Mircea Bornescu

Mircea Bornescu
Personal information
Full name Mircea Alexandru Bornescu
Date of birth (1980-05-03) 3 May 1980 (age 46)
Place of birth Bucharest, Romania
Height 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in)
Position Goalkeeper
Youth career
1986–1991 Mecanică Fină București
1991–1999 Național București
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1999–2000 Juventus București 21 (0)
2000–2002 Apulum Alba Iulia 36 (0)
2002–2005 FC Caracal 74 (7)
2005–2009 Universitatea Craiova 123 (6)
2009–2011 Rapid București 44 (0)
2011 Kavala 0 (0)
2011 Petrolul Ploiești 5 (0)
2012 Universitatea Cluj 14 (0)
2012–2014 Petrolul Ploiești 32 (0)
2014–2015 Rapid București 14 (0)
2016–2017 Voluntari 24 (0)
Total 387 (13)
International career
1998 Romania U18 6 (0)
1998 Romania U21 1 (0)
Managerial career
2021 FC U Craiova (team manager)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals

Mircea Bornescu (born 3 May 1980 in Bucharest) is a Romanian former footballer who played as a goalkeeper.

Club career

Early career

Bornescu was born on 3 May 1980 in Bucharest, Romania and began playing junior-level football in 1986 at local club Mecanică Fină. In 1991, he joined the junior center of Național București. He started his senior career at Juventus București during the 1999–2000 Divizia B season. In 2001, he moved to Apulum Alba Iulia for one year before joining Extensiv Craiova. There, Bornescu scored his first goal on his birthday, after he was encouraged by coach Nicolae Ungureanu to execute a penalty awarded to his side. Afterwards, he became the main penalty taker, scoring another six goals throughout the 2004–05 season when the club changed its name from Extensiv Craiova to FC Caracal.

"U" Craiova, Rapid and Kavala

In 2005, Bornescu went to play for Universitatea Craiova. He scored four goals from the penalty spot in 29 matches during the 2005–06 season to help the team achieve promotion to the first league. Subsequently, he made his Liga I debut on 29 July 2006 under coach Ovidiu Stîngă, managing to keep a clean sheet in a 0–0 draw against FC Vaslui. Until the end of the season, he netted two penalties, including the winning goal in a 2–1 victory over Unirea Urziceni and another one in a 2–2 draw against Pandurii Târgu Jiu. In October 2007, during a match against Universitatea Craiova, Bornescu kicked opponent Cristian Coroian in the back with his studs, resulting in four fractured ribs for Coroian and a six-match suspension for Bornescu. Following four seasons spent with "U" Craiova, Bornescu joined Rapid București in 2009. After a two-season spell with Rapid, he went alongside coach Marius Șumudică to Greek side Kavala. However, he never played an official match for them, leaving within two months after the club's relegation due to past match-fixing involvement.

Petrolul and "U" Cluj

In September 2011, Bornescu and former Kavala teammate Alin Buleică signed with Petrolul Ploiești at the request of coach Valeriu Răchită. In 2012, he moved to Universitatea Cluj. In May 2012, Bornescu found himself at the center of a controversy during a derby against CFR Cluj when, after conceding a penalty goal, he shoved Ricardo Cadú to the ground because the opponent was celebrating directly in front of the "U" Cluj fans, sparking a massive team brawl that ultimately forced referee Alexandru Tudor to stop the match. Bornescu and Cadú each received a two-match suspension. In the summer of 2012, he was transferred back to Petrolul Ploiești, along with 11 other players from "U" Cluj, a move that occurred when the owner of the Cluj team left the club to take control of Petrolul. During a league game against Gaz Metan Mediaș on 29 May 2013, Bornescu was sent off for biting opponent Tha'er Bawab; consequently, his victim was sent off for a retaliatory punch to the face, after which a brawl ensued between the two teams and Bornescu received an eight-match suspension. The team won the 2012–13 Cupa României, but due to the suspension, coach Cosmin Contra could not use Bornescu in the 1–0 win over CFR Cluj in the final. He later featured in two matches during the 2013–14 Europa League campaign, beginning with a 4–0 win against Víkingur Gøta that secured their progression past the second round. He subsequently appeared in a 2–1 victory over Swansea City in the play-off second leg; however, the team was eliminated following a 5–1 defeat in the opening leg.

Rapid and Voluntari

In the summer of 2014, Bornescu made a comeback to Rapid, but could not avoid the team's relegation to the second league at the end of the 2014–15 season. Afterwards, he joined Voluntari in January 2016. He helped the team win the 2016–17 Cupa României, but coach Claudiu Niculescu preferred to use Dragoș Balauru in the victory in the final against Astra Giurgiu. Bornescu's last Liga I appearance took place on 31 May 2017 in Voluntari's 1–1 draw against Politehnica Iași, totaling 227 matches in the competition.

International career

In 1998, Bornescu made several appearances for Romania's under-18 and under-21 sides.

Personal life

His father, Petre, was a boxer who was the national champion in 1986 and 1987.

Honours

Universitatea Craiova

Petrolul Ploiești

FC Voluntari

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 Mircea Bornescu at RomanianSoccer.ro (in Romanian)
  2. 1 2 3 ""Am fost mai țărănuș". Portarul român cu cele mai multe goluri din penalty predă o lecţie despre cum se execută o lovitură de la 11 metri" (in Romanian). Orangesport.ro. 25 February 2019. Retrieved 8 August 2026.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "România, în topul mondial al ţărilor cu cei mai mulţi portari care au marcat goluri: 25 din 468" (in Romanian). Adevarul.ro. 31 May 2021. Retrieved 8 August 2026.
  4. ↑ "FC Craiova se muta oficial la Caracal" (in Romanian). Gds.ro. 13 July 2004. Retrieved 8 August 2026.
  5. ↑ "FC Universitatea Craiova 0:0 FC Vaslui". WorldFootball. Retrieved 8 August 2026.
  6. ↑ "Mircea Bornescu. Liga I 2006/2007". WorldFootball. Retrieved 8 August 2026.
  7. ↑ "Coroian. Dictionarul suferintei" (in Romanian). Gsp.ro. 9 October 2007. Retrieved 8 August 2026.
    "Mircea Bornescu, suspendat șase etape pentru că l-a accidentat pe Coroian" (in Romanian). Mediafax.ro. 17 October 2007. Retrieved 8 August 2026.
  8. ↑ "FOTBAL: Mircea Bornescu va părăsi echipa Universitatea Craiova" (in Romanian). Adevarul.ro. 24 June 2009. Retrieved 8 August 2026.
    "Mircea Bornescu a fost prezentat oficial la Rapid!" (in Romanian). Prosport.ro. 22 October 2009. Retrieved 8 August 2026.
  9. ↑ "Mircea Bornescu a semnat cu Kavala. Va lua 200.000 de euro în primul an!" (in Romanian). Gsp.ro. 21 July 2011. Retrieved 8 August 2026.
    "Pleacă după Șumudică! Bornescu a semnat un contract cu Kavala" (in Romanian). Prosport.ro. 22 July 2011. Retrieved 8 August 2026.
  10. ↑ "Portarul "Pepe" Bornescu fusese prins în mrejele oraşului Kavala, însă echipa sa a fost retrogradată pentru blaturi în Liga a IV-a: "Acolo găsisem raiul pe pământ"" (in Romanian). Libertatea.ro. 30 September 2011. Retrieved 8 August 2026.
  11. ↑ "Întăriri la Petrolul. Bornescu şi Buleică semnează acum cu echipa lui Răchită" (in Romanian). Gsp.ro. 30 September 2011. Retrieved 8 August 2026.
  12. ↑ "Bornescu a semnat un contract cu Universitatea Cluj" (in Romanian). Mediafax.ro. 22 December 2011. Retrieved 8 August 2026.
  13. ↑ "Meciul "U"-CFR, oprit după o bătaie generală" (in Romanian). Digisport.ro. 9 May 2012. Retrieved 8 August 2026.
    ""U" - CFR Cluj 0-1. Meci suspendat in minutul 25: Cadu si Bornescu - eliminati, dupa o bataie generala" (in Romanian). Golazo.ro. 9 May 2012. Retrieved 8 August 2026.
    "Bornescu: "Cadu m-a făcut ţigan român". Masorul care l-a lovit pe Cadu a fost dat afară de la "U"!" (in Romanian). Gsp.ro. 8 May 2012. Retrieved 8 August 2026.
  14. ↑ "Partida "U" Cluj vs CFR Cluj se va rejuca din minutul 1, de la scorul de 0-0" (in Romanian). Golazo.ro. 11 May 2012. Retrieved 8 August 2026.
  15. ↑ "Ingineriile lui Walter: Cristea a plecat gratis de la U Cluj la Petrolul Ploiesti" (in Romanian). Bzi.ro. 16 November 2012. Archived from the original on 23 November 2021. Retrieved 8 August 2026.
    "Inca un scandal in Liga 1 - Perchezitii la U Cluj si Petrolul in legatura cu transferurile de jucatori efecuate de Florian Walter" (in Romanian). Sport.hotnews.ro. 14 November 2012. Retrieved 8 August 2026.
  16. 1 2 "Bătaie generală la Ploiești! Bornescu l-a mușcat pe Bawab, în stilul "Suarez"" (in Romanian). Digisport.ro. 29 May 2013. Retrieved 8 August 2026.
  17. ↑ "Bornescu a fost suspendat opt etape, după ce l-a muşcat pe Bawab în meciul Petrolul - Gaz Metan" (in Romanian). Antena3.ro. 31 May 2013. Retrieved 8 August 2026.
  18. ↑ "Petrolul - CFR 1-0. Bokila aduce a treia Cupă a României pentru ploieșteni" (in Romanian). Digisport.ro. 1 June 2013. Retrieved 8 August 2026.
  19. ↑ "Vikingur - Petrolul 0-4. Urmează "dubla" cu Vitesse" (in Romanian). Digisport.ro. 25 July 2013. Retrieved 8 August 2026.
  20. ↑ "Adio, calificare! Swansea - Petrolul 5-1. Grozav a marcat golul serii în Europa League" (in Romanian). Digisport.ro. 22 August 2013. Retrieved 8 August 2026.
    "Petrolul - Swansea 2-1. Ploieștenii au spălat rușinea după umilința din tur" (in Romanian). Digisport.ro. 29 August 2013. Retrieved 8 August 2026.
  21. ↑ "Mircea Bornescu, prezent luni la reunirea Rapidului. Lotul cuprinde doar 17 jucători" (in Romanian). Digisport.ro. 1 July 2014. Retrieved 8 August 2026.
    "Bornescu: "Nu voi regreta niciodată că am semnat cu Rapid"" (in Romanian). Prosport.ro. 9 November 2014. Retrieved 8 August 2026.
    "CFR Cluj - Rapid 2-1. Giuleştenii pierd în superioritate numerică şi retrogradează matematic" (in Romanian). Digisport.ro. 23 May 2015. Retrieved 8 August 2026.
  22. ↑ "ST: Mişcări de trupe în Liga I" (in Romanian). Ziaruldevrancea.ro. 13 January 2016. Retrieved 8 August 2026.
  23. 1 2 "Mister Pernambucano. Cupa României este la Voluntari! Niculescu câștigă primul trofeu din carieră, la penalty-uri, în fața Astrei" (in Romanian). Gsp.ro. 27 May 2017. Retrieved 8 August 2026.
  24. ↑ "CSM Poli Iași - FC Voluntari 1-1. Moldovenii au câștigat play-out-ul" (in Romanian). Digisport.ro. 31 May 2017. Retrieved 8 August 2026.
    "Mircea Bornescu. Liga I 2016/2017". WorldFootball. Retrieved 8 August 2026.
  25. ↑ "Mircea Bornescu profile". 11v11. Retrieved 8 August 2026.
  26. ↑ "Tatăl lui Mircea Bornescu, fost campion național la box, a murit la 62 de ani" (in Romanian). Gsp.ro. 21 February 2023. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
    "Dramă pentru un fost fotbalist de la Rapid și Craiova! Tatăl său, fost campion la box, a murit: "Este adevărat!"" (in Romanian). Prosport.ro. 21 February 2023. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
    "Petre Bornescu, câștigător al Centurii de Aur, a murit la vârsta de 62 de ani. Cum a vrut fostul pugilist să-l îndrepte spre nobila artă pe fiul său, Mircea Bornescu" (in Romanian). Sport.ro. 21 February 2023. Retrieved 22 February 2023.