Article by Daniel Grigore – Published Monday, December 29, 2025, 11:28 / Updated Monday, December 29, 2025 11:36
Petrolul Ploiești announced the parting with Valentin Țicu (25 years old), the left defender who was captain before the serious injury in July 2024.
Valentin Țicu has always identified with Petrolul. Brought up by the club from Ploiești, he made his senior debut there in 2018 and has remained there in all the years since then.
Today, their paths diverge. Petrolul announced that an amicable agreement was reached regarding the termination of the contract.
After an extremely long period on the touchline, a year and a half, Țicu will try to relaunch his career elsewhere.
Petrolul Ploiești announced the separation from Valentin Țicu
“Recently returned to training, after a terrible injury and a series of terrible bad luck that contributed to an unavailability that lasted for a year and a half, Vali Țicu reached an agreement with FC Petrolul Ploiești for the conclusion, from this winter, of the commitment that was due in the summer of 2026.
Beyond all these numbers, Vali stood out for the dedication with which he defended the “shield”, being, without a doubt, one of the emblematic players of the reborn Petrol in 2016. A contract termination, now, but by no means a separation!
The Petrolul Ploiești family thanks you for everything, Vali, wishes you much success and expects you to come back stronger!”, says the club's press release.
Valentin Țicu: “It is important to go somewhere where I can constantly evolve”
“Taking into account what has happened since 2024, starting with my injury and everything that followed, I think at the moment this was the best decision.
The important thing is, now, to go somewhere to be able to constantly evolve and, thus, to be able to reach the potential before the injury as quickly as possible.
Petrolul is the club where I really grew up, because I came here as a child and left as a man, I have known many satisfactions and, of course, I will stay, with my soul, with this team!”, said Țicu upon parting.
It is a painful parting, but I hope and believe it will be beneficial for him. I want him to go to a team where he has the opportunity to play as soon as possible and as much as possible, so that he quickly becomes the player we all know.
We lived many beautiful moments together, he played here from League 3 and up to League 1, he was the captain with whom Petrol returned to the first echelon! A special player, a man of high quality, and Petrol's door will always be open to him! Thanks Vali and we look forward to seeing you come back even stronger!
– Claudiu Tudor, president of Petrolul Ploiești
Țicu played 174 times for Petrolul (73 matches in the Super League, 86 in League 2, 5 in League 3, 8 in the Romanian Cup) and scored 8 goals. He was a youth international and has a selection for the first representative, being an unused reserve in the 2-2 draw with Switzerland in the summer of 2023, in the preliminaries for Euro 2024.
The ordeal of Valentin Țicu
In the summer of 2024, Țicu suffered a serious injury, which derailed his career: rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament and injury to the meniscus of his left knee.
Normally, Țicu should have returned in less than a year, but the recovery turned into an ordeal because the first operation to repair the ligament was not successful.
The suspected reason for the footballer? An infection found in the knee, which would have caused the ligament replacement graft not to attach as it should have.
He needed a second operation 9-10 months after the first.
