Adrian Pigulea

{{Infobox football biography

| name= Adrian Pigulea

| image =

| fullname = Adrian Ion Pigulea

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1968|5|12}}

| birth_place = Strehaia, Romania

| height = 1.85 m

| position = Forward

| youthyears1 =

| youthclubs1 = Armătura Strehaia

| youthyears2 =

| youthclubs2 = Universitatea Craiova

| years1 = 1987–1988

| clubs1 = Electromureș Târgu-Mureș

| caps1 =

| goals1 =

| years2 = 1988–1992

| clubs2 = Universitatea Craiova

| caps2 = 82

| goals2 = 16

| years3 = 1992–1993

| clubs3 = Aris Limassol

| caps3 = 24

| goals3 = 6

| years4 = 1993–1995

| clubs4 = Universitatea Craiova

| caps4 = 43

| goals4 = 5

| years5 = 1995–2001

| clubs5 = Național București

| caps5 = 132

| goals5 = 18

| totalcaps = 281

| totalgoals = 45

| nationalyears1= 1991

| nationalteam1 = Romania

| nationalcaps1 = 1

| nationalgoals1= 0

}}

Adrian Pigulea (born 12 May 1968) is a retired Romanian football striker.{{WorldFootball|adrian-pigulea}}{{NFT player|34006}}

Club career

Adrian Pigulea was born on 12 May 1968 in Strehaia, Romania, starting to play junior level football at local club, Armătura.{{RomanianSoccer|3664/adrian-ion-pigulea}}{{cite web | url=https://www.ucv1948.ro/La-multi-ani-Adrian-Pigulea-54| title=La mulți ani, Adrian Pigulea! #54| publisher=Ucv1948.ro| language=Romanian |trans-title=Happy birthday, Adrian Pigulea! #54| date=9 September 2021 | access-date=6 September 2024}} He started to play senior football in 1987 at Divizia B club, Electromureș Târgu-Mureș. In 1988 he went at Universitatea Craiova where on 4 September he made his Divizia A debut in a 5–0 away loss in front of Argeș Pitești. Pigulea helped the club win The Double in the 1990–91 season under the guidance of coach Sorin Cârțu in which he contributed with 12 goals scored in 31 league appearances, being the team's second top-goalscorer, with one goal behind Gheorghe Ciurea, also he played as a starter until the 87th minute when he was replaced with Gheorghe Craioveanu in the 2–1 win over FC Bacău from the Cupa României final.{{cite web|url=https://www.romaniansoccer.ro/menu_items/champions.shtml|title=Romania National Champions |publisher=RomanianSoccer|access-date=6 September 2024}}{{cite web|url=http://www.romaniansoccer.ro/romanian_cup/1990_1991.shtml|title=Romanian Cup – Season 1990–1991|publisher=RomanianSoccer|access-date=6 September 2024}}

In 1992 he played one season in the Cypriot First Division at Aris Limassol, his only experience outside Romania. Afterwards he returned for two seasons at Universitatea Craiova, in both of them the team finished second in the league, also reaching the 1994 Cupa României final where he did not play in the 2–1 loss with Gloria Bistrița.{{cite web|url=http://www.romaniansoccer.ro/romanian_cup/1993_1994.shtml|title=Romanian Cup – Season 1993–1994|publisher=RomanianSoccer|access-date=6 September 2024}} In 1995 he signed with Național București where in the first two seasons he was again runner-up in the league and also reached the 1997 Cupa României final where coach Florin Halagian used him in the first half, replacing him with Cătălin Liță for the second in the eventual 4–2 loss in front of Steaua București.{{cite web|url=http://www.romaniansoccer.ro/romanian_cup/1996_1997.shtml|title=Romanian Cup – Season 1996–1997|publisher=RomanianSoccer|access-date=6 September 2024}} The 2000–01 season spent with Național was the last of Pigulea's career in which he gained a total of 257 Divizia A matches with 40 goals scored and also made 27 appearances with seven goals scored in European competitions (including six games with three goals in the Intertoto Cup), managing to score a hat-trick for Național against Cwmbran Town in a 7–0 from the 1997–98 Cup Winners' Cup qualifying round.{{cite web |title=Național București – Cwmbran Town 7–0|url=https://www.worldfootball.net/report/ec-pokalsieger-qualifikation-1997-1998-qualifikation-progresul-bucuresti-cwmbran-town/ |publisher=worldfootball.net |access-date=6 September 2024}}

International career

Adrian Pigulea played a single match for Romania on 28 August 1991 when coach Mircea Rădulescu sent him on the field in the 60th minute in order to replace Ion Timofte in a friendly against USA which ended with a 2–0 loss.{{cite web|url=https://eu-football.info/_player.php?id=16658|title=Adrian Pigulea profile|publisher=European Football|access-date=6 September 2024}}{{cite web|url=https://eu-football.info/_match.php?id=9440|title=Romania 0-2 United States|publisher=European Football|access-date=6 September 2024}}

Personal life

Adrian Pigulea married Clara, the daughter of former Universitatea Craiova striker Ion Oblemenco.{{cite web | url=https://www.prosport.ro/fotbal-intern/liga-1/stadionul-din-banie-va-purta-din-nou-denumirea-ion-oblemenco-dar-numai-la-meciurile-universitatii-craiova-19336291| title=Prima reacție a familiei lui Ion Oblemenco, după ce stadionul din Craiova și-a recăpătat vechea denumire: "Am înregistrat numele la OSIM"| publisher=Prosport.ro| language=Romanian |trans-title=The first reaction of Ion Oblemenco's family, after the Craiova stadium regained its old name: "We registered the name with OSIM"| date=27 September 2021 | access-date=6 September 2024}}
{{cite web | url=https://www.prosport.ro/fotbal-intern/liga-1/bustul-lui-ion-oblemenco-dezvelit-la-corabia-orasul-natal-al-tunarului-stiintei-19456519| title=Bustul lui Ion Oblemenco, dezvelit la Corabia, orașul natal al "Tunarului" Științei. Sorin Cârțu: "Nelu a fost și este cel mai iubit dintre olteni"| publisher=Prosport.ro| language=Romanian |trans-title=The bust of Ion Oblemenco, unveiled in Corabia, the hometown of "The Cannon" of Știința. Sorin Cârțu: "Nelu was and is the most beloved of Oltenia people"| date=13 May 2022 | access-date=6 September 2024}}
{{cite web | url=https://www.gsp.ro/fotbal/liga-1/marca-ion-oblemenco-craiova-pigulea-642826.html| title=Ginerele lui Ion Oblemenco a explicat cum a obținut CS Universitatea Craiova marca legendarului "Tunar" pentru arena din Bănie| publisher=Gsp.ro| language=Romanian |trans-title=The son-in-law of Ion Oblemenco explained how CS Universitatea Craiova obtained the brand of the legendary "Cannon" for the arena in Bănie| date=27 September 2021 | access-date=6 September 2024}}