Dănuț Lupu


Dănuț Lupu is a Romanian former football midfielder and former Hockey player in his childhood.

Club career

Lupu started to play professional football in 1985, at the local team of Dunarea Galati in the Romanian second league. Scouters from Dinamo Bucharest saw him, and transferred him to Bucharest. He played his first game in Divizia A on 8 March 1987 in a 2–0 win over FC Brasov. The first two seasons Dinamo finished runners-up, and succeeded to win in the 1989–90 season the title and cup ; also reaching a Cup Winners' Cup semi-final in 1990. He remained at Dinamo three seasons, and played a total of 90 matches in which he scored 17 goals.
After the fall of communism in the 1990s, Lupu moved to Greece and signed with Panathinaikos although he played there only 10 league games, scoring one goal. However, he won with The Greens the championship. During his time in Greece, he also had spells playing at Korinthos and OFI Crete.
In 1994, he came back in Romania at Rapid Bucharest, but was loaned out to Brescia in Italy. Lupu spent the next two seasons with Dinamo Bucharest. In 1997, when Mircea Lucescu became Rapid's coach Lupu returned, and was close to winning another championship in 1998, but they lost in the last round against Universitatea Craiova; and the title went to Steaua. A season later, he won the championship and the cup with Rapid, after 33 years of struggle in Rapid's history. In 2000, his career went downhill, he returned for a third spell at Dinamo just for a short time. Then he moved to Israel at Hapoel Tzafririm to end his career.
In the European Cups Lupu played for Dinamo, Panathinaikos and Rapid a total of 32 matches and scored 3 goals.

International career

Lupu made his debut on 11 October 1989 in a friendly game against Denmark. He represented Romania at the 1990 World Cup in Italy. In total he played 14 games for Romania, without scoring.

Personal life

His nephew, Valentin Balint is also a footballer who started his career at Dinamo Bucureşti.

Honours

;Dinamo Bucureşti
;Panathinaikos
;Rapid Bucureşti