Valentin Țicu

Valentin Țicu
Țicu with Petrolul Ploiești in 2023
Personal information
Full name Valentin Constantin Țicu
Date of birth (2000-09-19) 19 September 2000 (age 24)
Place of birth Ploiești, Romania
Height 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in)
Position(s) Left-back
Team information
Current team
 Petrolul Ploiești
Number 5
Youth career
–2018 Petrolul Ploiești
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2018– Petrolul Ploiești 162 (8)
International career
2018 Romania U19 2 (0)
2021–2023 Romania U21 11 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 29 July 2024

Valentin Constantin Țicu (Romanian pronunciation: [valenˈtin konstanˈtin ˈt͡siku]; born 19 September 2000) is a Romanian professional footballer who plays as a left-back for Liga I club Petrolul Ploiești.

Club career

Țicu is a youth product of Petrolul Ploiești, and made his senior debut for the club in a Liga III game against Flacăra Moreni on 30 March 2018.[1] On 28 September that year, he registered his first Liga II appearance by playing the full 90 minutes in a 5–0 thrashing of Aerostar Bacău.

Țicu scored his first goal on 13 October 2019, in a 3–0 league win over Daco-Getica București. In the 2021–22 campaign, he gained team captaincy[1] and aided with 26 appearances and three goals as "the Yellow-Blues" won the Liga II championship.

Țicu made his debut in the top tier by starting in a 0–1 home loss to Voluntari, on 18 July 2022.[2] On 31 March 2023, he scored his first Liga I goal—and the only of the match—in an away victory over FC U Craiova.[3] He was an undisputed starter during the 2022–23 season, totalling 38 league matches.

On 13 September 2023, Petrolul Ploiești announced that Țicu signed a contract extension lasting until 2026.[1] Eleven days later, he committed a foul which left Hermannstadt player Dragoș Iancu with an ankle fracture and was handed a 16-match suspension,[4] later reduced in half.

International career

On 15 June 2023, Țicu was selected by manager Emil Săndoi in the Romania under-21 squad for the 2023 UEFA European Championship.[5] Two days later, as a result of several injuries within the senior team squad, he was called up for a UEFA Euro 2024 qualifier against Switzerland,[6] but did not make his debut.

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 29 July 2024[7]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National Cup Continental Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Petrolul Ploiești 2018–19 Liga II 15 0 — — — 15 0
2019–20 Liga II 25 1 3 0 — — 28 1
2020–21 Liga II 23 1 2 1 — — 25 2
2021–22 Liga II 26 3 0 0 — — 26 3
2022–23 Liga I 38 1 2 0 — — 40 1
2023–24 Liga I 32 1 1 0 — — 33 1
2024–25 Liga I 3 1 0 0 — — 3 1
Career total 162 8 8 1 — — 170 9

Honours

Petrolul Ploiești[7]

References

  1. ^ a b c "Vali Ticu, încă trei ani alături de FC Petrolul!" [Vali Țicu, three more years with FC Petrolul!] (in Romanian). FC Petrolul Ploiești. 13 September 2023. Retrieved 13 September 2023.
  2. ^ "Petrolul Ploiești - FC Voluntari 0-1. Ploieștenii pierd în primul meci de la revenirea în Liga 1" [Petrolul Ploiești - FC Voluntari 0–1. Ploieștenii lose the first match since their Liga 1 return] (in Romanian). Digi Sport. 18 July 2022. Retrieved 19 July 2022.
  3. ^ "FCU Craiova - Petrolul 0-1. Meci fără prea mult spectacol salvat însă de golul lui Ţicu" [FCU Craiova - Petrolul 0-1. A match without much show saved by Țicu's goal] (in Romanian). Prima Sport. 31 March 2023. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
  4. ^ "Suspendare-RECORD! Valentin Țicu și-a aflat pedeapsa după ce l-a băgat în spital pe Dragoș Iancu: revine în 2024! Prima reacție" [RECORD-suspension! Valentin Țicu found out his punishment after putting Dragoș Iancu in the hospital: he will return in 2024! First reaction]. Gazeta Sporturilor (in Romanian). 18 October 2023. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
  5. ^ "U21 la EURO 2023 | VIDEO: Ei sunt ROMÂNIA U21 pentru Campionatul European!" [U21 at EURO 2023 | VIDEO: They are ROMANIA U21 for the European Championship!] (in Romanian). Romanian Football Federation. 15 June 2023. Retrieved 15 June 2023.
  6. ^ "Convocare de ultim moment la naționala României! Fotbalistul chemat de urgență de Edi Iordănescu" [Last minute call-up to the Romanian national team! The footballer urgently called up by Edi Iordănescu]. Digi Sport. 17 June 2023. Retrieved 18 June 2023.
  7. ^ a b Valentin Țicu at Soccerway. Retrieved 19 July 2022.