# Gheorghe Bucur

Gheorghe "Gigel" Bucur (born 8 April 1980) is a Romanian former professional footballer who played as a winger or a striker.
Bucur has won the top league goalscorer award in the Romanian league twice, in the 2004–05 and in the 2008–09 seasons. He was tied on goals with another player on both occasions, first with Claudiu Niculescu and then with Florin Costea.

## Club career

Before joining Politehnica Timișoara, Bucur had only played for Sportul Studenţesc, where he appeared in 170 matches and scored 77 goals in the first two Romanian leagues. He made his debut in the Divizia A during the 2001–02 season. After winning the title of Romanian top league goal scorer of the Divizia A in 2006, he was transferred to Timișoara, for a rumored sum of US$800,000. Sorin Rădoi also came to Poli as part of that deal.
In the autumn of 2009 he scored a brace in the Third Champions League Qualifying Round to help Politehnica Timișoara knockout Shakhtar Donetsk.
On 3 February 2010, he signed a 3-year contract with Russian club Kuban Krasnodar for a fee worth $1.8 million.

## International career

Gigel Bucur first played for the Romania national team in 2005 and amassed twenty six appearances until 2013, scoring four goals, including a brace against Armenia for the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification.
On 25 March 2008 he was decorated by the president of Romania, Traian Băsescu for the results on Qualifying to EURO 2008 and qualification to UEFA Euro 2008 Group C with Medalia "Meritul Sportiv" – (The Medal "The Sportive Merit") class III.

## Career statistics
### Club

| Club | Season | League | League | League | Cup | Cup | Continental | Continental | Other | Other | Total | Total |
| Club | Season | Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| Sportul Studențesc | 1998–99 | Divizia B | 16 | 2 | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 16 | 2 |
| Sportul Studențesc | 1999–2000 | Divizia B | 28 | 6 | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 28 | 6 |
| Sportul Studențesc | 2000–01 | Divizia B | 27 | 4 | 5 | 1 | – | – | – | – | 32 | 5 |
| Sportul Studențesc | 2001–02 | Divizia A | 29 | 13 | 2 | 1 | – | – | – | – | 31 | 14 |
| Sportul Studențesc | 2002–03 | Divizia A | 13 | 2 | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 13 | 2 |
| Sportul Studențesc | 2003–04 | Divizia B | 28 | 29 | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 28 | 29 |
| Sportul Studențesc | 2004–05 | Divizia A | 29 | 21 | 2 | 1 | – | – | – | – | 31 | 22 |
| Sportul Studențesc | Total | Total | 170 | 77 | 9 | 3 | – | – | – | – | 179 | 80 |
| Politehnica Timișoara | 2005–06 | Divizia A | 20 | 3 | 2 | 1 | – | – | – | – | 22 | 3 |
| Politehnica Timișoara | 2006–07 | Liga I | 29 | 9 | 4 | 2 | – | – | – | – | 33 | 11 |
| Politehnica Timișoara | 2007–08 | Liga I | 28 | 16 | 2 | 1 | – | – | – | – | 30 | 17 |
| Politehnica Timișoara | 2008–09 | Liga I | 31 | 17 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | – | – | 37 | 20 |
| Politehnica Timișoara | 2009–10 | Liga I | 16 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 3 | – | – | 26 | 11 |
| Politehnica Timișoara | Total | Total | 124 | 53 | 12 | 6 | 12 | 4 | – | – | 148 | 63 |
| Kuban Krasnodar | 2010 | Russian First Division | 31 | 9 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 31 | 9 |
| Kuban Krasnodar | 2011–12 | Russian Premier League | 39 | 6 | 1 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 40 | 6 |
| Kuban Krasnodar | 2012–13 | Russian Premier League | 21 | 4 | 2 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 23 | 4 |
| Kuban Krasnodar | 2013–14 | Russian Premier League | 28 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | – | – | 34 | 7 |
| Kuban Krasnodar | 2014–15 | Russian Premier League | 24 | 3 | 3 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 27 | 3 |
| Kuban Krasnodar | 2015–16 | Russian Premier League | 13 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | – | 2 | 0 | 16 | 0 |
| Kuban Krasnodar | Total | Total | 156 | 28 | 7 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 171 | 29 |
| Career total | Career total | Career total | 450 | 158 | 28 | 9 | 18 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 498 | 172 |

#### Notes

* ↑ Appearances in UEFA Cup
* ↑ Four appearances in UEFA Champions League and two goals, six appearances and one goal in UEFA Europa League
* ↑ Appearances in UEFA Europa League
* ↑ Appearances in Russian Premier League promotion/relegation play-offs

### International

Appearances and goals by national team and year :
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
| Romania | 2005 | 5 | 2 |
| Romania | 2006 | 0 | 0 |
| Romania | 2007 | 2 | 0 |
| Romania | 2008 | 3 | 0 |
| Romania | 2009 | 8 | 2 |
| Romania | 2010 | 1 | 0 |
| Romania | 2011 | 5 | 0 |
| Romania | 2012 | 0 | 0 |
| Romania | 2013 | 2 | 0 |
| Total | Total | 26 | 4 |
    Scores and results list Romania's goal tally first
List of international goals scored by Gigel Bucur :
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
| 1 | 8 June 2005 | Stadionul Farul, Constanţa, Romania | Armenia | 2–0 | 3–0 | 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 2 | 8 June 2005 | Stadionul Farul, Constanţa, Romania | Armenia | 3–0 | 3–0 | 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 3 | 9 September 2009 | Stadionul Steaua, Bucharest, Romania | Austria | 1–0 | 1–1 | 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 4 | 14 October 2009 | Stadionul Ceahlăul, Piatra Neamţ, Romania | Faroe Islands | 2–0 | 3–1 | 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification |

## Honours

Sportul Studențesc
* Divizia B: 2000–01, 2003–04
Politehnica Timișoara
* Cupa României runner-up: 2006–07, 2008–09
Kuban Krasnodar
* Russian First Division: 2010
* Russian Cup runner-up: 2014–15
Individual
* Liga I top scorer: 2004–05 (21 goals) (joint with Claudiu Niculescu), 2008–09 (17 goals) (joint with Florin Costea)
* Divizia B top scorer: 2003–04 (29 goals)