Dumitru Nadu (born 10 May 1957) is a Romanian former footballer who played mainly as a defender.
Nadu was born on 10 May 1957 in Drobeta-Turnu Severin, Romania. He began playing football at local club Metalul, in the 1975âÂÂ76 Divizia C season. In 1976, Nadu joined Politehnica TimiÃÂoara where he made his Divizia A debut on 2 May under coach Constantin RÃÂdulescu in a 5âÂÂ1 win over Rapid BucureÃÂti. In the 1977âÂÂ78 season he helped the team finish third. Afterwards he made his debut in European competitions, playing three games in the 1978âÂÂ79 UEFA Cup campaign as they got past MTK Hungária in the first round, being eliminated by Budapest Honved in the following one. Nadu won the only trophy of his career, the 1979âÂÂ80 Cupa României when he was used by coach Ion Ionescu the entire match in the 2âÂÂ1 victory in the final against Steaua BucureÃÂti. He then helped the club eliminate Celtic in the first round of the 1980âÂÂ81 European Cup Winners' Cup. He reached with Politehnica another Cupa României final in 1981 where coach Ionescu used him the full 90 minutes in the 6âÂÂ0 loss to Universitatea Craiova. Nadu played his last two games in European competitions in the preliminary round of the 1981âÂÂ82 European Cup Winners' Cup, but Lokomotive Leipzig qualified instead. He made his last Divizia A appearance on 22 November 1981 in a 2âÂÂ1 home victory against ASA Târgu MureÃÂ, totaling 113 matches with one goal in the competition, all of them for Politehnica.
Afterwards, Nadu ran away illegally from Communist Romania to West Germany, playing for Karlsruher SC. He made his Bundesliga debut on 1 September 1982 when coach Horst Franz sent him in the 65th minute to replace Wilfried Trenkel in a 4âÂÂ0 home loss to Bayern Munich. That would be his only appearance during his first season as the club was relegated. He stayed with the club in the 1983âÂÂ84 2. Bundesliga season in which he netted five goals which helped the team earn promotion back to the first league. In his last season, Nadu scored his only Bundesliga goal on 10 November 1984 in a 4âÂÂ0 home win over Arminia Bielefeld. He made his 16th and last appearance in the competition on 8 June 1985 in a 1âÂÂ1 draw against VfB Stuttgart, as Karlsruher SC was relegated once again. Nadu ended his career one year later at German fourth league team SV Linx.
Nadu made one appearance in 1979 for Romania's B squad, a 4âÂÂ1 victory against the Soviet Union.
Politehnica TimiÃÂoara
Karlsruher SC