Gicu Grozav, the 35-year-old forward, officially parted ways with Petrolul Ploiești at the end of June when his contract expired. Although he has received multiple offers from lower league clubs, he is seriously considering a return to his hometown team, Unirea Alba Iulia.
After four seasons with Petrolul, Grozav’s time in Ploiești has come to an end. He scored 54 goals during his tenure and served as the team captain and top scorer. However, he opted not to continue due to significant financial issues troubling the club and the decision of officials to focus on a younger squad for the new competitive season.
Gicu Grozav Attracted Back Home to Unirea Alba Iulia
Being free of contract for nearly a month, several lower-league teams have expressed interest in the 35-year-old footballer. Grozav is valued at €300,000 and has received an initial offer from Corona Brașov, a club eager to make an impact in Liga 3 by attracting notable players.
Additionally, his wife, Sorina Grozav, plays for the women’s handball team in Brașov, which might help persuade him to sign with the club.
Recently, however, another club has stepped up their efforts to recruit the former Petrolul and national team striker. Unirea Alba Iulia, a Liga 3 team where Grozav began his professional career, is aiming to bring him back.
“We Are in Advanced Negotiations”
Currently, with Cristi Pustai managing the Liga 3 team after the departure of Dragoș Militaru, Unirea Alba Iulia is reportedly in advanced negotiations, with hopes of quickly convincing Grozav to join their project, according to GSP reports.
As the coming weeks unfold, it remains to be seen what decision Grozav will make. His career accolades include two trophies: the Belgian Cup won with Standard Liege and the Romanian Cup with Petrolul Ploiești.
Groza started his youth career and made his first league appearance in Romania with Alba Iulia. On August 1, 2009, he played in a home match lost 0-1 against FC Brașov.
After two seasons at the club (2007-2008 and 2008-2009), Grozav moved up to the first division and was later transferred to Standard Liege, coached at that time by Ladislau Boloni.
The Belgian team paid €350,000 to Unirea Alba Iulia for the 19-year-old player, who was also subject to a 15% cut from any future transfer, with that amount set to be no less than €400,000.
Groza has also played in Romania for U Cluj and Dinamo, while his international experience includes stints with Standard Liege, Terek Grozny, Karabukspor, Bursaspor, Kisvarda, Diosgyor, and MTK Budapest.
TAS Rejects Unirea’s Appeal! Team Remains in Liga 3
CSM Unirea Alba Iulia has decided to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (TAS) contesting the promotion playoff to Liga 2. This follows reports from GSP about the CSL Ștefăneștii de Jos club.
The team from Ilfov has a two-point deduction recorded with the Romanian Football Federation (FRF), which means they should not have qualified directly for promotion to the second tier.
Unirea proceeded with their appeal to TAS, but on July 15, the Sports Tribunal dismissed their plea, agreeing with the defense put forth by the FRF. ALL DOCUMENTS can be read here.
