an 84th-minute substitute for Viktor Claesson in a goalless Russian Premier League draw with Rostov.^[10]

On 24 June 2018, Ivan joined Austrian Bundesliga club Rapid Wien on a year-long with a purchase option.^[11] He totalled 40 appearances in all competitions throughout the season, of which eleven in the UEFA Europa League, and scored three goals. Upon his return to Krasnodar, he played one game for the reserves in the Russian National League, the second level of the Russian league system.

Return to Universitatea Craiova

Universitatea Craiova announced the re-signing of Ivan on a four-year deal on 28 August 2019.^[12] According to press, the Alb-albaștrii paid a €1.5 million transfer fee to bring him back to Oltenia.^[13]

On 23 May 2021, Ivan claimed his first major honour after opening the scoring in a 3–2 victory over Astra Giurgiu in the Cupa României final.^[14] On 10 July that year, he started in the 4–2 penalty shoot-out win over CFR Cluj in the subsequent Supercupa României.^[15]

Amid reports linking him to Galatasaray,^[16] Ivan scored all but one of his side's goals in a 5–2 defeat of Mioveni on 30 October 2021.^[17] He finished the 2021–22 season with a career-best 14 goals in 33 league matches, and was also the top assist provider (eleven). He repeated the former performance in the following campaign, netting another 14 goals.

International career

Ivan made his full international debut for Romania on 17 November 2015, aged 18, coming on as a substitute in a 2–2 friendly draw with Italy at the Stadio Renato Dall'Ara in Bologna.^[18] He scored his first goal for the nation six years later, in a 1–2 loss to Georgia in Ploiești on 2 June 2021.^[19]

Style of play

Ivan is a versatile forward who can be deployed as a winger, by preference on the left flank, or as a striker in the centre.^[13][20]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 4 December 2024^[21]

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club	Season	League			National Cup		League Cup		Continental		Other		Total
		Division	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps
Universitatea Craiova	2013–14	Liga II	8	1	—		—		—		—		8	1
	2014–15	Liga I	17	1	1	0	1	0	—		—		19	1
	2015–16	Liga I	32	7	1	0	1	0	—		—		34	7
	2016–17	Liga I	33	9	5	1	0	0	—		—		38	10
	2017–18	Liga I	1	0	0	0	—		0	0	—		1	0
	Total		91	18	7	1	2	0	0	0	—		100	19
Krasnodar	2017–18	Russian Premier League	7	0	1	0	—		1[a]	0	—		9	0
Rapid Wien (loan)	2018–19	Austrian Bundesliga	24	1	5	2	—		11[a]	0	—		40	3
Krasnodar-2	2019–20	Russian National League	1	0	0	0	—		—		—		1	0
Universitatea Craiova	2019–20	Liga I	24	2	0	0	—		—		—		24	2
	2020–21	Liga I	34	8	3	1	—		1[a]	0	—		38	9
	2021–22	Liga I	33	14	4	2	—		1[b]	0	2[c]	1	40	17
	2022–23	Liga I	35	14	2	1	—		6[b]	2	—		43	17
	2023–24	Liga I	36	7	2	0	—		—		1[d]	0	39	7
	2024–25	Liga I	15	0	2	0	—		2[b]	0	—		19	0
	Total		177	45	13	4	—		10	2	3	1	203	52
Career total			300	64	26	7	2	0	22	2	3	1	353	74

1. Appearance(s) in UEFA Europa League
2. Appearance(s) in UEFA Conference League
3. One appearance in Supercupa României, one appearance in Liga I European play-offs and one goal
4. Appearance in Liga I European play-offs

International

Ivan playing for the Romania national team in a match against Sweden, March 2019.

As of match played 7 June 2022^[22]

Appearances and goals by national team and year

National team	Year	Apps	Goals
Romania
	2015	1	0
	2016	2	0
	2017	3	0
	2018	0	0
	2019	1	0
	2020	0	0
	2021	6	1
	2022	4	0
Total		17	1

Scores and results list Romania's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Ivan goal.^[22]

List of international goals scored by Andrei Ivan

No.	Date	Venue	Cap	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	2 June 2021	Ilie Oană Stadium, Ploiești, Romania	9	Georgia	1–2	1–2	Friendly

Honours

Universitatea Craiova^[21]

• Liga II: 2013–14
• Cupa României: 2020–21^[14]
• Supercupa României: 2021

Rapid Wien^[21]

• Austrian Cup runner-up: 2018–19

Individual

• Liga I Team of the Season: 2016–17, 2021–22^[23]
• Liga I Top Assist Provider: 2021–22
• Gazeta Sporturilor Romania Player of the Month: October 2021^[24]

References

1. "CS Universitatea Craiova l-a transferat pe Virgil Andrei Ivan" [CS Universitatea Craiova transferred Virgil Andrei Ivan] (in Romanian). Active News. 30 December 2013. Archived from the original on 6 February 2017. Retrieved 5 February 2017.
2. "CSU Craiova-ASA Targu Mures 2-0" (in Romanian). ASA Targu Mures site suporteri. 27 May 2017. Archived from the original on 6 February 2017. Retrieved 5 February 2017.
3. "Sa vina Aktobe! Steaua, victorie lejera in 'Templul parasit': 3-1 cu CSU Craiova! Steaua - Aktobe se vede la ProTV!" [Ready for Aktobe! Steaua, easy victory in the "abandoned temple": 3-1 with CSU Craiova! Steaua - Aktobe will be live at ProTV!] (in Romanian). Sport.ro. 2 August 2014. Retrieved 5 February 2017.
4. "Gigi Becali a făcut marele anunț! Ivan e CEL MAI SCUMP transfer din istoria Stelei » Suma uriașă plătită de campioni" [Gigi Becali made the big announcement! Ivan is THE MOST EXPENSIVE transfer in Steaua's history » The huge sum paid by the champions]. Gazeta Sporturilor (in Romanian). 26 January 2016. Retrieved 5 February 2017.
5. "El Espanyol negocia la cesión del delantero Andrei Ivan" [Espanyol negotiates the transfer of attacker Andrei Ivan] (in Spanish). Sport.es. 2 January 2016. Retrieved 3 February 2016.
6. "Andrei Ivan: "Nu vreau sa joc in tara, vreau sa plec de la Craiova direct afara!"" [Andrei Ivan: "I don't want to play in the country, I want to transfer from Craiova abroad!"] (in Romanian). Sport Total FM. 8 January 2016. Retrieved 5 February 2017.
7. "Mulţescu a dezvăluit cum l-a convins Andrei Ivan să-i dea banderola de căpitan" [Mulțescu reveals how he was convinced by Andrei Ivan to hand him the captain armband] (in Romanian). Dolce Sport. 30 January 2017. Retrieved 5 February 2017.
8. "Transfer neașteptat! Andrei Ivan a plecat de la CSU Craiova pe 4 milioane €" [Unexpected move! Andrei Ivan left CSU Craiova for €4 million]. Gazeta Sporturilor. 17 July 2017. Retrieved 17 July 2017.
9. ИГРОКОМ «КРАСНОДАРА» СТАНЕТ АНДРЕЙ ИВАН [Andrei Ivan to Become a Player of FC Krasnodar] (in Russian). FC Krasnodar. 18 July 2017. Retrieved 8 July 2017.
10. "Stranieri: Andrei Ivan a debutat la FC Krasnodar" [Foreigners: Andrei Ivan made his debut for FC Krasnodar] (in Romanian). Sportul Doljean. 21 August 2017. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
11. "Andrei Ivan leihweise zu Rapid". ORF Sport (in German). 24 June 2018. Retrieved 24 June 2018.
12. "Ivan se întoarce acasă" [Ivan returns home] (in Romanian). CS Universitatea Craiova. 27 August 2019. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
13. "Transfer STRICT SECRET la Craiova » Andrei Ivan a semnat pe 4 ani!" [TOP SECRET transfer at Craiova » Andrei Ivan signed for 4 years!]. Gazeta Sporturilor (in Romanian). 27 August 2019. Retrieved 28 August 2019. It is a good news also for Craiova, which had problems there, up front. Ivan likes to play a lot on the left wing.
14. "Universitatea Craiova a învins Astra și a câștigat Cupa României!" [Universitatea Craiova defeated Astra and won the Romanian Cup!] (in Romanian). Romanian Football Federation. 23 May 2021. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
15. "CFR Cluj - Universitatea Craiova 0-0, 2-4 d.l.d. Oltenii câștigă Supercupa României! Pigliacelli, erou" [CFR Cluj - Universitatea Craiova 0–0, 2–4 after penalties "The Oltenia people" win the Romanian Super Cup! Pigliacelli, the hero] (in Romanian). Digi Sport. 10 July 2021. Retrieved 31 October 2021.
16. "Mihai Rotaru, o nouă lovitură de senzație! Galatasaray face totul pentru a perfecta transferul lui Andrei Ivan. Care e singura dilemă | EXCLUSIV" [Mihai Rotaru, a new sensational hit! Galatasaray does everything to complete the transfer of Andrei Ivan. What is the only dilemma? | EXCLUSIVE] (in Romanian). ProSport. 27 October 2021. Retrieved 31 October 2021.
17. "Discursul lui Ivan, după ce a marcat de patru ori în poarta Mioveniului. Ce spune despre oferta de la Galatasaray" [Ivan's speech, after scoring four times against Mioveni. What he says about the offer from Galatasaray] (in Romanian). Sport.ro. 30 October 2021. Retrieved 31 October 2021.
18. "Italy vs Romania". Sky Sports. 17 November 2015. Retrieved 19 November 2015.
19. "Andrei Ivan, trist după primul gol la națională: "Sunt atacant, nu știu ce e în apărare! Georgia nu e echipă slabă"" [Andrei Ivan, sad after his first goal for the national team: "I am a striker, I don't know what happens in our defense! Georgia is not a weak team"] (in Romanian). Digi Sport. 2 June 2021. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
20. "Reghe e vrăjit de un fotbalist: "Fenomenal!" » Vehement despre națională: "Nu există!"" [Reghe is enchanted by a footballer: "Phenomenal!" » He is vehement regarding the national team: "It doesn't exist!"]. Gazeta Sporturilor (in Romanian). 18 October 2021. Retrieved 19 October 2021. For me, Andrei Ivan is a phenomenal player. [...] He can play any position in the attacking line of three...
21. Andrei Ivan at Soccerway. Retrieved 5 February 2017.
22. "Andrei Ivan". European Football. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
23. "LLPF a anunțat echipa ideală a sezonului de Liga 1 » FCSB și CFR Cluj, reprezentate de câte 3 jucători" [LPF has chosen the "ideal team" of the Liga 1 season! Which team offers the most players] (in Romanian). Gazeta Sporturilor. 3 June 2022. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
24. "Craiova a luat tot! » Andrei Ivan a fost ales "Jucătorul lunii octombrie", iar Laurențiu Reghecampf - "Antrenorul lunii"! Cum s-a votat" [Craiova took it all! tot! » Andrei Ivan was chosen "Player of the month in October", and Laurențiu Reghecampf - "Coach of the month"! How the voting took place]. Gazeta Sporturilor (in Romanian). 5 November 2021. Retrieved 12 November 2021.

External links

• Andrei Ivan at RomanianSoccer.ro (in Romanian)
• Andrei Ivan at National-Football-Teams.com
• Andrei Ivan – UEFA competition record (archive)