Florin Matache (born 3 August 1982) is a Romanian former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper, currently goalkeeping coach at Liga II club CS Dinamo BucureÃÂti.
Matache was born on 3 August 1982 in Bucharest, Romania and began playing football at Metalul Plopeni during the 2001âÂÂ02 Divizia B season. In 2004 he signed with Dinamo BucureÃÂti where he initially played for the club's satellite team. Matache made his debut for the first team on 7 June 2006 when coach Florin Marin sent him in the 54th minute of an away Liga I match against Politehnica TimiÃÂoara to replace Florentin Petre. This was because the starting goalkeeper, Cristian Munteanu, had received a red card. Matache managed to keep a clean sheet as the game ended in a 0âÂÂ0 draw. In the following season, Matache helped the club win the title, being used by coach Mircea Rednic in seven games, as he had to compete with international goalkeepers Bogdan Lobonàand Uladzimir Hayew. In the same season he played three games in the early stages of the UEFA Cup campaign, helping the club eliminate Beitar Jerusalem and Skoda Xanthi as they reached the round of 32. Next season he was loaned for the first half to CeahlÃÂul Piatra NeamÃÂ, then for the second half at Liga II team, Otopeni which he helped earn promotion to the first league. Afterwards, Matache returned to Dinamo, helping the club achieve "The wonder from Liberec" by winning the away game against Slovan Liberec 3âÂÂ0. This victory, which matched the score of the lost first leg, allowed them to qualify for the group stage of the 2009âÂÂ10 Europa League after a penalty shoot-out where he saved two penalties, earning him the nickname "The Hero from Liberec". In January 2010 he joined Universitatea Cluj in the second league where he was wanted by his former coach from CeahlÃÂul, Viorel Hizo, helping the club get promoted to the first league. In January 2013, Matache returned to the second league when he signed with Damila MÃÂciuca, working there with coach Claudiu Niculescu who had been his former teammate at Dinamo. For the 2013âÂÂ14 Liga II season he and coach Niculescu went to CSM Râmnicu Vâlcea. In the summer of 2014, Matache signed with Concordia Chiajna, returning for a final spell in Liga I football, a competition in which he eventually made a total of 71 appearances. He reached with Chiajna the 2016 Cupa Ligii final but coach Emil SÃÂndoi preferred to use Cristian BÃÂlgrÃÂdean in the eventual 2âÂÂ1 loss to Steaua BucureÃÂti. In the following years he played in the Romanian lower leagues for Academica Clinceni and FlacÃÂra Horezu, helping the latter get promoted from the fourth to the third league, retiring in 2019.
In a poll organised by the Prosport newspaper in 2024, Matache was selected the best goalkeeper of Dinamo BucureÃÂti's last 25 years.
Dinamo BucureÃÂti
Concordia Chiajna
FlacÃÂra Horezu