Nicolae Mitea
Encyclopedia
Nicolae Mitea is a Romania
n footballer
who is currently playing in Liga I
for Petrolul Ploieşti. Mitea is a left-winger that was renowned for his dribbling ability and fast pace.
, playing for FC Dinamo Bucureşti in the 2002-03 season. After having played only 9 matches in the Romanian league, he was picked up by Dutch
club Ajax after he impressed on a trial.
Before he left he and Dinamo won the Cupa României. His first season at Ajax was a success as he, at the age of 18, played 23 matches and scored 7 goals in the Dutch Eredivisie
and in the process winning the league title with Ajax.
This period also saw him making his debut for the Romanian national team
on 20 August 2003. The 2004-2005 season proved more difficult, as Mitea struggled to find the back of the net and only scored twice during that season. He performed very well on the Romanian youth team and became more interesting for the national team.
2005 was his breakthrough year in the national team, as he played 4 matches that year in which he scored twice. He established himself as a more important player for the team as well. His development in his career was set on hold due to a knee injury which sidelined him for a long time, resulting in only one appearance for Ajax in the 2005-06 season. Also in the following season Mitea did not play regularly as manager Henk ten Cate
choose to overlook him and he was no longer first choice for the left-wing position. Despite the lack of appearances in these two seasons he did add two KNVB Cup
s to his list of trophies.
Due to minor injuries and still being out of favour with Henk Ten Cate
, and then temporary replacement coach Adrie Koster, Mitea did not play a single game for Ajax during the 2007-08 season. Unsurprisingly, Mitea wasn't in new coach Marco Van Basten's plans and was told to look for a new club.
Mitea returned to Dinamo Bucureşti in August 2008 signing a 4 year contract, but after only 1 season, in the summer of 2009 he left Dinamo and became a free agent.
AFC Ajax
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
n footballer
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
who is currently playing in Liga I
Liga I
Liga I, or in full, due to sponsorship reasons, Liga I Bergenbier, is the top division of the Romanian football league system. Before the 2006/2007 season, it was called Divizia A, but the name had to be changed following the discovery that someone else had registered the trademark "Divizia A"...
for Petrolul Ploieşti. Mitea is a left-winger that was renowned for his dribbling ability and fast pace.
Club career
Mitea started his professional career in the Romanian Divizia ALiga I
Liga I, or in full, due to sponsorship reasons, Liga I Bergenbier, is the top division of the Romanian football league system. Before the 2006/2007 season, it was called Divizia A, but the name had to be changed following the discovery that someone else had registered the trademark "Divizia A"...
, playing for FC Dinamo Bucureşti in the 2002-03 season. After having played only 9 matches in the Romanian league, he was picked up by Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
club Ajax after he impressed on a trial.
Before he left he and Dinamo won the Cupa României. His first season at Ajax was a success as he, at the age of 18, played 23 matches and scored 7 goals in the Dutch Eredivisie
Eredivisie
The Eredivisie is the highest football league in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956 two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is currently ranked the ninth best league in Europe by UEFA....
and in the process winning the league title with Ajax.
This period also saw him making his debut for the Romanian national team
Romania national football team
The Romania national football team is the national football team of Romania and is controlled by the Romanian Football Federation.Romania is one of only four national teams, the other three being Brazil, France, and Belgium, that took part in the first three World Cups.However, after that...
on 20 August 2003. The 2004-2005 season proved more difficult, as Mitea struggled to find the back of the net and only scored twice during that season. He performed very well on the Romanian youth team and became more interesting for the national team.
2005 was his breakthrough year in the national team, as he played 4 matches that year in which he scored twice. He established himself as a more important player for the team as well. His development in his career was set on hold due to a knee injury which sidelined him for a long time, resulting in only one appearance for Ajax in the 2005-06 season. Also in the following season Mitea did not play regularly as manager Henk ten Cate
Henk ten Cate
Henk ten Cate is a Dutch football manager and a former professional player.In the 2005–06 season, he was the assistant of Frank Rijkaard at Barcelona that guided the team to a Champions League Trophy and La Liga title...
choose to overlook him and he was no longer first choice for the left-wing position. Despite the lack of appearances in these two seasons he did add two KNVB Cup
KNVB Cup
The KNVB Cup is a competition in the Netherlands organized by the Royal Dutch Football Association since 1899. It was based on the format of the English FA Cup. Outside of the Netherlands, it is often referred to as the Dutch Cup...
s to his list of trophies.
Due to minor injuries and still being out of favour with Henk Ten Cate
Henk ten Cate
Henk ten Cate is a Dutch football manager and a former professional player.In the 2005–06 season, he was the assistant of Frank Rijkaard at Barcelona that guided the team to a Champions League Trophy and La Liga title...
, and then temporary replacement coach Adrie Koster, Mitea did not play a single game for Ajax during the 2007-08 season. Unsurprisingly, Mitea wasn't in new coach Marco Van Basten's plans and was told to look for a new club.
Mitea returned to Dinamo Bucureşti in August 2008 signing a 4 year contract, but after only 1 season, in the summer of 2009 he left Dinamo and became a free agent.
Statistics
| Season | Club | Competition | Apps | Goals | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002/03 | Dinamo Bucureşti |  Romania Liga ILiga I Liga I, or in full, due to sponsorship reasons, Liga I Bergenbier, is the top division of the Romanian football league system. Before the 2006/2007 season, it was called Divizia A, but the name had to be changed following the discovery that someone else had registered the trademark "Divizia A"... |
9 | 0 | |
| 2003/04 | Ajax |  Netherlands EredivisieEredivisie The Eredivisie is the highest football league in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956 two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is currently ranked the ninth best league in Europe by UEFA.... |
23 | 7 | |
| 2004/05 | Ajax | Netherlands Eredivisie Eredivisie The Eredivisie is the highest football league in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956 two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is currently ranked the ninth best league in Europe by UEFA.... |
21 | 2 | |
| 2005/06 | Ajax | Netherlands Eredivisie Eredivisie The Eredivisie is the highest football league in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956 two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is currently ranked the ninth best league in Europe by UEFA.... |
1 | 1 | |
| 2006/07 | Ajax | Netherlands Eredivisie Eredivisie The Eredivisie is the highest football league in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956 two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is currently ranked the ninth best league in Europe by UEFA.... |
8 | 2 | |
| 2007/08 | Ajax | Netherlands Eredivisie Eredivisie The Eredivisie is the highest football league in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956 two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is currently ranked the ninth best league in Europe by UEFA.... |
0 | 0 | |
| 2008/09 | Dinamo Bucureşti | Romania Liga I Liga I Liga I, or in full, due to sponsorship reasons, Liga I Bergenbier, is the top division of the Romanian football league system. Before the 2006/2007 season, it was called Divizia A, but the name had to be changed following the discovery that someone else had registered the trademark "Divizia A"... |
12 | 0 | |
| | Total | 74 | 12 | |||
Club
Dinamo Bucureşti- Romanian CupRomanian CupThe Cupa României is a football competition which was held annually since 1933-34, except during the World War II. It is the country's main cup competition, and it is open to all clubs affiliated with FRF and the county football associations regardless of the league they belong to...
: 2002-03
AFC Ajax
- Dutch LeagueEredivisieThe Eredivisie is the highest football league in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956 two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is currently ranked the ninth best league in Europe by UEFA....
: 2003-04 - Dutch CupKNVB CupThe KNVB Cup is a competition in the Netherlands organized by the Royal Dutch Football Association since 1899. It was based on the format of the English FA Cup. Outside of the Netherlands, it is often referred to as the Dutch Cup...
: 2005-06, 2006–07 - Dutch Supercup: 2005