# Adrian Popa (footballer, born 1988)

Adrian Popa (born 24 July 1988) is a Romanian professional footballer who plays as a winger for Liga II club CSA Steaua București.

## Club career
### Early years

Popa was one of the most proficient players of the Politehnica Timișoara reserve team, and was loaned to CS Buftea and Gloria Buzău.

### Universitatea Cluj

In July 2009, Popa signed a contract with Universitatea Cluj. Although he showed impressive skills and helped the team get promoted to the first division, he left the club after one year.

### Concordia Chiajna

In 2010, Popa joined Concordia Chiajna. He contributed to the club's promotion to the first division and was kept for the following season.

### FCSB

On 15 August 2012, Popa signed a five-year contract with FCSB for an undisclosed transfer fee. One week later, he scored his first goal for the club in a 2–0 away win over FK Ekranas in the Europa League play-off round's first leg.
He played over 200 games during his spell with the capital-based club.

### Reading

On 27 January 2017, it was announced that Popa agreed to transfer to English team Reading after reaching the final six months of his contract with FCSB. The transfer was made official three days later, with Popa signing with Reading until the summer of 2020.
His first goal came on 17 March 2017, scoring Reading's second in injury time in a 2–0 win over Sheffield Wednesday at the Hillsborough Stadium.

#### Loan to Al-Taawon

On 29 January 2018, Reading confirmed that Popa had joined Saudi Arabian side Al-Taawon on loan until the end of the 2017–18 season.

#### Loan to Ludogorets Razgrad

On 20 December 2018, Reading announced that Popa had moved to Ludogorets Razgrad on loan for the rest of the 2018–19 season.

### Voluntari

On 16 October 2020, Popa signed a one-year contract with FC Voluntari.

### Steaua București

On 22 September 2021, Popa signed a two-year contract with his childhood team, Steaua București.

## International career

Popa made his debut for the Romania senior team in October 2012, in a 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification match against Netherlands.

## Career statistics
### Club

    As of match played 26 October 2024
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition :
| Club | Season | League | League | League | National cup | National cup | League cup | League cup | Europe | Europe | Other | Other | Total | Total |
| Club | Season | Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| CS Buftea (loan) | 2008–09 | Liga II | 11 | 2 | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 11 | 2 |
| Gloria Buzău (loan) | 2008–09 | Liga I | 12 | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 12 | 1 |
| Universitatea Cluj | 2009–10 | Liga II | 24 | 3 | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 24 | 3 |
| Concordia Chiajna | 2011–12 | Liga II | 27 | 4 | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 27 | 4 |
| Concordia Chiajna | 2011–12 | Liga I | 29 | 3 | 1 | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 30 | 4 |
| Concordia Chiajna | 2012–13 | Liga I | 4 | 3 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 4 | 3 |
| Concordia Chiajna | Total | Total | 60 | 10 | 1 | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 61 | 11 |
| Steaua București | 2012–13 | Liga I | 30 | 1 | 2 | 0 | – | – | 11 | 1 | – | – | 43 | 2 |
| Steaua București | 2013–14 | Liga I | 28 | 7 | 5 | 0 | – | – | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 45 | 7 |
| Steaua București | 2014–15 | Liga I | 28 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 45 | 8 |
| Steaua București | 2015–16 | Liga I | 32 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 46 | 5 |
| Steaua București | 2016–17 | Liga I | 19 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 0 | – | – | 31 | 3 |
| Steaua București | Total | Total | 137 | 20 | 17 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 48 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 230 | 28 |
| Reading | 2016–17 | Championship | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 8 | 1 |
| Reading | 2017–18 | Championship | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 8 | 0 |
| Reading | 2018–19 | Championship | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 1 | 0 |
| Reading | Total | Total | 15 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 17 | 1 |
| Al-Taawoun (loan) | 2017–18 | Saudi Professional League | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 9 | 0 |
| Ludogorets Razgrad (loan) | 2018–19 | First League | 13 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | – | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 |
| FCSB (loan) | 2019–20 | Liga I | 17 | 2 | 2 | 1 | – | – | 1 | 0 | – | – | 20 | 3 |
| Voluntari | 2020–21 | Liga I | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 8 | 2 |
| Academica Clinceni | 2020–21 | Liga I | 19 | 2 | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 19 | 2 |
| CSA Steaua București | 2021–22 | Liga II | 19 | 5 | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 19 | 5 |
| CSA Steaua București | 2022–23 | Liga II | 28 | 6 | 1 | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 29 | 7 |
| CSA Steaua București | Total | Total | 47 | 11 | 1 | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 49 | 12 |
| Concordia Chiajna | 2023–24 | Liga II | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 5 | 0 |
| CSA Steaua București | 2023–24 | Liga II | 7 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 7 | 0 |
| CSA Steaua București | 2024–25 | Liga II | 10 | 2 | 1 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 11 | 2 |
| CSA Steaua București | Total | Total | 17 | 2 | 1 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 18 | 2 |
| Career total | Career total | Career total | 396 | 54 | 23 | 6 | 9 | 0 | 49 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 476 | 62 |
* ↑ Appearances in the Europa League
* ↑ Appearances in the Champions League
* ↑ Appearance in the Supercupa României
* ↑ Five appearances in the Champions League and five in the Europa League
* ↑ Four appearances in the Champions League and two in the Europa League
* ↑ Four appearances in the Champions League and six in the Europa League
* ↑ One appearance in the Europa League

### International

Appearances and goals by national team and year :
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
| Romania | 2012 | 1 | 0 |
| Romania | 2013 | 3 | 0 |
| Romania | 2014 | 1 | 0 |
| Romania | 2015 | 7 | 1 |
| Romania | 2016 | 11 | 3 |
| Romania | 2017 | 1 | 0 |
| Total | Total | 24 | 4 |
    Scores and results list Romania's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Popa goal.
List of international goals scored by Adrian Popa :
| No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
| 1 | 14 February 2015 | Mardan Sports Complex, Aksu, Turkey | 7 | Moldova | 2–0 | 2–1 | Friendly |
| 2 | 3 June 2016 | Arena Națională, Bucharest, Romania | 14 | Georgia | 1–0 | 5–1 | Friendly |
| 3 | 4 September 2016 | Cluj Arena, Cluj-Napoca, Romania | 17 | Montenegro | 1–0 | 1–1 | 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 4 | 8 October 2016 | Vazgen Sargsyan, Yerevan, Armenia | 18 | Armenia | 2–0 | 5–0 | 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification |

## Honours

FCSB
* Liga I: 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15
* Cupa României: 2014–15, 2019–20
* Cupa Ligii: 2014–15, 2015–16
* Supercupa României: 2013
Ludogorets Razgrad
* First Professional Football League: 2018–19