Valentin Costache
{{Short description|Romanian professional footballer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2024}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Valentin Costache
| image = Valentin Costache - Petrolul Ploiesti vs Rapid Bucuresti, 13 August 2022.jpg
| upright = 0.8
| caption = Costache with Rapid București in 2022
| fullname = Valentin Ionuț Costache
| height = 1.75 m
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1998|8|2|df=yes}}
| birth_place = Videle, Romania
| currentclub = UTA Arad
| clubnumber = 19
| position = Winger, attacking midfielder
| youthyears1 = {{0|0000}}–2014
| youthclubs1 = CSȘ Videle
| youthyears2 = 2014–2015
| youthclubs2 = Dinamo București
| years1 = 2015–2017
| clubs1 = Dinamo București
| caps1 = 18
| goals1 = 4
| years2 = 2016–2017
| clubs2 = → Afumați (loan)
| caps2 = 22
| goals2 = 6
| years3 = 2018–2022
| clubs3 = CFR Cluj
| caps3 = 121
| goals3 = 12
| years4 = 2022–2023
| clubs4 = Rapid București
| caps4 = 27
| goals4 = 0
| years5 = 2023–2024
| clubs5 = Apollon Limassol
| caps5 = 28
| goals5 = 3
| years6 = 2024–
| clubs6 = UTA Arad
| caps6 = 38
| goals6 = 6
| nationalyears1 = 2014–2015
| nationalteam1 = Romania U17
| nationalcaps1 = 2
| nationalgoals1 = 0
| nationalyears2 = 2017–2021
| nationalteam2 = Romania U21
| nationalcaps2 = 8
| nationalgoals2 = 3
| nationalyears3 = 2021
| nationalteam3 = Romania Olympic
| nationalcaps3 = 2
| nationalgoals3 = 0
| pcupdate = 17 May 2025
| ntupdate =
}}
Valentin Ionuț Costache ({{IPA|ro|valenˈtin joˈnut͡s kosˈtake}}; born 2 August 1998) is a Romanian professional footballer who plays as a winger or as an attacking midfielder for Liga I club UTA Arad.
Club career
=Dinamo București=
Costache joined the youth setup of Dinamo București from hometown club CSȘ Videle in 2014.{{cite web|url=http://www.ziarulring.ro/SPORT/gabi-rdu-valentin-costache-e-cel-mai-bun-la-u-17-i-nu-a-fost-convocat-la-naional|title=Gabi Răduţă: "Valentin Costache e cel mai bun la U 17 şi nu a fost convocat la naţională"|trans-title=Gabi Răduță: "Valentin Costache is the best at under-17 level but he wasn't called to the national team"|newspaper=Ring|language=ro|date=1 April 2015|access-date=25 December 2015|archive-date=31 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170731160842/http://www.ziarulring.ro/SPORT/gabi-rdu-valentin-costache-e-cel-mai-bun-la-u-17-i-nu-a-fost-convocat-la-naional|url-status=dead}} On 20 December the following year, he made his senior debut by coming on as a 62nd-minute substitute for Bogdan Gavrilă in a 1–1 Liga I draw against CFR Cluj.{{cite web|url=http://www.digisport.ro/Sport/FOTBAL/Competitii/Liga+1/live-text/VIDEO+CFR+Cluj+-+Dinamo+20+decembrie+2015|title=CFR Cluj - Dinamo 1–1|publisher=Digi Sport|language=ro|date=20 December 2015|access-date=31 July 2017}} On 14 February 2016, he netted the only goal of a match against Botoșani in the same competition.{{cite web|url=http://www.gsp.ro/fotbal/liga-1/video-superinventie-costache-rednic-l-a-titularizat-pe-un-copil-de-17-ani-si-a-lasat-pe-banca-nume-mai-grele-marc-essombe-bartalsstovu-juniorul-a-si-marcat-470142.html|title=Superinvenție: Costache » Rednic l-a titularizat pe un copil de 17 ani și a lăsat pe bancă nume mai grele: Marc, Essombe, Bartalsstovu. Juniorul a și marcat|trans-title=Great discovery: Costache » Rednic started the game with the 17-year-old boy and left the bigger names on the bench: Marc, Essombé, Bartalsstovu. The junior also scored|newspaper=Gazeta Sporturilor|language=ro|date=15 February 2016|access-date=31 July 2017}}
Costache was loaned out to second division side Afumați for the 2016–17 campaign, where he managed to score six goals from 23 games all competitions comprised. On 30 July 2017, he scored his first Dinamo goal upon his return to Bucharest in a 1–0 away victory over Liga I defending champions Viitorul Constanța.{{cite web|url=http://www.digisport.ro/Sport/FOTBAL/Competitii/Liga+1/VIDEO+E+marele+castig+o+sa+vedeti+Ronaldo+de+Romania+Dinamo|title="Ronaldo de România" a impresionat înainte de ziua lui. "E marele câștig, o să vedeți!"|trans-title="The Romanian Ronaldo" impressed just before his birthday. "He is a great asset, you will see!"|publisher=Digi Sport|language=ro|date=31 July 2017|access-date=31 July 2017}}
=CFR Cluj=
During early November 2017, it was reported that Costache would be joining CFR Cluj in the approaching transfer window for a fee of €1 million.{{cite web|url=http://ziuadecj.realitatea.net/sport/--166016.html|title=Transfer neașteptat în Gruia.|publisher=realitatea.net|language=ro|date=10 November 2017|url-status=dead|access-date=5 July 2018|archive-date=5 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180705232922/http://ziuadecj.realitatea.net/sport/--166016.html}} He was formally unveiled at his new team on 8 January 2018.{{cite web|url=https://cfr1907.ro/ne-intarim-pentru-play-off/|title=Ne intarim pentru play-off!|trans-title=We strengthen ourselves for the play-offs!|publisher=CFR Cluj|language=ro|date=8 January 2018|accessdate=8 January 2018}}
Over the course of four and a half seasons in Cluj-Napoca, Costache amassed totals of 145 games and 15 goals in all competitions, and also aided to seven domestic honours.
=Rapid București=
On 16 June 2022, Costache was transferred to fellow Liga I team Rapid București.{{cite web|url=https://www.fcrapid.ro/valentin-costache-este-noul-jucator-al-rapidului/|title=Valentin Costache este noul jucător al Rapidului|trans-title=Valentin Costache is the new player of Rapid|publisher=FC Rapid București|language=ro|date=16 June 2022|accessdate=17 June 2022}}
=Apollon Limassol=
On 22 August 2023, Costache signed for Cypriot First Division club Apollon Limassol on a two-year deal with the option for a further year.{{cite web|url=https://www.apollon.com.cy/en/apollon-signs-valentin-costache/|title=Apollon signs Valentin Costache|website=www.apollon.com.cy/en|date=22 August 2023|accessdate=22 August 2023}}
Career statistics
=Club=
{{updated|match played 17 May 2025}}{{Soccerway|ionu-costache/379187|accessdate=31 July 2017}}
| 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 !colspan="2"|Other !colspan="3"|Total | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| rowspan="3" |Dinamo București
|4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 5 | 1 | |||
| 2017–18
|Liga I |14 | 3 | 1 | |0 | colspan="2" |— | 1 | 0 | colspan="2" |— | 16 | 3 | |||
| colspan="2"|Total
!18 !4 !1 !0 !1 !0 !1 !0 ! colspan="2"|— !21 !4 | ||||||||||||
| rowspan="1"|Afumați (loan)
|22 | 6 | 1 | 0 | rowspan=1 colspan="2"|— | rowspan=1 colspan="2"|— | rowspan=1 colspan="2"|— | 23 | 6 | ||||
| rowspan="6" |CFR Cluj
|Liga I |13 |0 |0 |0 | colspan="2" |— | colspan="2" |— | colspan="2" |— |13 |0 | ||||||||||||
| 2018–19
|Liga I |18 |1 |3 |3 | colspan="2" |— |1 |0 |1 |0 |23 |4 | ||||||||||||
| 2019–20
|Liga I |34 |4 |0 |0 | colspan="2" |— |1 |0 |1 |0 |36 |4 | ||||||||||||
| 2020–21
|Liga I |35 |4 |1 |0 | colspan="2" |— |0 |0 |1 |0 |37 |4 | ||||||||||||
| 2021–22
|Liga I |21 |3 |0 |0 | colspan="2" |— |14 |0 |1 |0 |36 |3 | ||||||||||||
| colspan="2"|Total
!121 !12 !4 !3 !0 !0 !16 !0 !4 !0 !145 !15 | ||||||||||||
| rowspan="3"|Rapid București
|Liga I |24 | 0 | 1 | 0 | rowspan=1 colspan="2"|— | rowspan=1 colspan="2"|— | rowspan=1 colspan="2"|— | 25 | 0 | ||||
| 2023–24
|Liga I |3 | 0 | rowspan=1 colspan="2"|— | rowspan=1 colspan="2"|— | rowspan=1 colspan="2"|— | rowspan=1 colspan="2"|— | 3 | 0 | |||||
| colspan="2"|Total
!27 !0 !1 !0 !0 !0 ! colspan="2"|— ! colspan="2"|— !28 !0 | ||||||||||||
| Apollon Limassol
|28 | 3 | 2 | 0 | rowspan=1 colspan="2"|— | rowspan=1 colspan="2"|— | rowspan=1 colspan="2"|— | 30 | 3 | ||||
| UTA Arad
|Liga I |38 | 6 | 3 | 0 | rowspan=1 colspan="2"|— | rowspan=1 colspan="2"|— | rowspan=1 colspan="2"|— | 41 | 6 | ||||
| colspan="3"|Career total
!254 !31 !12 !3 !1 !0 !17 !0 !4 !0 !287 !34 |
Honours
Dinamo București
- Cupa României runner-up: 2015–16
- Liga I: 2017–18, 2018–19, 2019–20, 2020–21, 2021–22
- Supercupa României: 2018, 2020;{{cite web|url=https://www.frf.ro/competitii/supercupa-romaniei-cfr-cluj-vs-fcsb/|title=FOTO&VIDEO | CFR Cluj a câștigat Supercupa României!|trans-title=PHOTO&VIDEO | CFR Cluj has won the Romanian Supercup!|publisher=Romanian Football Federation|language=ro|date=15 April 2021|access-date=16 April 2021}} runner-up: 2019, 2021
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
External links
- {{RomanianSoccer|4348/valentin-costache}}
- {{UEFA player|250078018}}
{{FC UTA Arad squad}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Costache, Valentin}}
Category:Footballers from Teleorman County
Category:Romanian men's footballers
Category:Men's association football wingers
Category:Men's association football midfielders
Category:Cypriot First Division players
Category:FC Dinamo București players
Category:FC Rapid București players
Category:Apollon Limassol FC players
Category:Romania men's youth international footballers
Category:Romania men's under-21 international footballers
Category:Romanian expatriate men's footballers
Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Cyprus