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Cătălin Golofca

{{Short description|Romanian professional footballer}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2016}}

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Cătălin Golofca

| image = Catalin Golofca - Petrolul Ploiesti vs Sepsi OSK, 31 July 2022.jpg

| upright = 0.8

| caption = Golofca playing for Sepsi OSK in 2022

| fullname = Cătălin Gheorghiță Golofca

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1990|04|21|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Suceava, Romania

| height = 1.69 m

| position = Winger, attacking midfielder

| currentclub = Unirea Alba Iulia

| clubnumber = 27

| youthyears1 = {{0|0000}}–2009

| youthclubs1 = Cetatea Suceava

| years1 = 2009–2010

| clubs1 = CS Gura Humorului

| caps1 = 20

| goals1 = 11

| years2 = 2010–2015

| clubs2 = Rapid CFR Suceava

| caps2 = 63

| goals2 = 9

| years3 = 2016–2017

| clubs3 = Botoșani

| caps3 = 38

| goals3 = 12

| years4 = 2016

| clubs4 = → Rapid CFR Suceava (loan)

| caps4 = 14

| goals4 = 4

| years5 = 2017–2018

| clubs5 = FCSB

| caps5 = 8

| goals5 = 0

| years6 = 2017–2018

| clubs6 = → Botoșani (loan)

| caps6 = 17

| goals6 = 2

| years7 = 2018–2019

| clubs7 = Botoșani

| caps7 = 45

| goals7 = 8

| years8 = 2019–2021

| clubs8 = CFR Cluj

| caps8 = 8

| goals8 = 0

| years9 = 2020–2021

| clubs9 = → Sepsi OSK (loan)

| caps9 = 31

| goals9 = 3

| years10 = 2021–2022

| clubs10 = Sepsi OSK

| caps10 = 42

| goals10 = 4

| years11 = 2023

| clubs11 = Botoșani

| caps11 = 8

| goals11 = 0

| years12 = 2023–2024

| clubs12 = Chindia Târgoviște

| caps12 = 12

| goals12 = 2

| years13 = 2024

| clubs13 = CSM Slatina

| caps13 = 12

| goals13 = 1

| years14 = 2025–

| clubs14 = Unirea Alba Iulia

| caps14 = 6

| goals14 = 4

| pcupdate = 5 April 2025

}}

Cătălin Gheorghiță Golofca (born 21 April 1990) is a Romanian professional footballer who plays as a winger or an attacking midfielder for Liga III club Unirea Alba Iulia.

Career

=Early career / Botoșani=

Golofca joined FC Botoșani of the Romanian first division in January 2016,{{cite web|url=http://www.gsp.ro/fotbal/liga-1/galerie-foto-fc-botosani-s-a-reunit-astazi-ce-lot-are-la-dispozitie-cristi-pustai-467524.html|title=FC Botoșani s-a reunit astăzi! Ce lot are la dispoziție Cristi Pustai|trans-title=FC Botoşani has gathered today! The squad Cristi Pustai will count on|newspaper=Gazeta Sporturilor|language=Romanian|date=11 January 2016}} aged 25, but spent the rest of the 2015–16 season on loan at former club Rapid CFR Suceava. He previously only had stints with lower league teams from his native Suceava County area.

On 5 August 2016, Golofca recorded his Liga I debut in a 2–4 loss to FC Voluntari. Thirtheen days later, he scored his first goal for Botoșani in a 5–0 away thrashing of ACS Poli Timișoara.{{cite web|url=http://www.digisport.ro/Sport/FOTBAL/Competitii/Liga+1/live-text/ACS+Poli+-+Botosani|title=ACS Poli Timișoara 0–5 FC Botoșani|publisher=Digi Sport|language=Romanian|date=18 August 2016|access-date=7 August 2017}} In his debut campaign at the club, Golofca amassed 34 league appearances and netted nine times.

=FCSB / Return to Botoșani=

After scoring three goals in the first four opening games of the 2017–18 Liga I, FCSB announced the signing of Golofca on a four-year deal on 7 August 2017.{{cite web|url=http://www.steauafc.com/ro/articol/transfer_golofca/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170807194805/http://www.steauafc.com/ro/articol/transfer_golofca/|url-status=dead|archive-date=7 August 2017|title=Bine ai venit, Catalin Golofca!|trans-title=Welcome, Cătălin Golofca|publisher=FC Steaua București|language=Romanian|date=7 August 2017|access-date=7 August 2017}} The capital-based team paid €400,000 for 40% of his economic rights.{{cite web|url=

http://www.digisport.ro/Sport/FOTBAL/Competitii/Liga+1/Golofca-e-jucatorul-FCSB-Cat-va-incasa-jucatorul-si-pe-ce-post|title=Golofca e jucătorul FCSB. Cât va încasa atacantul și pe ce post va evolua|trans-title=Golofca is FCSB's player. How much he will earn and what position he will play on|publisher=Digi Sport|language=Romanian|date=6 August 2017|access-date=6 August 2017}}{{cite web|url=

http://www.gsp.ro/fotbal/liga-1/exclusiv-update-golofca-a-semnat-cu-fcsb-in-aceasta-seara-va-fi-detinut-in-coproprietate-cati-bani-a-dat-becali-pe-40-la-suta-din-jucator-primele-reactii-oficiale-am-facut-o-afacere-buna-pentru-toata-lumea-517814.html|title=Golofca a SEMNAT cu FCSB în această seară! Va fi deținut în coproprietate: câți bani a dat Becali pe 40 la sută din jucător + primele reacții oficiale: "Am făcut o afacere bună pentru toată lumea"|trans-title=Golofa SIGNED with FCSB this evening! He will be co-owned: how much money Becali has given for 40% of the player + first official reactions: "We made a good deal for everyone"|newspaper=Gazeta Sporturilor|language=Romanian|date=6 August 2017|access-date=6 August 2017}} On the 15th that month he played his first European match, starting in a goalless draw with Sporting CP at the Estádio José Alvalade in the UEFA Champions League play-off round.{{cite web|url=https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/match/2021576--sporting-cp-vs-fcsb/|title=Sporting CP 0–0 FCSB|publisher=UEFA|date=15 August 2017|access-date=1 September 2019}}

Golofca's only goal at FCSB came in a Cupa României 3–0 victory over ACS Poli Timișoara, on 30 November. His poor form and rumours about his nightlife made him fall out of favor{{cite web|url=https://www.realitatea.net/gigi-becali-n-a-glumit-a-dat-afara-un-jucator-pe-care-l-luase-in-vara-dar-care-l-a-nemultumit_2128296.html|title=Gigi Becali n-a glumit. A dat afară un jucător pe care-l luase în vară, dar care l-a nemulţumit|trans-title=Gigi Becali din not joke around. He kicked out a player he had brought in the summer, but which had disappointed him|publisher=Realitatea TV|language=Romanian|date=18 December 2017|access-date=29 August 2019}}{{cite web|url=https://www.fanatik.ro/catalin-golofca-socheaza-ce-spune-despre-fcsb-si-iesitul-in-club-17587332|title=Golofca îi răspunde lui Gigi: "Nu sunt curvar! Timpul va demonstra"|trans-title=Golofca gives Gigi a reply: "I am not a manwhore! Time will tell"|publisher=Fanatik.ro|language=Romanian|date=13 January 2019|access-date=29 August 2019}} and be loaned back to FC Botoșani in the 2018 winter transfer window,{{cite web|url=http://www.steauafc.com/ro/articol/golofca-botosani/|title=Multumim, Catalin Golofca!|trans-title=Thank you, Cătălin Golofca|publisher=FC Steaua București|language=Romanian|date=18 December 2017|access-date=18 December 2017}} eventually rejoining the club on a permanent basis in the summer of that year.

=CFR Cluj=

On 30 August 2019, Golofca was transferred by two-time defending champions CFR Cluj for an undisclosed fee.{{cite web|url=https://cfr1907.ro/bun-venit-catalin-golofca/|title=Bun venit, Catalin Golofca!|trans-title=Welcome, Cătălin Golofca!|publisher=CFR Cluj|language=Romanian|date=30 August 2019|access-date=30 August 2019}} The following day, he made his debut and assisted Adrian Păun's late goal in a 2–3 loss to Astra Giurgiu.{{cite web|url=https://m.digisport.ro/fotbal/liga-1/astra-cfr-cluj-live-video-2100-digi-sport-1-ardelenii-cu-multe-absente-716089|title=Astra Giurgiu 3–2 CFR Cluj|publisher=Digi Sport|language=Romanian|date=31 August 2019|access-date=1 September 2019}}

Style of play

Golofca primarily plays as a winger on the right flank, although he has been deployed in the centre as an attacking midfielder or even a main striker on occasion.

Career statistics

=Club=

{{updated|match played 5 April 2025}}{{soccerway|ctlin-gheorghi-golofca/263869|accessdate=1 June 2021}}

class=wikitable style=text-align:center

|+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

rowspan=2|Club

!rowspan=2|Season

!colspan=3|League

!colspan=2|National Cup

!colspan=2|League Cup

!colspan=2|Continental{{efn|Includes the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League and UEFA Conference League }}

!colspan=2|Other

!colspan=2|Total

DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
CS Gura Humorului2009–10Liga III

|20

11??colspan="2"|—colspan="2"|—colspan="2"|—2011
rowspan="7"|Rapid CFR Suceava2010–11Liga III

|?

???colspan="2"|—colspan="2"|—colspan="2"|—??
2011–12Liga III

|?

???colspan="2"|—colspan="2"|—colspan="2"|—??
2012–13Liga II

|4

100colspan="2"|—colspan="2"|—colspan="2"|—41
2013–14Liga II

|21

210colspan="2"|—colspan="2"|—colspan="2"|—222
2014–15Liga II

|24

431colspan="2"|—colspan="2"|—colspan="2"|—275
2015–16Liga II

|29

610colspan="2"|—colspan="2"|—colspan="2"|—306
colspan="2"|Total

!78||13||5||1||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||83||14

rowspan="3"|Botoșani2016–17Liga I

|34

91020colspan="2"|—colspan="2"|—379
2017–18Liga I

|4

300colspan="2"|—colspan="2"|—colspan="2"|—43
colspan="2"|Total

!38||12||1||0||2||0||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||41||12

FCSB2017–18Liga I

|8

021colspan="2"|—50colspan="2"|—151
FCSB II2017–18Liga III

|5

5colspan="2"|—colspan="2"|—colspan="2"|—colspan="2"|—55
rowspan="1"|Botoșani (loan)2017–18Liga I

|17

230colspan="2"|—colspan="2"|—colspan="2"|—202
rowspan="3"|Botoșani2018–19Liga I

|39

710colspan="2"|—colspan="2"|—colspan="2"|—407
2019–20Liga I

|6

100colspan="2"|—colspan="2"|—colspan="2"|—61
colspan="2"|Total

!62||10||4||0||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||66||10

rowspan="3"|CFR Cluj2019–20Liga I

|7

011colspan="2"|—50colspan="2"|—131
2020–21Liga I

|1

000colspan="2"|—21colspan="2"|—31
colspan="2"|Total

!8||0||1||1||colspan="2"|—||7||1||colspan="2"|—||16||2

rowspan="1"|Sepsi OSK (loan)2020–21Liga I

|31

310colspan="2"|—colspan="2"|—1{{efn|appearance in Liga I play-offs for UEFA Europa Conference League}}0333
rowspan="3"|Sepsi OSK2021–22Liga I

|31

251colspan="2" |—00colspan="2" |—363
2022–23Liga I

|11

220colspan="2" |—301{{efn|name=SCR|Appearance in Supercupa României}}0172
colspan="2"|Total

!73||7||8||1|| colspan="2" |—||3||0||2||0||86||8

rowspan="3"| Botoșani2022–23Liga I

|7

0colspan="2"|—colspan="2"|—colspan="2"|—colspan="2"|—70
2023–24Liga I

|1

0colspan="2"|—colspan="2"|—colspan="2"|—colspan="2"|—10
colspan="2"|Total

!8||0|| colspan="2" |—|| colspan="2" |—|| colspan="2" |—|| colspan="2" |—||8||0

Chindia Târgoviște

|2023–24

Liga II

|12

232colspan="2"|—colspan="2"|—colspan="2"|—154
CSM Slatina

|2024–25

Liga II

|12

110colspan="2"|—colspan="2"|—colspan="2"|—131
Unirea Alba Iulia

|2024–25

Liga III

|6

420colspan="2"|—colspan="2"|—colspan="2"|—84
colspan="3"|Career total

!330||65||27||6||2||0||15||1||2||0||375||72

{{reflist|group=lower-alpha}}

Honours

Rapid CFR Suceava

CFR Cluj

Sepsi OSK

References

{{Reflist}}

External links

  • {{RomanianSoccer|3778/catalin-gheorghita-golofca}}
  • {{Soccerbase|90142}}
  • {{UEFA player|250111305}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Golofca, Catalin}}

Category:1990 births

Category:Living people

Category:Footballers from Suceava

Category:Romanian men's footballers

Category:Men's association football midfielders

Category:Men's association football wingers

Category:Liga I players

Category:Liga II players

Category:Liga III players

Category:CSM Cetatea Suceava players

Category:ACS Foresta Suceava players

Category:FC Botoșani players

Category:FCSB players

Category:CFR Cluj players

Category:Sepsi OSK Sfântu Gheorghe players

Category:AFC Chindia Târgoviște players

Category:CSM Slatina (football) players

Category:CSM Unirea Alba Iulia players

Category:21st-century Romanian sportsmen