Florin Niță retired from football at the age of 38! » The emotional message posted by Romania's goalkeeper from EURO 2024

The announcement was made by the goalkeeper himself, who was out of contract in the summer of 2025, through an emotional message posted on his personal Facebook page.

Florin Niță retired from football

Football gave me everything. And I, in turn, gave it my best. I am grateful to this sport for the man who made me. For the character he formed for me, for all the beautiful moments I lived, but also for the hard ones, for the days when I fell and had to get up by myself.

Football taught me to fight, not to give up and to keep going even when it seemed impossible.

I experienced so many things that I will never forget… the debut, the excitement of the first minutes on the field, in Chiajna, then in the big FCSB matches, the years and memories gathered in the Czech Republic, at Sparta Prague or Pardubice, the period in Turkey, at Gaziantep, and the one in Saudi Arabia, at Damac. Every locker room, every stadium, every colleague and every match left something in my soul.

But the national team will always have a special place in my heart. Playing for Romania is something that cannot be explained in words. It's a pride that you feel in your whole body when you hear the anthem and you see the people in the stands and you feel the people at home living with you every phase. To represent your country, to fight for it and to feel that you can make millions of people happy… there is no stronger feeling than this.

When I started football, I was just a kid who loved the ball and the game. That's it. I wasn't thinking about fame, money or career. I was just happy to be able to run after the ball until the evening. Then came the dreams, the ambition, the desire to reach as high as possible. And I've been lucky enough to live a lifetime in the middle of this beautiful madness called football, with wins that made me cry with happiness and hard times that made me stronger.

Thank you to all the supporters who have been with me on this journey. To those who supported me in the club teams and, especially, to the fans of the Romanian national team.

There were times when your applause gave me the strength to go on when I felt like I couldn't. I thank my colleagues, coaches and all the people I met along the way. And thank you for making me feel, all these years, that I am not alone.

I thank football for defining me as a person. Today my journey as a player ends, but I will never part with this phenomenon. Football will always remain a part of me and my life.

It's not a goodbye. It's just the beginning of another chapter. Maybe as a coach, maybe as a manager, but I will certainly remain a man who will love football until the last day. If today I am a man who can walk with his head held high, I owe it to football, but also to my family, who have been by my side every moment, not 100%, but more than that.

Behind every match, every victory and every difficult moment, they were the ones who supported me unconditionally, who believed in me and lifted me up every time I was struggling. For that, I will be grateful to them all my life.

For everything we have lived together, I bow before you with respect, gratitude and a lot of emotion, yours Florin Niță.

– the message sent by Florin Niță on his personal Facebook page

In Romania, Florin Niță played for Concordia Chiajna and FCSB. Domestic success found him in the red-blue jerseyin which he won two championship titles (2014, 2015), two League Cups (2015, 2016) and a Romanian Cup (2015). He has the most matches for FCSB: 117, with 107 goals scored and 45 clean sheets.

Florin Niță played abroad for Sparta Prague, Pardubice, Gaziantep and Damac. With the Prague team he won won a Czech Cup (2020).

The last time he played for Damac FC was May 26, 2025, the last time he played for the fin Saudi Arabia team.

For the national team, Florin Niță has 31 selections, participation in the European Championship in 2024 being the greatest achievement achieved in Romania's shirt.

FRF, message for Florin Niță

As a sign of gratitude for the time he was a footballer, FRF sent him a special message on the official page.

Today, Florin Niță decided to say “goodbye” to the lawn. His retirement not only marks the end of a chapter for an exceptional athlete, but is an opportunity to look back on a career built on discipline, respect and a boundless love for football.

The story of Florin Niță was never just about spectacular parades or how he managed to close the gate, it was, in particular, a story about the refusal to give up in the face of difficulties and about an ascent built with a lot of work since the junior period.

Florin Niță, 39 years old in July, made his debut for the first national team in November 2017 and collected 31 selections in Romania's jersey. The National Team thanks Florin for everything and wishes him much success in his future career!

– the message sent by FRF

Florin Niță, in the national team jersey

What Florin Nița said about the withdrawal, in May

During an event organized in May, Florin Niță spoke about his future plans. Then, he declared that he misses football, but that he does not necessarily miss it. He also mentioned that he is focusing on a personal project.

“I feel very good on the field, I miss it, but I don't miss it. I don't want to enter an area that I don't want to develop. Something will follow, in the coming days there will be an announcement in which I will say what I said before. It is a difficult period now, I am close to the field, I am near the football field,” Florin Niță declared in May.