Liviu Ciobotariu

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Liviu Ciobotariu

| image = Liviu Ciobotariu, 2019.jpg

| caption = Ciobotariu in 2019

| fullname = Liviu Ciobotariu{{GSA player|liviu-ciobotariu/7571|access-date=7 May 2021}}

| height = 1.88 m

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1971|3|26}}

| birth_place = Ghimpați, Romania

| currentclub =

| position = Centre-back

| youthyears1 = {{0|0000}}–1989

| youthclubs1 = Progresul București

| years1 = 1989–1998

| clubs1 = Național București

| caps1 = 173

| goals1 = 19

| years2 = 1990–1991

| clubs2 = → Pandurii Târgu Jiu (loan)

| caps2 = 24

| goals2 = 3

| years3 = 1998–2000

| clubs3 = Dinamo București

| caps3 = 47

| goals3 = 4

| years4 = 2000–2001

| clubs4 = Standard Liége

| caps4 = 47

| goals4 = 0

| years5 = 2002–2004

| clubs5 = RAEC Mons

| caps5 = 46

| goals5 = 1

| years6 = 2004

| clubs6 = Royal Antwerp

| caps6 = 14

| goals6 = 0

| years7 = 2004–2005

| clubs7 = Dinamo București

| caps7 = 8

| goals7 = 0

| totalcaps = 359

| totalgoals = 27

| nationalyears1 = 1997–2001

| nationalteam1 = Romania

| nationalcaps1 = 32

| nationalgoals1 = 3

| manageryears1 = 2006

| managerclubs1 = Național București (caretaker)

| manageryears2 = 2006–2007

| managerclubs2 = Dunărea Galați

| manageryears3 = 2007–2008

| managerclubs3 = Otopeni

| manageryears4 = 2008

| managerclubs4 = Internațional Curtea de Argeș

| manageryears5 = 2008–2009

| managerclubs5 = Otopeni

| manageryears6 = 2009–2010

| managerclubs6 = Pandurii Târgu Jiu

| manageryears7 = 2010

| managerclubs7 = CF Brăila

| manageryears8 = 2010–2011

| managerclubs8 = Dinamo II București

| manageryears9 = 2011–2012

| managerclubs9 = Dinamo București

| manageryears10 = 2012–2013

| managerclubs10 = CSMS Iași

| manageryears11 = 2013–2014

| managerclubs11 = Vaslui

| manageryears12 = 2015

| managerclubs12 = ASA Târgu Mureș

| manageryears13 = 2015–2016

| managerclubs13 = Al-Faisaly

| manageryears14 = 2018

| managerclubs14 = Al-Tai

| manageryears15 = 2018–2019

| managerclubs15 = Botoșani

| manageryears16 = 2019–2020

| managerclubs16 = Lebanon

| manageryears17 = 2021

| managerclubs17 = Hermannstadt

| manageryears18 = 2021–2023

| managerclubs18 = Voluntari

| manageryears19 = 2023

| managerclubs19 = Sepsi OSK

| manageryears20 = 2024–2025

| managerclubs20 = Botoșani

}}

Liviu Ciobotariu (born 26 March 1971) is a Romanian professional football manager and former player.

Club career

Ciobotariu debuted in Divizia A with Progresul București in 1992.

International career

Ciobotariu made his debut for the Romania national team in 1997 against Macedonia, and represented his country at the 1998 FIFA World Cup and Euro 2000. He played his last international match in 2001, and got 32 caps and 3 goals in total.

Managerial career

Ciobotariu retired in 2005 and began to coach in 2006. Between July 2011 and April 2012, he was the manager of Dinamo București. In January 2015, he took control of ASA Târgu Mureș. Ciobotariu brought the team to the first position in Liga I, but failed to win the championship after two losses in the last two games of the 2014–15 season. At the end of the season, Ciobotariu ended his contract with ASA on mutual agreement.

On 4 June 2015, he was appointed as head coach of Saudi Professional League side Al-Faisaly, before moving to Al-Ta'ee in 2017.{{Cite web|url=https://www.digisport.ro/fotbal/liga-1/liviu-ciobotariu-pleaca-de-la-fc-botosani-pentru-a-deveni-selectioner-anuntul-oficial-se-va-face-saptamana-viitoare-666952|title=Liviu Ciobotariu pleacă de la FC Botoșani pentru a deveni selecționer! Anunțul oficial se va face săptămâna viitoare|website=www.digisport.ro|language=ro|access-date=2019-06-01}} After one season, Ciobotariu was appointed manager of Botoșani.

On 3 June 2019, Ciobotariu was named manager of the Lebanon national team.{{Cite web|url=https://www.falebanon.com/%e2%80%aaliviu-ciobotariu-has-been-appointed-as-the-new-lebanon-head-coach/|title=Liviu Ciobotariu has been appointed as the new Lebanon head coach|last=Abou Diab|first=Rami|date=2019-06-04|website=FA Lebanon|language=en-US|access-date=2019-12-08}} After coaching for 10 games, on 17 June 2020 the Lebanese Football Association (LFA) decided not to extend Ciobotariu's contract, which had expired.{{Cite web|last=Mahfoud|first=Maroun|date=2020-06-17|title=Official: Jamal Taha is the new coach for the Lebanese national team|url=https://www.falebanon.com/official-jamal-taha-is-the-new-coach-for-the-lebanese-national-team/|access-date=2020-06-17|website=FA Lebanon|language=en-US}}

On 15 January 2021, Ciobotariu was appointed head coach of Liga I club Hermannstadt, signing a two-year contract.{{Cite web|date=2021-01-15|title=OFICIAL {{!}} Liviu Ciobotariu, noul antrenor al sibienilor de la Hermannstadt! Ce staff va avea înlocuitorul lui Ruben Albes|url=https://www.prosport.ro/fotbal-intern/oficial-liviu-ciobotariu-noul-antrenor-al-sibienilor-de-la-hermannstadt-19182860|access-date=2021-01-15|website=Prosport|language=ro}} He was dismissed on 21 March after winning only one game out of 12.{{Cite web|title=OFICIAL {{!}} Liviu Ciobotariu a plecat de la Hermannstadt, după doar două luni|url=https://www.digisport.ro/fotbal/liga-1/oficial-liviu-ciobotariu-a-plecat-de-la-hermannstadt-dupa-doar-doua-luni-1030304|access-date=2021-04-08|website=www.digisport.ro|language=ro}} He became head coach of fellow Liga I side Voluntari on 7 May 2021.{{Cite web|title=OFICIAL Schimbare de antrenor în play-out! Liviu Ciobotariu revine în lupta pentru evitarea retrogradării|url=https://www.digisport.ro/fotbal/liga-1/schimbare-de-antrenor-in-play-out-liviu-ciobotariu-revine-in-lupta-pentru-evitarea-retrogradarii-1091535|access-date=2021-05-07|website=www.digisport.ro|language=ro}}

Personal life

His son Denis is also a footballer.{{cite web|url=http://www.gsp.ro/fotbal/liga-1/dupa-costache-dinamo-mai-propune-un-tanar-care-va-impresiona-vom-auzi-lucruri-frumoase-despre-el-470148.html|title=După Costache, Dinamo mai propune un tânăr care va impresiona: "Vom auzi lucruri frumoase despre el"|publisher=gsp.ro|language=ro |trans-title=After Costache, Dinamo proposes another young man who will impress: "We will hear beautiful things about him"|access-date= 8 October 2017}}{{cite web|url=https://www.dolce-sport.ro/fotbal/fotbal-intern/video-fiul-lui-liviu-ciobotariu-gata-sa-faca-pasul-spre-echipa-mare-lui-dinamo-tata-ma-inva.html|title=VIDEO Fiul lui Liviu Ciobotariu, gata să facă pasul spre echipa mare a lui Dinamo: "Tata mă învață..."|publisher=dolce-sport.ro|language=ro|trans-title=VIDEO Liviu Ciobotariu's son, ready to make his way to Dinamo's big team: "Dad teaches me ..."|access-date=8 October 2017|archive-date=8 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171008130118/https://www.dolce-sport.ro/fotbal/fotbal-intern/video-fiul-lui-liviu-ciobotariu-gata-sa-faca-pasul-spre-echipa-mare-lui-dinamo-tata-ma-inva.html|url-status=dead}}

Career statistics

=International =

National team !Year	Apps	Goals
class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
rowspan="5" \|Romania \|1997	2	0
1998	9	0
1999	8	1
2000	9	1
2001	4	1
colspan="2" \|Total\|\|32\|\|3

:Romania score listed first, score column indicates score after each Ciobotariu goal.

class="wikitable sortable" ! Goal !! Date !! Venue !! Opponent !! Score !! Result !! Competition
1 \| 4 September 1999 \|\| Tehelné pole, Bratislava, Slovakia \|\| {{Fb\|SVK}} \|\|align="center"\|3–1 \|\| align="center" \|5–1 \|\| UEFA Euro 2000 Qual.
2 \| 3 June 2000 \|\| Stadionul Ghencea, Bucharest, Romania \|\| {{Fb\|GRE}} \|\|align="center"\|1–0 \|\| align="center" \|2–1 \|\| Friendly
3 \| 26 February 2001 \|\| GSP Stadium, Nicosia, Cyprus \|\| {{Fb\|UKR}} \|\|align="center"\|1–0 \|\| align="center" \|1–0 \|\| Friendly

class="wikitable sortable"

! Goal !! Date !! Venue !! Opponent !! Score !! Result !! Competition

| 4 September 1999 || Tehelné pole, Bratislava, Slovakia || {{Fb|SVK}} ||align="center"|3–1 || align="center" |5–1 || UEFA Euro 2000 Qual.

| 3 June 2000 || Stadionul Ghencea, Bucharest, Romania || {{Fb|GRE}} ||align="center"|1–0 || align="center" |2–1 || Friendly

| 26 February 2001 || GSP Stadium, Nicosia, Cyprus || {{Fb|UKR}} ||align="center"|1–0 || align="center" |1–0 || Friendly

Honours

=Player=

Progresul București

Dinamo București

=Coach=

Voluntari

Cupa României runner-up: 2021–22

Sepsi OSK

Supercupa României: 2023

Individual

Gazeta Sporturilor Romania Coach of the Month: September 2021,{{cite web|url=https://www.gsp.ro/gsp-special/ideile-gazetei/jefte-betancor-liviu-ciobotariu-premii-septembrie-643487.html|title=CEI MAI BUNI Granzii puși la respect! » Jefte Betancor a fost ales "Jucătorul lunii septembrie", iar Liviu Ciobotariu - "Antrenorul lunii"! Cum s-a votat|trans-title=THE BEST Respectable grannies! » Jefté Betancor was chosen the "Player of the Month in September ", and Liviu Ciobotariu - the "Coach of the Month"! How the voting took place|newspaper=Gazeta Sporturilor|language=ro|date=6 October 2021|accessdate=12 November 2021}} July 2023, August 2023