Vlad Ioan Munteanu (born 16 January 1981) is a Romanian former professional footballer who played as a midfielder.
Munteanu was born on 16 January 1981 in BacÃÂu, Romania. He began playing football at local club FCM BacÃÂu where he made his Divizia A debut on 6 March 1999 under coach Florin Halagian in a 2âÂÂ0 home victory against Astra PloieÃÂti. He scored his first goal in the competition about one week later in a 1âÂÂ0 win over Universitatea Craiova.
After two seasons with FCM, he spent six seasons at Dinamo BucureÃÂti. There, he won the only trophies of his career and made his only appearances in European competitions, playing a total of 10 UEFA Cup matches and scoring two goals. His first performance was winning the 2000âÂÂ01 Cupa României, even though coach Cornel Dinu did not use him in the final. In the following season, Munteanu helped Dinamo win the title under coaches Dinu and Marin Ion who gave him 19 appearances in which he scored five goals. During the same season he played a few games in the second league at Poiana Câmpina, then a satellite team of Dinamo. His next trophy won with The Red Dogs was the 2002âÂÂ03 Cupa României, as coach Ioan Andone sent him in the 90+2 minute to replace Florentin Petre in the 1âÂÂ0 victory against NaÃÂional BucureÃÂti in the final. In the 2003âÂÂ04 season, Munteanu helped the club win The Double, appearing in 18 league games under Andone and scoring one goal. He was again a substitute in the Cupa României final, entering in the 55th minute to replace IonuàBadea, and then opening the scoring approximately 10 minutes later in their 2âÂÂ0 victory against OÃÂelul GalaÃÂi. He also provided two perfect assists for goals by Claudiu Niculescu and Ianis Zicu in the 2âÂÂ0 home victory against Shakhtar Donetsk, which helped them eliminate the Ukrainians in the UEFA Cup. After playing only a few games in the first half of the 2004âÂÂ05 season, Andone informed Munteanu that he would not be part of his plans for the rest of the season, leading to a loan to NaÃÂional BucureÃÂti. He returned to Dinamo for the 2005âÂÂ06 season. Andone used him as a starter until the 69th minute, when he replaced him with Ianis Zicu in the 3âÂÂ2 victory against rivals Steaua BucureÃÂti that earned them their first Supercupa României. In the 2005âÂÂ06 UEFA Cup campaign, the team eliminated Omonia Nicosia against whom Munteanu scored a goal, and Everton with a historical 5âÂÂ2 on aggregate, reaching the group stage. There, the campaign ended but he scored the only goal of a 1âÂÂ0 victory against title holders CSKA Moscow. During these years, he scored two league goals in the derby against Steaua which helped his side earn two draws, also netting two times in two victories in the Cupa României.
In 2006, Munteanu signed with Energie Cottbus of the German Bundesliga. He made his league debut on 12 August 2006 when coach Petrik Sander used him as a starter in a 2âÂÂ0 away loss to Borussia Mönchengladbach. In the next round, he scored his first goal in a 2âÂÂ2 draw against Hamburg. Munteanu netted a personal record of 11 goals by the end of the 2006âÂÂ07 season, including a double in a 3âÂÂ2 away win over Borussia Dortmund. He formed a partnership in the team's offence with fellow Romanian Sergiu Radu and they were nicknamed "The Twins of the Goal" by the German press. With Munteanu's 11 goals and as Radu found the net 14 times, together they scored over half of the total 38 goals netted by the team that helped it avoid relegation.
In the summer of 2007, VfL Wolfsburg transferred him and Radu, paying â¬4.5 million for them, of which â¬1.5 million was for Munteanu. After being used in the first half of the 2007âÂÂ08 season by coach Felix Magath in 10 league games, Munteanu was sent on loan in the second half to French side Auxerre under coach Jean Fernandez to play alongside compatriots Daniel Niculae and Gabriel TamaÃÂ. He made his Ligue 1 debut on 9 February 2008 when coach Fernandez sent him in the 90th minute to replace Kévin Lejeune in a 2âÂÂ1 away victory against Rennes. After only 12 appearances in all competitions, Munteanu returned to Wolfsburg, claiming he had problems adapting to French football's reliance on physical strength. Having been excluded from Magath's plans for The Wolves in the 2008âÂÂ09 season, playing only for the club's satellite in the fourth division, he was loaned for the second half of the season to Arminia Bielefeld. There, on 23 May 2009 he made his last Bundesliga appearance in a 2âÂÂ2 draw against Hannover 96, totaling 58 matches with 13 goals in the competition. The following season, Munteanu began by playing for Wolfsburg's satellite team in the first half, before being loaned to 2. Bundesliga club FSV Frankfurt for the second half.
In January 2011, he ended his contract with Wolfsburg and signed a deal with his old club, Dinamo, for six months. Afterwards he went to play for the 2011âÂÂ12 season at Concordia Chiajna where he made his last Liga I appearance on 9 May 2012 in a 3âÂÂ1 victory against Pandurii Târgu Jiu, totaling 172 matches with 19 goals in the competition. In 2013, after one season spent at 2. Bundesliga side Erzgebirge Aue in which he made six appearances, Munteanu retired at age 32.
Munteanu played one match for Romania on 21 August 2002 when coach Anghel IordÃÂnescu sent him in the 79th minute to replace Paul Codrea in a 1âÂÂ0 friendly loss to Greece. In 2007, during his prolific season spent at Energie Cottbus together with Sergiu Radu, the Romanian press insisted that they should be called-up for the national team but coach Victor PiÃÂurcàdid not agree, stating about the Bundesliga championship:"It's not what it once was! The clubs are at a low level and the players are of average value."
Munteanu's father, Ion, was also a footballer who played for FCM BacÃÂu and Universitatea Cluj and had over 250 Divizia A appearances in which he scored 60 goals.
Dinamo BucureÃÂti