Mihai Neșu

Steaua București Neșu, who was nicknamed Bișonul (Romanian for "the Bichon"), was born on 19 February 1983 in Oradea, Romania and began playing junior-level football at local club Bihor. He was transferred to Steaua București in 2001 for $6,000 and made his Divizia A debut on 21 April 2002, when head coach Victor Pițurcă used him in a 1–1 draw against Petrolul Ploiești. During his time in the capital, Neșu aided the club in winning the national title in the 2004–05 and the 2005–06 seasons. He played 86 Eredivisie matches and scored two goals during his stint, and in 2008 was named the best left-back of the competition. His FC Utrecht contract expired in July 2012, formally ending his footballing career. In 2020, he was selected by FC Utrecht fans as the best left-back the team's history. ==International career==

Neșu appeared eight times for Romania, with manager Victor Pițurcă handing him his full debut on 12 November 2005, when he replaced Răzvan Raț in the 80th minute of a friendly 1–2 loss to Ivory Coast. He also played in a 1–0 away victory against the Faroe Islands in the 2010 World Cup qualifiers. His last game for the national team was a friendly which ended in a 0–2 loss to Israel, on 3 March 2010. ==Career statistics==

International ==Personal life==

Neșu's father, Mircea, was a footballer, referee, and doctor. His nephew, Nikos Barboudis, was also a football player. Neșu married Maria Laura Gherman in June 2006, but they divorced after six years. ==Philanthropy==

In the 2012–13 season, Steaua București honoured Neșu by displaying the logo of his namesake foundation on the club's kit in the UEFA Europa League matches against Ekranas, Ajax and Chelsea. As of January 2022, Neșu manages the construction of a new and larger rehabilitation centre in Oradea for children with motor disorders. ==Honours==

Steaua București • Divizia A: 2004–05, 2005–06 • Supercupa României: 2001, 2006 ==References==