Lucian Goian (born 10 February 1983) is a Romanian former professional footballer who played as a centre back.
Goian was born on 10 February 1983 in Suceava, Romania and began playing junior-level football under the guidance of coach Ilie Gafencu at local club Foresta. He started playing senior-level football at Foresta in the 2001âÂÂ02 Divizia B season. Subsequently, in the middle of the following season, he moved to FC OneÃÂti in the same league, where he spent one year.
In 2004, Goian joined CeahlÃÂul Piatra NeamÃÂ, making his Liga I debut on 13 March when coach Marius LÃÂcÃÂtuàsent him in the 29th minute to replace Tiberiu ÃÂerban in a 5âÂÂ1 loss to Petrolul PloieÃÂti in which he scored his side's goal. Until the end of the season he netted two more goals, one in a 3âÂÂ1 win over Gloria BistriÃÂa and the other in a 1âÂÂ1 draw against Steaua BucureÃÂti, but the team was relegated to the second division.
In the following season, Goian went to Dinamo BucureÃÂti. There, he made his debut in European competitions when coach Ioan Andone sent him in the 52nd minute to replace Andrei MÃÂrgÃÂritescu in a 2âÂÂ1 home loss to Manchester United in the 2004âÂÂ05 Champions League third qualifying round. By the end of the season, during the final minutes of a game against Rapid BucureÃÂti he made a critical error. He attempted to pass the ball to goalkeeper Bogdan Stelea, but opponent Lucian Burdujan intercepted it and scored. The game ended in a 2âÂÂ2 draw, and the lost points proved decisive, as rivals Steaua became champions. However, the team managed to win the Cupa României, but Andone did not use him in the 1âÂÂ0 win over Farul ConstanÃÂa in the final. Next season, he secured his second trophy with Dinamo. This came after Andone substituted him for Gabriel Tamaàat halftime in their 3âÂÂ2 victory against Steaua, a win that also marked their first Supercupa României. Goian also helped them eliminate Everton with a historical 5âÂÂ2 on aggregate, reaching the group stage of the 2005âÂÂ06 UEFA Cup. He was loaned back to CeahlÃÂul for the second half of the season, helping the club earn promotion from the second league to the first.
In the 2006âÂÂ07 season, he returned to Dinamo, coach Mircea Rednic using him in seven league matches in the first half of the season. However, Goian left the team again to play for CeahlÃÂul, but Dinamo still managed to win the title without him. He also appeared in five matches in the 2006âÂÂ07 UEFA Cup campaign, as Dinamo got past the group stage and reached the round of 32 of the competition.
In August 2007, Goian was transferred back to Dinamo which needed a defender following Cosmin MoÃÂi's injury. The team had the objective of reaching the Champions League group stage. Goian received a red card in the final minutes in the draw in the first leg of the third qualifying round against Lazio Roma, but they did not qualify, losing with 3âÂÂ1 the second leg. On 15 September he scored his first league goal for The Red Dogs after receiving the ball from a corner kick executed by Claudiu Niculescu in a 5âÂÂ2 win over Politehnica IaÃÂi. He made four appearances for the club in the group stage of the 2009âÂÂ10 Europa League, having a career total of 14 matches in European competitions, all of them for Dinamo.
In 2010, Goian joined Astra PloieÃÂti, signing a contract for two years. He scored his only goal for the club on 5 November 2011 in a PloieÃÂti derby when he equalized in the 1âÂÂ1 draw against Petrolul PloieÃÂti.
In January 2012, Goian moved to China, putting pen on paper with Tianjin Teda. He made his official debut for Tianjin on 25 February when coach Josip Kuà ¾e used him the entire match in a 2âÂÂ1 CFA Super Cup defeat to Guangzhou Evergrande. In his single season spent with the club he appeared in 27 Chinese Super League games, scoring two goals in two 1âÂÂ1 draws against Changchun Yatai and Henan Jianye. He also appeared in five games in the 2012 AFC Champions League group stage, scoring once in a 1âÂÂ1 draw against Seongnam.
Goian signed a contract with China League One side Beijing Baxy in February 2013. In the first of this two-season spell he scored the first double of his career in a 2âÂÂ1 win over BIT, being voted by coaches, teammates, journalists and supporters as Baxy's best footballer in 2013.
In February 2015, Goian signed with FC BraÃÂov, but could not avoid the team's relegation to the second league at the end of the season.
He spent the 2015âÂÂ16 season at CFR Cluj, managing to win the Cupa României, but coach Toni Conceição did not use him in the final. On 29 May 2016, Goian made his last Liga I appearance, playing in a 4âÂÂ0 away loss to FC BotoÃÂani, totaling 175 matches with six goals in the competition.
Goian went to play for Mumbai City in 2016, where he was teammates with Diego Forlán, making his Indian Super League debut on 3 October under coach Alexandre Guimarães in a 1âÂÂ0 away victory against Pune City. On 19 November he scored his first goal in a 5âÂÂ0 win over Kerala Blasters. He was named the league's best central defender and was included in the best XI of the 2016 season.
On 21 March 2017, Goian joined A-League club Perth Glory as a short-term injury replacement for Shane Lowry and Alex Grant. Coach Kenny Lowe gave him his debut on 26 March in a 3âÂÂ0 loss to FC Sydney in which he opened the score with an own goal. He departed the Glory in May 2017.
In July 2017, he rejoined Mumbai City on a two-year contract and was appointed as the team's captain due his leadership skills and experience in the league.
In August 2019, he joined Chennaiyin where he was a colleague of compatriot DragoàFirÃÂulescu. Goian scored his first goal in a 1âÂÂ0 win over his former team, Mumbai City which helped his side mathematically qualify to the playoffs. In the semi-finals he scored a goal in the 4âÂÂ1 victory against Goa in the first leg, then an own goal in the second-leg loss, but the team managed to go further in the competition. In the final, coach John Gregory used Goian the entire match in the eventual 3âÂÂ1 loss to Atlético de Kolkata. For the way he played, Goian was named the league's best central defender and was included in the best XI of the season.
Goian played 12 games for Romania's under-21 national team, including seven games in the 2006 European Under-21 Championship qualifiers. He was banned alongside teammate Ianis Zicu from representing his country at any level for two years in 2004, because the Romanian Football Federation considered they had a "defiant attitude" during a 4âÂÂ1 loss against Czech Republic U21.
Goian is the younger brother of former professional footballers Gigi, Liviu and Dorin, all of them having played in the Romanian top-division Liga I. He also has three sisters. He has a son named Luca.
Dinamo BucureÃÂti
CeahlÃÂul
CFR Cluj
Chennaiyin