{{short description|Romanian footballer}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2021}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Mihai Costea | image = Mihai Costea.jpg | image_size = 230px | fullname = Mihai Alexandru Costea | height = 1.79 m | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1988|5|29}} | birth_place = [[Drăgășani]], Romania | position = [[Forward (association football)|Forward]] | currentclub = [[ATCS Sparta Râmnicu Vâlcea|Sparta Râmnicu Vâlcea]] | clubnumber = 25 | youthyears1 = {{0|0000}}–2005 | youthclubs1 = [[SCM Râmnicu Vâlcea|CSM Râmnicu Vâlcea]] | youthyears2 = 2006–2007 | youthclubs2 = [[FC U Craiova 1948|Universitatea Craiova]] | years1 = 2006–2011 | clubs1 = [[FC U Craiova 1948|Universitatea Craiova]] | caps1 = 83 | goals1 = 14 | years2 = 2011–2015 | clubs2 = [[FCSB|Steaua București]] | caps2 = 35 | goals2 = 9 | years3 = 2015–2016 | clubs3 = [[FC Voluntari|Voluntari]] | caps3 = 7 | goals3 = 0 | years4 = 2016 | clubs4 = [[Al-Ittihad Kalba SC|Ittihad Kalba]] | caps4 = 14 | goals4 = 17 | years5 = 2017–2018 | clubs5 = [[Al-Fujairah SC|Al-Fujairah]] | caps5 = 14 | goals5 = 5 | years6 = 2018–2019 | clubs6 = [[Al-Arabi (UAE)|Al-Arabi]] | caps6 = 11 | goals6 = 10 | years7 = 2020–2021 | clubs7 = [[AFC Chindia Târgoviște|Chindia Târgoviște]] | caps7 = 13 | goals7 = 0 | years8 = 2022 | clubs8 = Progresul 05 București | caps8= | goals8= | years9 = 2022–2023 | clubs9 = [[ARO Muscelul Câmpulung|ARO Câmpulung]] | caps9= 14 | goals9= 16 | years10 = 2023 | clubs10 = [[CS Viitorul Dăești|Viitorul Dăești]] | caps10 = 11 | goals10 = 10 | years11 = 2023–2024 | clubs11 = [[CS Mioveni|Mioveni]] | caps11 = 19 | goals11 = 1 | years12 = 2024–2025 | clubs12 = [[ATCS Sparta Râmnicu Vâlcea|Râmnicu Vâlcea]] | caps12 = 0 | goals12 = 0 | years13 = 2025– | clubs13 = Viitorul Budești | caps13 = ? | goals13 = ? | totalcaps = 221 | totalgoals = 82 | nationalyears1 = 2009–2010 | nationalteam1 = [[Romania national under-21 football team|Romania U21]] | nationalcaps1 = 13 | nationalgoals1 = 1 | pcupdate = 15:15, 8 December 2024 (UTC) }}
'''Mihai Alexandru Costea''' (born 29 May 1988) is a Romanian professional [[Association football|footballer]] who plays as a [[Forward (association football)|striker]] for [[ATCS Sparta Râmnicu Vâlcea|Sparta Râmnicu Vâlcea]]. He is the younger brother of [[Florin Costea]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.digisport.ro/Sport/FOTBAL/florin+si+mihai+costea+revin+in+fotbal|title=Fraţii Florin și Mihai Costea revin în fotbal. Nu vor să mai audă de Liga 1|publisher=digisport.ro|language=Romanian |trans-title=The brothers Florin and Mihai Costea return to football. They don't want to hear about Liga 1 anymore|access-date= 8 October 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cancan.ro/succesul-lui-mihai-costea-drama-fratelui-sau-15536611|title=Succesul lui MIHAI COSTEA, drama fratelui său!|publisher=cancan.ro|language=Romanian |trans-title=The success of MIHAI COSTEA, the drama of his brother!|access-date= 8 October 2017}}</ref>
==Club career==
===FC U Craiova===
Costea played in [[FC Universitatea Craiova|Universitatea Craiova]] youth team. In 2008 the player was promoted to the first team, where he joined his older brother [[Florin Costea]]. Though his favorite positions are [[Striker (association football)|striker]] or [[Winger (sports)|winger]], due to lack of players at [[FC Universitatea Craiova|Universitatea Craiova]] he was often used as a [[Midfielder|left midfielder]]. This usually brought criticism to [[FC Universitatea Craiova|Universitatea Craiova]] officials.<ref>[http://www.adevarul.ro/sport/fotbal_intern/emeric_ienei_0_516548557.html Adevarul.ro Costea]</ref>
=== Steaua București ===
Costea was transferred to [[FCSB|Steaua București]] for a reported transfer fee of €1.4 million.<ref>[http://www.prosport.ro/fotbal-intern/liga-1/exclusiv-mihai-costea-va-semna-cu-steaua-vezi-ce-suma-va-primi-craiova-8090855 EXCLUSIV Mihai Costea va semna cu Steaua! VEZI ce sumă va primi Craiova! (Romanian)]</ref>
In July 2013, Costea was excluded from the team, after refusing to comply with the team schedule, being unhappy that he wasn't called for game against [[FK Vardar|Vardar Skopje]], in the Champions League qualifying stage.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mediafax.ro/sport/mihai-costea-a-fost-exclus-din-lotul-echipei-steaua-11129289 |title=Mihai Costea a fost EXCLUS din lotul echipei Steaua |author=Adrian Petculescu |year=2013 |publisher=[[Mediafax]] |language=Romanian}}</ref>
=== Gulf ===
In 2016, it was announced that [[United Arab Emirates]]'s [[Al-Ittihad Kalba SC|Al-Ittihad Kalba]] signed Romanian free-agent Mihai Costea.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.digisport.ro/Sport/FOTBAL/Competitii/Fotbal+International/video+mihai+costea+al+ittihad+kalba |title=Hat-trick Mihai Costea şi promovare cu Al Ittihad Kalba: "Lumea îmi apreciază munca" |year=2016 |publisher=digisport.ro |language=Romanian}}</ref> Costea concluded his debut season as the club's top scorer with 17 goals in addition to ten league assists in only eleven games played.
== International career ==
Costea was a [[Romania national under-21 football team|Romania U-21]] international being capped thirteen times and scored one goal against [[Latvia national under-21 football team|Latvia U-21]] on 14 November 2009.<ref>[http://www.prosport.ro/fotbal-intern/nationala/live-text-romania-letonia-4-0-hora-marcheaza-5105432 Costea deschide scorul cu Letonia]</ref>
==Honours== ;Universitatea Craiova * [[Liga II|Divizia B]]: [[2005–06 Divizia B|2005–06]] ;Steaua București * [[Liga I]]: [[2012–13 Liga I|2012–13]], [[2013–14 Liga I|2013–14]] * [[Cupa României]] runner-up: [[2013–14 Cupa României|2013–14]] * [[Supercupa României]]: [[2013 Supercupa României|2013]]
==References== {{Reflist}}
== External links == * {{RomanianSoccer|461/mihai-alexandru-costea}} * {{Soccerway|mihai-alexandru-costea/12392}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Costea, Mihai}} [[Category:1988 births]] [[Category:People from Drăgășani]] [[Category:Footballers from Vâlcea County]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Romanian men's footballers]] [[Category:Men's association football forwards]] [[Category:FC U Craiova 1948 players]] [[Category:FCSB players]] [[Category:FC Voluntari players]] [[Category:Kalba FC players]] [[Category:Fujairah FC players]] [[Category:Al-Arabi SC (UAE) players]] [[Category:AFC Chindia Târgoviște players]] [[Category:Liga I players]] [[Category:CS Mioveni players]] [[Category:Liga II players]] [[Category:Liga III players]] [[Category:Romanian expatriate men's footballers]] [[Category:Romania men's under-21 international footballers]] [[Category:UAE First Division League players]] [[Category:UAE Pro League players]] [[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in the United Arab Emirates]] [[Category:Romanian expatriate sportspeople in the United Arab Emirates]] [[Category:21st-century Romanian sportsmen]]