# Cristian Pulhac

Corneliu Cristian Pulhac (born 17 August 1984) is a Romanian former professional footballer who played as a left-back.

## Club career

Pulhac started his career at Dinamo București, making his Divizia A debut on 23 March 2002 in a 3–0 away victory against UM Timișoara, which would remain his only appearance in that season as the team won the title. In the following two seasons, Pulhac was loaned by Dinamo at the club's then satellite team, Poiana Câmpina and at Sportul Studențesc. In 2004 he returned at Dinamo, helping the team win the 2004–05 Cupa României, being used by coach Ioan Andone in all the minutes from the 1–0 victory in the final against Farul Constanța. At the beginning of the 2005–06 season he helped The Red Dogs win for the first time in their history the Supercupa României, as Andone used him in all the minutes of the 3–2 victory against rivals Steaua București, also Andone used him in 8 games from the 2005–06 UEFA Cup campaign when the team eliminated Everton with a historical 5–2 on aggregate, reaching the group stage. He played 32 games in the 2006–07 season under coach Mircea Rednic, helping Dinamo win the 18th title in the club's history, also appearing in 12 matches in which he scored one goal as the club reached the 2006–07 UEFA Cup sixteenths-finals where they were eliminated with 3–1 on aggregate by Benfica. In the following season Dinamo had the objective of reaching the Champions League group stage, Pulhac providing the assist for Ionel Dănciulescu's header that opened the score in the 1–1 draw from the first leg of the third qualifying round against Lazio Roma, however they did not qualify, losing with 3–1 the second leg. In August 2010, Primera División club, Hércules signed Pulhac on a season-long loan with an option to buy him permanently, but he returned to Dinamo after only one season, as the Spanish club didn't trigger the buy-option. In 2012 he won the last trophies of his career with Dinamo, firstly the 2011–12 Cupa României as coach Dario Bonetti sent him on the field in the 67th minute in order to replace Marius Alexe in the 1–0 victory against Rapid București from the final, then Bonetti used him all the minutes in the victory from the penalty shoot-out against CFR Cluj from the 2012 Supercupa României. In January 2013 Pulhac terminated his contract with Dinamo after receiving an offer from Azerbaijan Premier League side Gabala, for whom he went on to sign a two-year contract. Shortly after the appointment of Yuri Semin as manager of Gabala, Pulhac was deemed surplus to requirements and told he can leave the club on 8 July 2013. In January 2014, Pulhac was still with Gabala and training with the youth team as he refused to leave the club. Pulhac's contract with Gabala was finally terminated in August 2014. In December 2014, he signed a contract for 18 months with the Ekstraklasa side Zawisza Bydgoszcz. He returned to Romania in 2015, to play one season in the first league for Petrolul Ploiești, retiring in 2017 at Academica Clinceni in the second league.

## International career

Pulhac won six caps for the Romania U21s, scoring one goal. He appeared in three friendly games for Romania's senior side, making his debut under coach Victor Pițurcă on 26 May 2006 against Northern Ireland in a 2–0 win at Soldier Field in Chicago, playing 88 minutes. In 2007, he played in a 2–0 victory against Moldova, and made his last appearance for the national team on 20 August 2008 in a 1–0 win over Latvia.

## Career statistics

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition :
| Club | Season | League | League | League | Cup | Cup | Super Cup | Super Cup | Continental | Continental | Total | Total |
| Club | Season | League | App | Goals | App | Goals | App | Goals | App | Goals | App | Goals |
| Dinamo București | 2001–02 | Liga I | 1 | 0 | | | — | — | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Dinamo București | 2004–05 | Liga I | 11 | 2 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 13 | 2 |
| Dinamo București | 2005–06 | Liga I | 20 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 31 | 0 |
| Dinamo București | 2006–07 | Liga I | 32 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 1 | 46 | 1 |
| Dinamo București | 2007–08 | Liga I | 29 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 4 | 0 | 34 | 0 |
| Dinamo București | 2008–09 | Liga I | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 2 | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| Dinamo București | 2009–10 | Liga I | 29 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 2 | 0 | 31 | 0 |
| Dinamo București | 2010–11 | Liga I | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 4 | 1 | 6 | 1 |
| Dinamo București | 2011–12 | Liga I | 15 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 18 | 0 |
| Dinamo București | 2012–13 | Liga I | 17 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 21 | 0 |
| Dinamo București | Total | Total | 166 | 2 | 14 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 33 | 2 | 216 | 4 |
| Poiana Câmpina (loan) | 2002–03 | Liga III | 8 | 0 | | | — | — | — | — | 8 | 0 |
| Poiana Câmpina (loan) | 2003–04 | Liga II | 3 | 0 | | | — | — | — | — | 3 | 0 |
| Poiana Câmpina (loan) | Total | Total | 11 | 0 | | | — | — | — | — | 11 | 0 |
| Sportul Studențesc (loan) | 2003–04 | Liga II | 11 | 0 | | | — | — | — | — | 11 | 0 |
| Hércules (loan) | 2010–11 | La Liga | 9 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 11 | 0 |
| Gabala | 2012–13 | Azerbaijan Premier League | 10 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 12 | 0 |
| Gabala | 2013–14 | Azerbaijan Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 |
| Gabala | 2014–15 | Azerbaijan Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Gabala | Total | Total | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Zawisza Bydgoszcz | 2014–15 | Ekstraklasa | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 7 | 0 |
| Petrolul Ploiești | 2015–16 | Liga I | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 7 | 0 |
| Aris Limassol | 2016–17 | Cypriot First Division | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 |
| Academica Clinceni | 2016–17 | Liga II | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 13 | 0 |
| Academica Clinceni | 2017–18 | Liga II | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 17 | 0 |
| Academica Clinceni | Total | Total | 30 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 30 | 0 |
| Career total | Career total | Career total | 251 | 2 | 18 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 33 | 2 | 305 | 4 |

## Honours

Dinamo București
* Liga I: 2001–02, 2006–07
* Cupa României: 2004–05, 2011–12
* Supercupa României: 2005, 2012