| Valentin Cojocaru | |
| Fullname: | Valentin Alexandru Cojocaru |
| Birth Date: | 1 October 1995 |
| Birth Place: | Bucharest, Romania |
| Height: | 1.96 m |
| Position: | Goalkeeper |
| Currentclub: | Pogoń Szczecin |
| Clubnumber: | 77 |
| Youthyears1: | 2004–2007 |
| Youthclubs1: | Dinamo București |
| Youthyears2: | 2007–2011 |
| Youthclubs2: | Steaua București |
| Years1: | 2010–2011 |
| Clubs1: | Steaua București II |
| Caps1: | 3 |
| Goals1: | 0 |
| Years2: | 2011–2017 |
| Clubs2: | Steaua București |
| Caps2: | 19 |
| Goals2: | 0 |
| Years3: | 2016–2017 |
| Clubs3: | → Crotone (loan) |
| Caps3: | 0 |
| Goals3: | 0 |
| Years4: | 2017 |
| Clubs4: | → Frosinone (loan) |
| Caps4: | 0 |
| Goals4: | 0 |
| Years5: | 2017 |
| Clubs5: | Apollon Limassol |
| Caps5: | 0 |
| Goals5: | 0 |
| Years6: | 2018–2021 |
| Clubs6: | Viitorul Constanța |
| Caps6: | 70 |
| Goals6: | 0 |
| Years7: | 2020 |
| Clubs7: | → Voluntari (loan) |
| Caps7: | 19 |
| Goals7: | 0 |
| Years8: | 2021–2022 |
| Clubs8: | Dnipro-1 |
| Caps8: | 14 |
| Goals8: | 0 |
| Years9: | 2022 |
| Clubs9: | → Feyenoord (loan) |
| Caps9: | 0 |
| Goals9: | 0 |
| Years10: | 2022–2024 |
| Clubs10: | OH Leuven |
| Caps10: | 37 |
| Goals10: | 0 |
| Years11: | 2023–2024 |
| Clubs11: | → Pogoń Szczecin (loan) |
| Caps11: | 27 |
| Goals11: | 0 |
| Years12: | 2024– |
| Clubs12: | Pogoń Szczecin |
| Caps12: | 2 |
| Goals12: | 0 |
| Nationalyears1: | 2014–2015 |
| Nationalteam1: | Romania U19 |
| Nationalcaps1: | 7 |
| Nationalgoals1: | 0 |
| Nationalyears2: | 2014–2016 |
| Nationalteam2: | Romania U21 |
| Nationalcaps2: | 14 |
| Nationalgoals2: | 0 |
| Pcupdate: | 28 July 2024 |
Valentin Alexandru Cojocaru (born 1 October 1995) is a Romanian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Ekstraklasa club Pogoń Szczecin.[1]
In 2011, he was selected for a trial at Liverpool, but he returned to Steaua because the clubs couldn't agree on a transfer sum.[2] He made his first appearance for Steaua București on 7 May 2013 against Gloria Bistrița, a game won with the score of 1–0. He is the son of former football referee Ispas Cojocaru.[3] [4]
On 1 September 2016, Crotone announced the signing of Cojocaru on loan with a buy-out option.[5]
On 26 January 2017, Cojocaru joined Italian club Frosinone on loan.[6]
On 7 September 2017, Apollon Limassol announced the signing of Cojocaru.[7] On 22 January 2018, Apollon Limassol mutually agreed to end player's contract.[8]
On 24 January 2018, Cojocaru joined Liga I side Viitorul Constanța.[9]
On 24 January 2020, Cojocaru was sent on loan to another Liga I club Voluntari until the end of the season with a buy-out option.[10]
On 5 July 2021, he joined Dnipro-1.[11]
In March 2022, he moved on loan to Feyenoord.[12]
After a year-long stint with Belgian side OH Leuven, Cojocaru moved to Polish Ekstraklasa club Pogoń Szczecin on a season-long loan on 4 September 2023. After establishing himself as the first-choice goalkeeper, his move was made permanent on 5 April 2024, two days after reaching the Polish Cup final with Pogoń.[13]
In November 2016, Cojocaru received his first call-up to the senior Romania squad for matches against Poland and Russia.[14]
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Europe | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Steaua București | 2012–13 | Liga I | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | 3 | 0 | ||
| 2014–15 | Liga I | 7 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 | |
| 2015–16 | Liga I | 7 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 20 | 0 | |
| 2016–17 | Liga I | 2 | 0 | — | — | 1 | 0 | — | 3 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 19 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 39 | 0 | ||
| Viitorul Constanța | 2017–18 | Liga I | 13 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 13 | 0 | ||||
| 2018–19 | Liga I | 27 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | 4 | 0 | — | 35 | 0 | |||
| 2019–20 | Liga I | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2020–21 | Liga I | 30 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 2 | 0 | 32 | 0 | |||
| Total | 70 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 81 | 0 | ||
| Voluntari (loan) | 2019–20 | Liga I | 19 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 19 | 0 | ||||
| Dnipro-1 | 2021–22 | Ukrainian Premier League | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 14 | 0 | |||
| Feyenoord (loan) | 2021–22 | Eredivisie | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | |||
| OH Leuven | 2022–23 | Belgian Pro League | 34 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 36 | 0 | |||
| 2023–24 | Belgian Pro League | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 3 | 0 | |||||
| Total | 37 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 39 | 0 | ||
| Pogoń Szczecin (loan) | 2023–24 | Ekstraklasa | 27 | 0 | 5 | 0 | — | — | — | 32 | 0 | |||
| Pogoń Szczecin | 2024–25 | Ekstraklasa | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 2 | 0 | |||
| Total | 29 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 0 | ||
| Career total | 188 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 226 | 0 | ||
Steaua București
Viitorul Constanța
Feyenoord
Pogoń Szczecin