Marco Dulca
Romanian footballer (born 1999)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Marco Alexandru Dulca (born 11 May 1999) is a Romanian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Liga I club Petrolul Ploiești.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Marco Alexandru Dulca | ||
| Date of birth | 11 May 1999 | ||
| Place of birth | Pohang, South Korea | ||
| Height | 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in) | ||
| Position | Midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Petrolul Ploiești | ||
| Number | 88 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2004–2015 | Universitatea Cluj | ||
| 2015–2019 | Swansea City | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2019–2021 | Viitorul Constanța | 14 | (0) |
| 2020–2021 | → Chindia Târgoviște (loan) | 31 | (2) |
| 2021–2022 | Chindia Târgoviște | 36 | (2) |
| 2022–2023 | FCSB | 5 | (0) |
| 2023 | Chindia Târgoviște | 16 | (0) |
| 2023–2025 | Celje | 38 | (0) |
| 2025– | Petrolul Ploiești | 17 | (1) |
| International career | |||
| 2015 | Romania U17[a] | 1 | (0) |
| 2018 | Romania U19[a] | 3 | (0) |
| 2017–2021 | Romania U21[a] | 6 | (0) |
| 2021 | Romania Olympic[a] | 3 | (0) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 21 March 2026 | |||
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.[11]
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.[12]
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][13]
Career statistics
- As of match played 21 March 2026[11]
| Club | Season | League | National cup[b] | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Viitorul Constanța | 2019–20 | Liga I | 14 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| Chindia Târgoviște (loan) | 2020–21 | Liga I | 31 | 2 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 33 | 2 | ||
| Chindia Târgoviște | 2021–22 | Liga I | 33 | 2 | 2 | 0 | — | 2[c] | 0 | 37 | 2 | |
| 2022–23 | Liga I | 19 | 0 | — | — | — | 19 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 83 | 4 | 4 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | 89 | 4 | |||
| FCSB | 2022–23 | Liga I | 5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 5[d] | 0 | — | 13 | 0 | |
| Celje | 2023–24 | Slovenian PrvaLiga | 21 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 23 | 0 | ||
| 2024–25 | Slovenian PrvaLiga | 17 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 13[e] | 0 | — | 34 | 1 | ||
| Total | 38 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 13 | 0 | — | 57 | 1 | |||
| Petrolul Ploiești | 2025–26 | Liga I | 17 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 18 | 1 | ||
| Career total | 157 | 5 | 15 | 1 | 18 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 192 | 6 | ||
- Official competitive matches only
- Includes Cupa României, Slovenian Cup
- Appearances in Liga I promotion/relegation play-offs
- Appearances in UEFA Conference League
- Two appearances in UEFA Champions League, two appearances in UEFA Europa League, nine appearances in UEFA Conference League
Honours
Viitorul Constanța
Celje