A Homecoming in Romanian Football
Ovidiu Popescu, the 32-year-old midfielder who won the Romanian league title with FCSB, has signed with newly-promoted Liga 2 side Politehnica Timisoara. The move represents a homecoming for Popescu, who began his senior career with the Banat club before moving on to bigger challenges.
Welcome home, Ovidiu! Ovidiu Popescu (32 years old) has signed with Politehnica! the club announced in a statement. Popescu joins a team that is aiming for an immediate return to Liga 1, and his experience at the highest level of Romanian football will be invaluable.
Career Journey
Popescu, who was most recently at UTA Arad, parted ways with the club after making 18 appearances in the previous season. As Gazeta Sporturilor reported on Tuesday, the midfielder was not part of Adrian Mihalcea’s plans for the new campaign and was forced to look elsewhere.
I am happy, first of all because I have returned home and I came with an open heart from the place I left, Popescu said upon signing. I know the project here in Timisoara, I know what the club wants. As a personal objective, I would like to promote in the first year with Politehnica. I know the people, I know what they expect from performance, I know the formula for success.
The midfielder noted that he knows most of his new teammates already: I know most of the colleagues, I saw that Artean also came home. With his experience, with Chitu’s and the other boys who have also come, I think we have a very solid group.
From FCSB Glory to UTA Struggles
Popescu’s career took him from Politehnica Timisoara to FCSB, where he won the Romanian championship. He later played for Universitatea Cluj before joining UTA Arad. However, his time at UTA was marked by diminishing game time. Used sparingly in the second half of the season, either from the bench or entirely outside the squad, the midfielder played his last competitive minutes on March 7 in a match against Hermannstadt.
According to Transfermarkt, the experienced midfielder is currently valued at 450,000 euros. Throughout his career, Popescu has also played for UTA Arad, Politehnica Timisoara, FCSB, and Universitatea Cluj.
For Politehnica Timisoara, a club that has forced promotion to Liga 2 and now pushes for the first division, signing a player of Popescu’s calibre represents a statement of intent. With other experienced players joining the project, the club from the Banat region is positioning itself for a serious promotion push.
