Alexandru Ioniță (footballer, born 1994)

For other people named Alexandru Ioniță, see Alexandru Ioniță (disambiguation).

Alexandru Ioniță
Ioniță with Astra Giurgiu in 2015
Personal information
Full name Alexandru Cornel Ioniță
Date of birth (1994-12-14) 14 December 1994 (age 30)
Place of birth Bucharest, Romania
Height 1.72 m (5 ft 8 in)
Position(s) Attacking midfielder, winger
Team information
Current team
 Yunnan Yukun
Number 10
Youth career
2001–2012 Rapid București
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2011–2013 Rapid București 27 (6)
2014–2018 Astra Giurgiu 83 (17)
2018–2021 CFR Cluj 32 (3)
2019 → Universitatea Craiova (loan) 6 (0)
2020–2021 → Astra Giurgiu (loan) 8 (1)
2021–2024 Rapid București 74 (11)
2024– Yunnan Yukun 30 (8)
International career
2011 Romania U18 1 (0)
2011–2012 Romania U19 5 (2)
2013–2016 Romania U21 6 (2)
2017 Romania 1 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 3 November 2024

Alexandru Cornel Ioniță (Romanian pronunciation: [alekˈsandru korˈnel joˈnit͡sə]; born 14 December 1994) is a Romanian professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder or a winger for China League One club Yunnan Yukun.

A youth exponent of Rapid București, Ioniță made his professional debut at age 16. He moved to Astra Giurgiu in 2014, where he won four domestic trophies. Four years later, Ioniță was subject to a €1 million transfer to CFR Cluj, but failed to impose himself and had loan stints at Universitatea Craiova and Astra. In 2021, he returned to Rapid București.

Internationally, Ioniță earned his first cap for the Romania senior team in a 3–1 win over Kazakhstan in September 2017.

Club career

Rapid București

Born in Bucharest, Ioniță joined the academy of Rapid București at the age of six.[1] On 21 May 2011, aged only 16 years and five months, he made his senior debut in a 1–0 Liga I win over FC Brașov.[2]

In the 2013–14 edition of the second division, Ioniță totalled six goals from 14 appearances.

Astra Giurgiu

Ioniță moved to Astra Giurgiu during the winter transfer window of 2014,[3] with fellow Liga I sides Dinamo București and Petrolul Ploiești also interested in signing him.[4][5] He scored his first goal for Astra on 15 October 2015, in a 3–0 away victory over Viitorul Constanța for the Cupa Ligii.[6]

On 2 May 2016, Ioniță netted twice in a 4–2 home success against Dinamo București as Astra celebrated its first league title.[7] Following the transfer of Constantin Budescu to FCSB in June 2017, Ioniță took over his number 10 shirt. On 13 July that year, he recorded his first UEFA Europa League goal in a 3–1 home defeat of Zira for the second qualifying round.[8]

Ioniță was named the Liga I Player of the Month for November 2017 after scoring in three consecutive league matches,[9] against Universitatea Craiova,[10] Concordia Chiajna[11] and FCSB, respectively.[12] Amid rumours of a transfer to CFR Cluj in early January 2018, Ioniță refused to renew his contract with Astra and was expelled from the first team for an undetermined period.[13]

CFR Cluj

On 20 January 2018, Ioniță joined CFR Cluj's training camp in Spain after he was acquired for a rumoured fee of €1 million.[14][15] Three days later, the move was made official.[16] Ioniță made his competitive debut on 5 February, in a 2–0 league win against Concordia Chiajna at home.[17] Later that month, he recorded his first goal for CFR in a 2–0 away success over Juventus București, after netting in the rebound from his penalty that had been saved by his former Rapid teammate Virgil Drăghia.[18]

In July 2019, following a disappointing 2018–19 campaign in which he only scored two goals from 27 appearances in all competitions, Ioniță agreed to a one-year loan at Universitatea Craiova with a purchase option.[19] After also failing to settle down at Craiova, the deal was terminated prematurely and he returned to Astra Giurgiu on loan at the start of 2020.[20]

In September 2020, the Romanian Anti-Doping Agency handed Ioniță along with two of his Astra teammates a one-year playing ban after they each received intravenous injections of more than 100mL of vitamins within 24 hours.[21] On 7 September 2021, CFR Cluj announced the termination of Ioniță's contract on a mutual agreement.[22]

Return to Rapid București

Ioniță with Rapid București during a derby against FCSB, April 2023

On 16 September 2021, Ioniță re-signed for Rapid București as a free agent, after agreeing to a three-year contract.[23] He played his first match on 17 October, a 2–0 victory over previous club CFR Cluj in the Liga I.[24]

Ioniță scored his first goal upon return on 11 February 2022, equalising late in a 1–1 league draw with Sepsi OSK as his team played 40 minutes with one player less.[25] On 13 March, he opened the scoring in a 3–1 Bucharest derby win against Dinamo, the first in almost 14 years.[26]

Yunnan Yukun

On 26 February 2024, Rapid București announced that Ioniță was transferred to China League One side Yunnan Yukun.[27]

International career

In September 2017, Ioniță was selected by the Romania senior team for the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Kazakhstan and Denmark.[28] He earned his first cap in the former match, coming on as an 80th-minute substitute for double goal scorer Constantin Budescu in the 3–1 win in Ploiești.[29]

Personal life

Ioniță's father played football in the lower divisions and, like the son,[12] is a supporter of Rapid București.[30]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 3 November 2024[31]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National Cup League Cup Continental[a] Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Rapid București 2010–11 Liga I 1 0 0 0 — — — 1 0
2011–12 Liga I 1 0 0 0 — 0 0 — 1 0
2012–13 Liga I 11 0 0 0 — 0 0 — 11 0
2013–14 Liga II 14 6 3 0 — — — 17 6
Total 27 6 3 0 — 0 0 — 30 6
Astra Giurgiu 2013–14 Liga I 4 0 0 0 — — — 4 0
2014–15 Liga I 9 0 1 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 12 0
2015–16 Liga I 19 3 3 1 4 1 1 0 — 27 5
2016–17 Liga I 31 4 5 2 1 0 6 0 1[b] 0 44 6
2017–18 Liga I 20 10 1 0 — 4 1 — 25 11
Total 83 17 10 3 7 1 11 1 1 0 112 22
CFR Cluj 2017–18 Liga I 9 1 0 0 — — — 9 1
2018–19 Liga I 23 2 4 0 — 4[c] 0 0 0 31 2
Total 32 3 4 0 — 4 0 0 0 40 3
Universitatea Craiova (loan) 2019–20 Liga I 6 0 2 1 — 3 0 — 11 1
Astra Giurgiu (loan) 2019–20 Liga I 6 1 0 0 — — — 6 1
2020–21 Liga I 2 0 — — — — 2 0
Total 8 1 0 0 — — — 8 1
Rapid București 2021–22 Liga I 22 4 0 0 — — — 22 4
2022–23 Liga I 34 2 2 0 — — — 36 2
2023–24 Liga I 18 5 2 0 — — — 20 5
Total 74 11 4 0 — — — 78 11
Yunnan Yukun 2024 China League One 30 8 1 0 — — — 31 8
Career total 260 46 24 4 7 1 18 1 1 0 310 52
  1. ^ All appearances in UEFA Europa League, unless otherwise noted
  2. ^ Appearance in Supercupa României
  3. ^ One appearance in UEFA Champions League, three appearances in UEFA Europa League

International

As of match played 5 October 2017[32]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team Year Apps Goals
Romania 2017 1 0
Total 1 0

Honours

Astra Giurgiu[31]

CFR Cluj[31]

Yunnan Yukun

Individual

References

  1. ^ "Povestea lui Ioniţă II: la 6 ani, era prea gras şi a fost pe punctul de a fi dat afară, acum e asemănat cu Hagi" [Ioniță II's story: at the age of six he was too fat and was almost kicked out, now he is compared to Hagi] (in Romanian). ProSport. 14 December 2013. Retrieved 21 September 2017.
  2. ^ "A debutat în Liga 1 la 16 ani şi visează să joace la Real: "Eu sunt noul Ioniţă"" [He debuted in Liga 1 at 16 years and dreams of playing for Real: "I am the new Ioniță"] (in Romanian). ProSport. 31 May 2011. Retrieved 21 September 2017.
  3. ^ "S-a făcut transferul! Ioniță II este jucătorul Astrei Giurgiu, pentru 700.000 de euro" [Done deal! Ioniță II is the player of Astra Giurgiu, after they paid 700,000 euros] (in Romanian). Digi Sport. 15 December 2013. Retrieved 21 September 2017.
  4. ^ "Situația confuză a transferului lui Ioniță: "Nu m-am dus singur la Astra!"" [The confusing situation of Ioniță's transfer: "I did not choose Astra alone!"] (in Romanian). Digi Sport. 26 January 2014. Retrieved 21 September 2017.
  5. ^ "Şi Petrolul l-a vrut pe Alexandru Ioniţă II: "Ni s-a cerut o sumă exorbitantă"" [Petrolul also wanted Alexandru Ioniţă II: "They asked us for an incredible sum!"] (in Romanian). Digi Sport. 13 December 2013. Retrieved 21 September 2017.
  6. ^ "Viitorul 0–3 Astra". Soccerway. 15 October 2015. Retrieved 23 September 2017.
  7. ^ "Astra Giurgiu - Dinamo 4–2. Victorie spectaculoasă în seara celebrării titlului" [Astra Giurgiu - Dinamo 4–2. Spectacular win during the night in which they celebrated the title] (in Romanian). Digi Sport. 2 May 2016. Retrieved 27 November 2017.
  8. ^ "Alexandru Ioniţă: Mă bucur că nu am dezamăgit. Mă simt la Astra ca la Rapid, ca acasă" [Alexandru Ioniţă: I am happy I did not disappoint. At Astra I feel just like at Rapid, at home] (in Romanian). News.ro. 13 July 2017. Retrieved 21 September 2017.
  9. ^ a b "Marele premiu din noiembrie, luat de un fotbalist pe care Contra l-a ocolit la ultima selecţie: Ioniţă, "Fotbalistul Lunii"" [The big trophy of November, won by a footballer that Contra omitted from Romania's squad: Ioniță, "Player of the Month"] (in Romanian). Digi Sport. 30 November 2017. Retrieved 1 December 2017.
  10. ^ "Astra - CS U Craiova 2–2. Șansă mare ratată de olteni! Gazdele au egalat în inferioritate numerică" [Astra - CS U Craiova 2–2. Big chance missed by "the People from Olt". The hosts equalized despite playing with one man less] (in Romanian). Digi Sport. 3 November 2017. Retrieved 27 November 2017.
  11. ^ "Concordia Chiajna - Astra Giurgiu 1-2. O gafă uriașă a decis victoria" [Concordia Chiajna - Astra Giurgiu 1–2. A bloomer decided the victory] (in Romanian). Jurnalul.ro. 19 November 2017. Archived from the original on 23 November 2017. Retrieved 27 November 2017.
  12. ^ a b "Rapidistul Ioniţă: "Nu merg niciodată la Steaua! Probabil eu sunt singurul care lipseşte ca să fie cea mai bună echipă". Dedicaţie pentru Săpunaru, Daniel Niculae şi Moţi" [Ioniță, still the fan of Rapid: "I will never go to Steaua! I am probably the only player they need to become the best team." Words for Săpunaru, Daniel Niculae and Moţi] (in Romanian). ProSport. 26 November 2017. Retrieved 27 November 2017.
  13. ^ "Culisele "războiului" patron-vedetă de la Astra. Cel mai bogat om din fotbalul românesc şi-a trimis produsul de export la echipa a doua într-un film clasic pentru Liga 1. Edi Iordănescu, prins la mijloc" ["War" between the Astra owner and his star player. The wealthiest man of Romanian football sent him to the reserve squad, in a Liga 1 classic. Edi Iordănescu, caught in between] (in Romanian). ProSport. 4 January 2018. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
  14. ^ "Alex Ioniță a plecat în Spania, în cantonamentul CFR-ului: "Telenovela s-a terminat"" [Alex Ioniță went to Spain, to CFR's training camp: "The transfer saga is over"] (in Romanian). Digi Sport. 20 January 2018. Retrieved 21 January 2018.
  15. ^ "S-a făcut al doilea cel mai scump transfer al iernii în Liga 1. Cât a plătit CFR pentru Ioniţă. Dani Coman: "Jucătorul are cel mai mult de câştigat, era păcat să stea la echipa a doua"" [Liga 1's second most expensive transfer of the winter is done. The sum CFR paid for Ioniță. Dani Coman: "This is best for the player, it would have been a shame for him to stay with the reserve team"] (in Romanian). ProSport. 19 January 2018. Retrieved 21 January 2018.
  16. ^ "Bun venit, Alex Ioniță" [Welcome, Alex Ioniță!] (in Romanian). CFR Cluj. 23 January 2018. Retrieved 24 January 2018.
  17. ^ "CFR Cluj - Concordia Chiajna 2-0. Ardelenii au revenit pe primul loc înaintea duelului cu FCSB. Penalty ratat și bară" [CFR Cluj - Concordia Chiajna 2–0. Ardelenii returned to the first place before the match with FCSB. A missed penalty and a shot off the woodwork] (in Romanian). Digi Sport. 5 February 2018. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
  18. ^ "Juventus - CFR Cluj 0-2. Victorie lejeră pentru liderul din Liga I, după golurile marcate de Omrani şi Ioniţă" [Juventus - CFR Cluj 0–2. Easy victory for the Liga I leader, after the goals scored by Omrani and Ioniță] (in Romanian). Telekom Sport. 25 February 2018. Retrieved 26 February 2018.
  19. ^ "Alex Ioniță a ajuns la un acord cu Știința" [Alex Ioniță reached an agreement with Știința] (in Romanian). CS Universitatea Craiova. 4 July 2019. Retrieved 4 July 2019.
  20. ^ "Alex Ioniță revine la Astra Giurgiu! CFR Cluj a anunțat împrumutul atacantului" [Alex Ioniță returns to Astra Giurgiu! CFR Cluj announced the loan of the forward] (in Romanian). Eurosport România. 6 February 2020. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  21. ^ "Jucătorii acuzați de dopaj la Astra au aflat verdictul după ce au făcut apel! Ce riscă clubul" [The Astra players accused of doping found out the verdict of the appeal! What the club is risking] (in Romanian). Digi Sport. 17 August 2021.
  22. ^ "Mulțumim, Alexandru Ioniță!" [Thank you, Alexandru Ioniță!] (in Romanian). CFR Cluj. 7 September 2021.
  23. ^ "Alex Ioniță II revine acasă după 7 ani" [Alex Ioniță II comes home after 7 years] (in Romanian). FC Rapid București. 16 September 2021. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
  24. ^ "S-a încheiat calvarul: Alex Ioniță a revenit pe teren, după mai bine de un an" [The agony is over: after more than a year, Alex Ioniță has returned to the field] (in Romanian). Digi Sport. 17 October 2021.
  25. ^ "VIDEO Alex Ioniță, gol cât un punct pentru Rapid cu Sepsi! De când nu mai marcase" [VIDEO Alex Ioniță, a goal worth a point for Rapid against Sepsi! Since when he last scored] (in Romanian). Digi Sport. 11 February 2022. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
  26. ^ "Alex Ioniță a "renăscut" cu Adrian Mutu antrenor. A deschis drumul victoriei Rapidului cu Dinamo. Ce spune de Mihai Iosif" [Alex Ioniță is "reborn" with Adrian Mutu as coach. He paved the way for Rapid's victory against Dinamo. What he says about Mihai Iosif] (in Romanian). Digi Sport. 13 March 2022. Retrieved 13 March 2022.
  27. ^ "Alex Ioniță s-a transferat în China" [Alex Ioniță transferred to China] (in Romanian). FC Rapid București. 26 February 2024. Retrieved 27 February 2024.
  28. ^ "Lotul pentru meciurile cu Kazahstan şi Danemarca" [Squad for the matches against Kazakhstan and Denmark] (in Romanian). Romanian Football Federation. 30 September 2017. Archived from the original on 30 September 2017. Retrieved 30 September 2017.
  29. ^ "Cand nu esti Contra Budescu e Grozav! Romania face cel mai bun meci oficial din 2017 la debutul lui Contra! ROMANIA 3–1 KAZAHSTAN! Toate fazele meciului" [When you are not Against ("Contra" in English) Budescu it's Great ("Grozav" in English)! Romania have the best official match of 2017 in Contra's debut! ROMANIA 3–1 KAZAKHSTAN! Play-by-play report] (in Romanian). Sport.ro. 5 October 2017. Retrieved 5 October 2017.
  30. ^ "Interviu cu "Bulgarul". Cea mai tristă zi de naştere, povestea celui mai cunoscut tatuaj din Liga I şi de ce Academia Rapid nu este "adevăratul Rapid"" [Interview with "the Bulgarian". The saddest birthday, the story of the most popular tattoo in Liga I and why Academia Rapid is not "the real Rapid"] (in Romanian). ProSport. 2 March 2018. Retrieved 3 March 2018.
  31. ^ a b c Alexandru Ioniță at Soccerway. Retrieved 23 September 2017.
  32. ^ "Alexandru Ioniță". European Football. Retrieved 5 October 2017.