Iulian Cristea

Lucian Iulian Cristea (; born 17 July 1994) is a Romanian professional footballer who plays as a centre-back or a defensive midfielder for Liga I club Universitatea Cluj.

Club career After playing over 110 matches in all competitions for his hometown club Gaz Metan Mediaș, Cristea moved to fellow Liga I team FCSB on 26 February 2019. He signed a five-year contract for a €150,000 transfer fee.

On 13 June 2023, after being released by FCSB, Cristea moved to cross-town rivals Rapid București on a two-year deal. He terminated his agreement with Rapid București on 31 May 2024, and on 5 June Universitatea Cluj announced the signing of Cristea as a free agent.

International career On 10 June 2019, Cristea made his debut for the Romania national team in a 4–0 win against Malta counting for the UEFA Euro 2020 qualifiers.

Style of play Cristea has been described as versatile, due to his ability to play equally well as either a centre-back or a defensive midfielder, and has been noted for his aerial prowess.

Career statistics

Club

International

Honours Gaz Metan Mediaș Liga I Team of the Championship Play-Offs: 2018–19