Marco Dulca Explained

Marco Dulca
Fullname:Marco Alexandru Dulca
Birth Date:11 May 1999
Birth Place:Pohang, South Korea
Height:1.84 m
Position:Midfielder
Currentclub:Celje
Clubnumber:4
Youthyears1:2004–2015
Youthclubs1:Universitatea Cluj
Youthyears2:2015–2019
Youthclubs2:Swansea City
Years1:2019–2021
Clubs1:Viitorul Constanța
Caps1:14
Goals1:0
Years2:2020–2021
Clubs2:Chindia Târgoviște (loan)
Caps2:31
Goals2:2
Years3:2021–2022
Clubs3:Chindia Târgoviște
Caps3:36
Goals3:2
Clubs4:FCSB
Years4:2022–2023
Caps4:5
Goals4:0
Years5:2023
Clubs5:Chindia Târgoviște
Caps5:16
Goals5:0
Years6:2023–
Clubs6:Celje
Caps6:21
Goals6:0
Nationalyears1:2015
Nationalteam1:Romania U17
Nationalcaps1:1
Nationalgoals1:0
Nationalyears2:2018
Nationalteam2:Romania U19
Nationalcaps2:3
Nationalgoals2:0
Nationalyears3:2017–2021
Nationalteam3:Romania U21
Nationalcaps3:6
Nationalgoals3:0
Nationalyears4:2021
Nationalteam4:Romania Olympic
Nationalcaps4:3
Nationalgoals4:0
Pcupdate:18 May 2024

Marco Alexandru Dulca (born 11 May 1999) is a Romanian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Slovenian PrvaLiga club Celje.

Club career

Early career / Viitorul Constanța

Dulca started practising football with Universitatea Cluj at the age of five,[1] and remained at the club for more than a decade before joining the academy of Swansea City in 2015.

He returned to Romania four years later by signing for Viitorul Constanța,[2] where he recorded his senior debut in a 3–2 Liga I victory over Hermannstadt on 28 July 2019.[3]

Chindia Târgoviște

On 30 August 2020, Dulca was loaned out to fellow league team Chindia Târgoviște.[4] He scored his first career goal in a 2–2 home draw with Argeș Pitești on 19 December, and totalled 33 matches in all competitions during the 2020–21 season.

During the summer of 2021, Dulca joined Chindia Târgoviște on a permanent basis as part of a swap deal.[5]

FCSB

On 5 August 2022, FCSB officially announced the signing of Dulca after diverting him from his way to 1899 Hoffenheim and meeting his 200,000 release clause.[6] [7] [8] He made his debut the following day in a 1–1 league draw at Mioveni.

Celje

On 14 September 2023, Dulca moved abroad for the first time in his senior career and signed with Slovenian PrvaLiga outfit Celje on a contract until 2026.[9]

International career

Dulca represented the Romania national under-23 team in the 2020 Summer Olympics in Japan,[10] starting in all three games of the group-stage exit.

Personal life

Dulca was born in Pohang, South Korea, where his father Cristian was playing for Pohang Steelers. The latter was also a professional footballer and was part of the Romania squad for the 1998 FIFA World Cup.[11]

In 2021, it was reported that Dulca started dating Mihaela Buzărnescu, a Romanian tennis player 11 years his senior.[1] They ended their relationship the following year, after she accused him of emotional abuse.[8] [12]

Career statistics

Club

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
ClubSeasonLeagueNational cupContinentalOtherTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Viitorul Constanța2019–20Liga I140100000150
Chindia Târgoviște (loan)2020–21Liga I31220332
Chindia Târgoviște2021–22Liga I3322020372
2022–23Liga I190190
Total834402089!4
FCSB2022–23Liga I503050130
Celje2023–24Slovenian PrvaLiga21020230
Career total123410050201404

Honours

Viitorul Constanța

2019

Celje

2023–24

Notes and References

  1. Web site: O nouă poveste de dragoste în sportul românesc: Marco Dulca se iubește cu Mihaela Buzărnescu SPECIAL. A new love story in Romanian sports: Marco Dulca is in a relationship with Mihaela Buzărnescu SPECIAL. ProSport. ro. 15 September 2021. 24 September 2021.
  2. Web site: Marco Dulca a semnat cu Viitorul » Din Anglia, direct în Liga 1. Marco Dulca signed with Viitorul » From England, directly to Liga 1. Gazeta Sporturilor. ro. 2 July 2019. 2 November 2021.
  3. Web site: Hagi revine pe locul 1! Spectacol total la Viitorul – Hermannstadt: 3-2, după 0-0 la pauză. VIDEO. Hagi returns to the first place! Total entertainment in Viitorul – Hermannstadt: 3–2, after 0–0 at the break. VIDEO. Fanatik.ro. ro. 28 July 2019. 2 November 2021.
  4. Web site: Tiberiu Căpușă, Marco Dulca și Paul Iacob vor evolua la Chindia Târgoviște. Tiberiu Căpușă, Marco Dulca și Paul Iacob will play for Chindia Târgoviște. FC Viitorul Constanța. ro. 30 August 2020.
  5. Web site: Chindia dă lovitura pe piața transferurilor! Șase jucători de la clubul lui Gheorghe Hagi ajung la echipa din Târgoviște, după plecarea lui Marian Aioani la noul Farul. Chindia hits the jackpot on the transfer market! Six players from Gheorghe Hagi's club are joining the team from Târgoviște, after Marian Aioani left for the new Farul. ProSport. ro. 21 June 2021.
  6. Web site: Bine ai venit, Marco Dulca!. Welcome, Marco Dulca. FCSB. ro. 5 August 2022. 5 August 2022.
  7. Web site: S-a aflat cum a reușit FCSB super transferul lui Marco Dulca! Conducătorul Chindiei a dat cărțile pe față: "Am fost obligați să-l cedăm! Se știe asta de acum un an!" | EXCLUSIV. It was found out how FCSB managed the super transfer of Marco Dulca! Chindia's director revealed everything: "We were forced to give up on him! This has been known since a year ago!" | EXCLUSIVE. ProSport. ro. 6 August 2022. 6 August 2022. Marcel Ghergu, the director of Chindia, said that Marco Dulca had the 250,000 euro clause since the moment the contract was signed..
  8. Web site: FCSB a transferat un jucător cu probleme? Marco Dulca, acuzat de Mihaela Buzărnescu că a agresat-o fizic. FCSB transferred a problem player? Marco Dulca, accused by Mihaela Buzărnescu of physical abuse. Fanatik.ro. ro. 9 August 2022.
  9. Web site: Albert Riera je dobil novo okrepitev, v zvezni vrsti bo igral Marco Dulca, ki ima tržno vrednost 750.000 evrov . Nogomania . 14 September 2023 . sl . 14 September 2023.
  10. Web site: Lotul României U23 convocat pentru Jocurile Olimpice de la Tokyo. Romania U23's squad called up for the Olympic Games in Tokyo. Romanian Football Federation. 29 June 2021. 14 September 2021.
  11. Web site: Marco Dulca o ia pe urmele tatălui său! E gata să se vopsească blond dacă România se întoarce cu o medalie de la Tokyo. Marco Dulca follows in his father's footsteps! He is ready to paint his hair blonde if Romania returns with a medal from Tokyo. Digi Sport. ro. 3 July 2021. 24 September 2021.
  12. Web site: Marco Dulca reacționează la acuzațiile aduse de Mihaela Buzărnescu, fosta lui iubită. Marco Dulca reacts to the accusations brought by Mihaela Buzărnescu, his ex-girlfriend. Gazeta Sporturilor. ro. 30 March 2022. 1 April 2022.