Nicolae Stanciu, Romania footballer: Profile, Career, News & Videos

Nicolae Stanciu is a Romanian professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder or a winger for Serie A club Genoa and captains the Romania national team.

Stanciu began his career at Unirea Alba Iulia in 2008, and went on to represent Vaslui and Steaua București in his country, winning six domestic honours and making a name for himself with the latter. He moved abroad for the first time in 2016, following a €9.8 million transfer to Anderlecht, which made him the most expensive signing of the Belgian First Division A and biggest sale of the Liga I at the time.

After winning a Belgian national title and a Super Cup, Stanciu joined Sparta Prague one and a half years later for another internal record fee, worth around an initial €4.5 million. He left the Czech Republic at the start of 2019 to sign for Saudi team Al-Ahli, only to return in that summer to the country at former rival club Slavia Prague, where he helped to back-to-back league titles and a Czech Cup in his first two seasons. Between 2022 and 2025, he competed professionally in China and again Saudi Arabia, before signing for Italian side Genoa.

Stanciu made his senior international debut for Romania in March 2016, in a 1–0 win over Lithuania, after having previously played for it at under-19 and under-21 levels. He represented the nation in two European Championships, in 2016 and 2024.