Vasile Maricel Ardeleanu (5 February 1974 â 16 January 2025) was a Romanian professional footballer who played as a centre-back for FCM BacÃÂu, Acord FocÃÂani, FC OneÃÂti and FC Vaslui.
Ardeleanu played almost all his career for FCM BacÃÂu, being one of the prospective players of the Moldavian club. In 1999 Ardeleanu's career took a negative turn after a horror foul made by Marius LÃÂcÃÂtuÃÂ in the 13th minute of a match between Steaua BucureÃÂti and FCM BacÃÂu. Doctors' diagnosis was double transverse fracture of tibia and fibula, plus rupture of ligaments and although the end of his career was anticipated, Ardeleanu was back on the pitch one year later, playing for FC OneÃÂti, on loan from FCM BacÃÂu.
Even if he had fully recovered, as Ardeleanu himself recognized years later, things had changed. After the accident in 1999 I started smoking. I quickly reached 120 kilos, but then I dropped 40 kilos in one month. After some sporadic appearances at FC OneÃÂti and FCM BacÃÂu, Ardeleanu retired only a few years later, in 2005, at the age of 31.
Ardeleanu lived in the village of Cârligi, FilipeÃÂti commune, where he was working as a day laborer and playing sporadically for amateur team of the commune, AS FilipeÃÂti.
Ardeleanu died at his house in Cârligi, on 16 January 2025, at the age of 50.
FCM BacÃÂu