Cristinel Pojar

{{short description|Romanian footballer}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2020}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Cristinel Pojar | image = | image_size = | fullname = Cristinel Vasile Pojar<ref name=RS>{{RomanianSoccer|3522/cristinel-vasile-pojar}}</ref> | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1967|08|19|df=y}}<ref name=RS/> | birth_place = Jucu, Romania<ref name=RS/> | height = 1.78 m<ref name=RS/> | position = Defender / Defensive midfielder<ref name=RS/> | currentclub = | youthyears1 = {{0|0000}}–1984| youthclubs1 = Universitatea Cluj | years1 = 1984–1998 |clubs1 = Universitatea Cluj |caps1 = 194 |goals1 = 8 |totalcaps = 194 | totalgoals = 8 | nationalyears1 = 1986 | nationalteam1 = Romania U21 | nationalcaps1 = 1 | nationalgoals1 = 0 | pcupdate = 1 January 2020 | manageryears1 = 1998–1999 | managerclubs1 = Universitatea Cluj (assistant) | manageryears2 = 2000–2001 | managerclubs2 = Universitatea Cluj (assistant) | manageryears3 = 2002–2003 | managerclubs3 = Politehnica Timișoara (assistant) | manageryears4 = 2003 | managerclubs4 = Apulum Alba Iulia (assistant) | manageryears5 = 2003–2004 | managerclubs5 = Universitatea Cluj (assistant) | manageryears6 = 2004–2005 | managerclubs6 = Sportul Studențesc (assistant) | manageryears7 = 2005–2006 | managerclubs7 = Wisła Kraków (assistant) | manageryears8 = 2006–2009 | managerclubs8 = Unirea Urziceni (assistant) | manageryears9 = 2009–2012 | managerclubs9 = Kuban Krasnodar (assistant) | manageryears10 = 2012–2014 | managerclubs10 = Dynamo Moscow (assistant) | manageryears11 = 2021–2023 | managerclubs11 = Universitatea Cluj (scouting director) }}

'''Cristinel Vasile Pojar''' (born 19 August 1967) is a Romanian former footballer who spent his entire career at Universitatea Cluj.<ref name=RS/><ref name=gsp>{{cite web|url=https://www.gsp.ro/fotbal/liga-1/fanii-lui-u-vor-sa-ii-organizeze-un-meci-de-retragere-lui-cristi-pojar-sint-onorat-si-emotionat-261494.html|title=Fanii lui "U" vor să îi organizeze un meci de retragere lui Cristi Pojar "Sînt onorat şi emoţionat"|publisher=Gsp.ro|language=Romanian |trans-title="U" fans want to organize a retirement game for Cristi Pojar "I am honored and excited"| date=11 September 2011 |access-date= 1 January 2020}}</ref><ref name=prosport>{{cite web|url=https://www.prosport.ro/fotbal-intern/liga-1/povestea-impresionanta-a-lui-cristi-pojar-a-jucat-numai-la-u-suferind-7-operatii-la-genunchi-8846033|title=Povestea impresionantă a lui Cristi Pojar! A jucat numai la "U", suferind 7 operații la genunchi|publisher=Prosport.ro|language=Romanian |trans-title=Cristi Pojar's impressive story! He played only at "U", undergoing 7 knee operations| date=7 October 2011 |access-date= 1 January 2020}}</ref><ref name=libertatea>{{cite web|url=https://www.libertatea.ro/sport/cristi-pojar-s-intors-acasa-este-noul-sef-al-departamentului-de-scouting-al-lui-u-cluj-1421036|title=S-a întors acasă! Pojar, noul şef al scouterilor la "U" Cluj|publisher=Libertatea.ro|language=Romanian |trans-title=He's back home! Pojar, the new head of the scouts at "U" Cluj| date=24 July 2014 |access-date= 1 January 2020}}</ref> After he ended his playing career he worked as an assistant coach.<ref name=gsp/><ref name=prosport/><ref name=libertatea/>

==Club career== {{Quote box| width=20% |align=left |quote="Pojar never backed down, he always fought on the field, with all his strength. He was and remains a hard man" |source=–Remus Câmpeanu, former "U" Cluj president<ref name=prosport/>}} Pojar was born on 19 August 1967 in Jucu, Cluj County, Romania and began playing junior-level football at Universitatea Cluj.<ref name=RS/><ref name=4ever>{{cite web | url=https://www.4everucluj.ro/jucatori/cristinel-pojar/ | title=Cristinel Pojar profile| publisher=4everucluj.ro| language=Romanian}}</ref> He spent all of his senior career at "U", starting with the 1984–85 Divizia B season, as they finished it in first place.<ref name=RS/><ref name=4ever/><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.4everucluj.ro/istorie/1984-1985/ | title=Universitatea Cluj 1984–85 season| publisher=4everucluj.ro| language=Romanian}}</ref> In the following season he made his Divizia A debut under coach Remus Vlad on 14 September 1985 in a 1–0 away loss to Universitatea Craiova.<ref name=RS/><ref name=4ever/><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.4everucluj.ro/istorie/1985-1986/ | title=Universitatea Cluj 1985–86 season| publisher=4everucluj.ro| language=Romanian}}</ref> At the end of the 1990–91 season, the team was relegated back to Divizia B, but Pojar stayed with the club, helping it get promoted back to the first league after one year.<ref name=RS/> At age 27 he suffered an injury which kept him off the field for two years.<ref name=prosport/> After returning to play, Pojar suffered a cruciate ligament injury.<ref name=prosport/> These injuries necessitated a total of seven operations on his knees.<ref name=prosport/> Eventually he retired because of these problems at the end of the 1997–98 season.<ref name=RS/><ref name=gsp/><ref name=prosport/> He has a total of 174 Divizia A matches with four goals, and 20 appearances, also with four goals in Divizia B, receiving a single red card in his entire career.<ref name=RS/><ref name=gsp/><ref name=prosport/><ref name=libertatea/> In October 2011, in order to inaugurate the new Cluj Arena stadium, "U" Cluj organized a friendly match against Kuban Krasnodar, where Pojar was working as an assistant and the match also served as Pojar's retirement match.<ref name=gsp/><ref name=prosport/><ref name=gsp2>{{cite web|url=https://www.gsp.ro/fotbal/liga-1/generatia-de-aur-vine-la-inaugurarea-cluj-arena-meci-de-retragere-pentru-cristi-pojar-268538.html|title="Generaţia de Aur" vine la inaugurarea Cluj Arena. Meci de retragere pentru Cristi Pojar|publisher=Gsp.ro|language=Romanian |trans-title=The "Golden Generation" comes to the inauguration of Cluj Arena. Retirement match for Cristi Pojar| date=5 October 2011 |access-date= 19 February 2023}}</ref> He played again a few minutes for "U", the game ending with a 4–0 loss to the Russians.<ref name=adevarul>{{cite web|url=https://adevarul.ro/stiri-locale/cluj-napoca/universitatea-cluj-umilita-la-meciul-de-1217778.html|title=Universitatea Cluj, umilită la meciul de inaugurare a noului stadion|publisher=Adevarul.ro|language=Romanian |trans-title=Universitatea Cluj, humiliated at the inauguration match of the new stadium| date=11 October 2011 |access-date= 19 February 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.stiridecluj.ro/sport/rusii-si-au-batut-joc-de-inaugurarea-cluj-arena-cristi-pojar-nici-nu-a-atins-mingea-video|title=Rusii si-au batut joc de inaugurarea Cluj Arena! Cristi Pojar nici nu a atins mingea|publisher=Stiridecluj.ro|language=Romanian |trans-title=The Russians made fun of the inauguration of Cluj Arena! Cristi Pojar didn't even touch the ball| date=11 October 2011 |access-date= 19 February 2023}}</ref>

==International career== Pojar played one game for Romania's under-21 team when on 20 August 1986 he was sent at halftime by coach Mircea Rădulescu to replace Marcel Sabou in a 3–0 loss to Norway.<ref name=4ever/><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.11v11.com/players/cristinel-vasile-pojar-168232/|title=Cristinel Pojar profile|publisher=11v11|access-date=7 June 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.11v11.com/matches/norway-v-romania-20-august-1986-271369/|title= Norway – Romania 3–0|publisher=11v11|access-date=19 February 2023}}</ref>

==Coaching career== Pojar started working as an assistant coach for Tiberiu Poraczky at Universitatea Cluj in the 1998–99 Divizia A season.<ref name=prosport/><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.4everucluj.ro/istorie/1998-1999/ | title=Universitatea Cluj 1998–99 season| publisher=4everucluj.ro| language=Romanian}}</ref> Subsequently, he worked again for the same team, assisting Ioan Sabău's in the 2000–01 Divizia C season, helping them earn promotion to Divizia B.<ref name=prosport/><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.4everucluj.ro/istorie/2000-2001/ | title=Universitatea Cluj 2000–01 season| publisher=4everucluj.ro| language=Romanian}}</ref> In 2004, he became Dan Petrescu's assistant at Sportul Studențesc, following him in Poland at Wisła Kraków.<ref name=libertatea/> Afterwards they came back to Romania at Unirea Urziceni, where they won the 2008–09 Liga I title.<ref name=libertatea/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://ziare.com/unirea-urziceni/stiri-unirea-urziceni/unirea-urziceni-noua-campioana-a-romaniei-video-781820|title=Unirea Urziceni, noua campioana a Romaniei |publisher=Ziare.com|language=Romanian |trans-title=Unirea Urziceni, the new champion of Romania| date=10 June 2009 |access-date= 19 February 2023}}</ref> Then, they moved to Russia, coaching at Kuban Krasnodar and Dynamo Moscow.<ref name=gsp/><ref name=prosport/><ref name=libertatea/><ref name=gsp2/><ref name=adevarul/>

==Honours== '''Universitatea Cluj''' *Divizia B: 1984–85, 1991–92<ref name=RS/>

==References== {{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pojar, Cristinel}} Category:1967 births Category:Footballers from Cluj County Category:Romanian men's footballers Category:Romania men's under-21 international footballers Category:Men's association football defenders Category:Liga I players Category:Liga II players Category:FC Universitatea Cluj players Category:Living people Category:20th-century Romanian sportsmen