{{Short description|Romanian professional footballer}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2024}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Valentin Costache | image = Valentin Costache - Petrolul Ploiesti vs Rapid Bucuresti, 13 August 2022.jpg | upright = 0.8 | caption = Costache with Rapid București in 2022 | fullname = Valentin Ionuț Costache | height = 1.75 m | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1998|8|2|df=yes}} | birth_place = Videle, Romania | currentclub = Noah | clubnumber = 20 | position = Winger, attacking midfielder | youthyears1 = {{0|0000}}–2014 | youthclubs1 = CSȘ Videle | youthyears2 = 2014–2015 | youthclubs2 = Dinamo București | years1 = 2015–2017 | clubs1 = Dinamo București | caps1 = 18 | goals1 = 4 | years2 = 2016–2017 | clubs2 = → Afumați (loan) | caps2 = 22 | goals2 = 6 | years3 = 2018–2022 | clubs3 = CFR Cluj | caps3 = 121 | goals3 = 12 | years4 = 2022–2023 | clubs4 = Rapid București | caps4 = 27 | goals4 = 0 | years5 = 2023–2024 | clubs5 = Apollon Limassol | caps5 = 28 | goals5 = 3 | years6 = 2024–2026 | clubs6 = UTA Arad | caps6 = 65 | goals6 = 15 | years7 = 2026– | clubs7 = Noah | caps7 = 5 | goals7 = 1 | nationalyears1 = 2014–2015 | nationalteam1 = Romania U17 | nationalcaps1 = 2 | nationalgoals1 = 0 | nationalyears2 = 2017–2021 | nationalteam2 = Romania U21 | nationalcaps2 = 8 | nationalgoals2 = 3 | nationalyears3 = 2021 | nationalteam3 = Romania Olympic | nationalcaps3 = 2 | nationalgoals3 = 0 | pcupdate = 10 April 2026 | ntupdate = }} '''Valentin Ionuț Costache''' ({{IPA|ro|valenˈtin joˈnuts kosˈtake}}; born 2 August 1998) is a Romanian professional footballer who plays as a winger or as an attacking midfielder for Armenian Premier League club Noah.
==Club career==
===Dinamo București=== Costache joined the youth setup of Dinamo București from hometown club CSȘ Videle in 2014.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ziarulring.ro/SPORT/gabi-rdu-valentin-costache-e-cel-mai-bun-la-u-17-i-nu-a-fost-convocat-la-naional|title=Gabi Răduţă: "Valentin Costache e cel mai bun la U 17 şi nu a fost convocat la naţională"|trans-title=Gabi Răduță: "Valentin Costache is the best at under-17 level but he wasn't called to the national team"|newspaper=Ring|language=ro|date=1 April 2015|access-date=25 December 2015|archive-date=31 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170731160842/http://www.ziarulring.ro/SPORT/gabi-rdu-valentin-costache-e-cel-mai-bun-la-u-17-i-nu-a-fost-convocat-la-naional|url-status=dead}}</ref> On 20 December the following year, he made his senior debut by coming on as a 62nd-minute substitute for Bogdan Gavrilă in a 1–1 Liga I draw against CFR Cluj.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.digisport.ro/Sport/FOTBAL/Competitii/Liga+1/live-text/VIDEO+CFR+Cluj+-+Dinamo+20+decembrie+2015|title=CFR Cluj - Dinamo 1–1|publisher=Digi Sport|language=ro|date=20 December 2015|access-date=31 July 2017}}</ref> On 14 February 2016, he netted the only goal of a match against Botoșani in the same competition.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gsp.ro/fotbal/liga-1/video-superinventie-costache-rednic-l-a-titularizat-pe-un-copil-de-17-ani-si-a-lasat-pe-banca-nume-mai-grele-marc-essombe-bartalsstovu-juniorul-a-si-marcat-470142.html|title=Superinvenție: Costache » Rednic l-a titularizat pe un copil de 17 ani și a lăsat pe bancă nume mai grele: Marc, Essombe, Bartalsstovu. Juniorul a și marcat|trans-title=Great discovery: Costache » Rednic started the game with the 17-year-old boy and left the bigger names on the bench: Marc, Essombé, Bartalsstovu. The junior also scored|newspaper=Gazeta Sporturilor|language=ro|date=15 February 2016|access-date=31 July 2017}}</ref>
Costache was loaned out to second division side Afumați for the 2016–17 campaign, where he managed to score six goals from 23 games all competitions comprised. On 30 July 2017, he scored his first Dinamo goal upon his return to Bucharest in a 1–0 away victory over Liga I defending champions Viitorul Constanța.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.digisport.ro/Sport/FOTBAL/Competitii/Liga+1/VIDEO+E+marele+castig+o+sa+vedeti+Ronaldo+de+Romania+Dinamo|title="Ronaldo de România" a impresionat înainte de ziua lui. "E marele câștig, o să vedeți!"|trans-title="The Romanian Ronaldo" impressed just before his birthday. "He is a great asset, you will see!"|publisher=Digi Sport|language=ro|date=31 July 2017|access-date=31 July 2017}}</ref>
===CFR Cluj=== During early November 2017, it was reported that Costache would be joining CFR Cluj in the approaching transfer window for a fee of €1 million.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ziuadecj.realitatea.net/sport/--166016.html|title=Transfer neașteptat în Gruia.|publisher=realitatea.net|language=ro|date=10 November 2017|url-status=dead|access-date=5 July 2018|archive-date=5 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180705232922/http://ziuadecj.realitatea.net/sport/--166016.html}}</ref> He was formally unveiled at his new team on 8 January 2018.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cfr1907.ro/ne-intarim-pentru-play-off/|title=Ne intarim pentru play-off!|trans-title=We strengthen ourselves for the play-offs!|publisher=CFR Cluj|language=ro|date=8 January 2018|accessdate=8 January 2018}}</ref>
Over the course of four and a half seasons in Cluj-Napoca, Costache amassed totals of 145 games and 15 goals in all competitions, and also aided to seven domestic honours.
===Rapid București=== On 16 June 2022, Costache was transferred to fellow Liga I team Rapid București.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.fcrapid.ro/valentin-costache-este-noul-jucator-al-rapidului/|title=Valentin Costache este noul jucător al Rapidului|trans-title=Valentin Costache is the new player of Rapid|publisher=FC Rapid București|language=ro|date=16 June 2022|accessdate=17 June 2022}}</ref>
===Apollon Limassol=== On 22 August 2023, Costache signed for Cypriot First Division club Apollon Limassol on a two-year deal with the option for a further year.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.apollon.com.cy/en/apollon-signs-valentin-costache/|title=Apollon signs Valentin Costache|website=www.apollon.com.cy/en|date=22 August 2023|accessdate=22 August 2023}}</ref>
==Career statistics== {{updated|match played 16 April 2026}}<ref name="SW">{{Soccerway|ionu-costache/379187|accessdate=31 July 2017}}</ref> {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" |+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition |- !rowspan="2"|Club !rowspan="2"|Season !colspan="3"|League !colspan="2"|National cup{{efn|Includes Cupa României, Cypriot Cup}} !colspan="2"|League cup{{efn|Includes Cupa Ligii}} !colspan="2"|Continental !colspan="2"|Other !colspan="3"|Total |- !Division!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals |- | rowspan="3" |Dinamo București |2015–16 |Liga I |4||1||0||0||1||0||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||5||1 |- |2017–18 |Liga I |14||3||1|||0||colspan="2"|—||1{{efn|name=UEL|Appearance in UEFA Europa League}}||0||colspan="2"|—||16||3 |- ! colspan="2"|Total !18 !4 !1 !0 !1 !0 !1 !0 ! colspan="2"|— !21 !4 |- |rowspan="1"|Afumați (loan) |2016–17 |Liga II |22||6||1||0||rowspan=1 colspan="2"|—||rowspan=1 colspan="2"|—||rowspan=1 colspan="2"|—||23||6 |- | rowspan="6" |CFR Cluj |2017–18 |Liga I |13 |0 |0 |0 | colspan="2" |— | colspan="2" |— | colspan="2" |— |13 |0 |- |2018–19 |Liga I |18 |1 |3 |3 | colspan="2" |— |1{{efn|name=UEL}} |0 |1{{efn|name=RSC|Appearance in Supercupa României}} |0 |23 |4 |- |2019–20 |Liga I |34 |4 |0 |0 | colspan="2" |— |1{{efn|name=UCL|Appearance in UEFA Champions League}} |0 |1{{efn|name=RSC}} |0 |36 |4 |- |2020–21 |Liga I |35 |4 |1 |0 | colspan="2" |— |0 |0 |1{{efn|name=RSC}} |0 |37 |4 |- |2021–22 |Liga I |21 |3 |0 |0 | colspan="2" |— |14{{efn|Six appearances in UEFA Champions League, two appearances in UEFA Europa League, six appearances in UEFA Europa Conference League}} |0 |1{{efn|name=RSC}} |0 |36 |3 |- !colspan="2"|Total !121 !12 !4 !3 ! colspan="2"|— !16 !0 !4 !0 !145 !15 |- |rowspan="3"|Rapid București |2022–23 |Liga I |24||0||1||0||rowspan=1 colspan="2"|—||rowspan=1 colspan="2"|—||rowspan=1 colspan="2"|—||25||0 |- |2023–24 |Liga I |3||0||rowspan=1 colspan="2"|—||rowspan=1 colspan="2"|—||rowspan=1 colspan="2"|—||rowspan=1 colspan="2"|—||3||0 |- ! colspan="2"|Total !27 !0 !1 !0 ! colspan="2"|— ! colspan="2"|— ! colspan="2"|— !28 !0 |- |Apollon Limassol |2023–24 |Cypriot First Division |28||3||2||0||rowspan=1 colspan="2"|—||rowspan=1 colspan="2"|—||rowspan=1 colspan="2"|—||30||3 |- |rowspan="3"|UTA Arad |2024–25 |Liga I |38||6||3||0||rowspan=1 colspan="2"|—||rowspan=1 colspan="2"|—||rowspan=1 colspan="2"|—||41||6 |- |2025–26 |Liga I |27||9||4||2||rowspan=1 colspan="2"|—||rowspan=1 colspan="2"|—||rowspan=1 colspan="2"|—||31||11 |- ! colspan="2"|Total !65 !15 !7 !2 ! colspan="2"|— ! colspan="2"|— ! colspan="2"|— !72 !17 |- |rowspan="1"|Noah |2025–26 |Armenian Premier League |5||1||3||1||rowspan=1 colspan="2"|—||rowspan=1 colspan="2"|—||1{{efn|name=ASC|Appearance in Armenian Supercup}}||0||9||2 |- ! colspan="3"|Career total !286 !41 !19 !6 !1 !0 !17 !0 !5 !0 !327 !47 |}
{{notelist}}
==Honours== '''Dinamo București''' *Cupa României runner-up: 2015–16
'''CFR Cluj'''<ref name="SW"/> *Liga I: 2017–18, 2018–19, 2019–20, 2020–21, 2021–22 *Supercupa României: 2018, 2020;<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.frf.ro/competitii/supercupa-romaniei-cfr-cluj-vs-fcsb/|title=FOTO&VIDEO | CFR Cluj a câștigat Supercupa României!|trans-title=PHOTO&VIDEO | CFR Cluj has won the Romanian Supercup!|publisher=Romanian Football Federation|language=ro|date=15 April 2021|access-date=16 April 2021}}</ref> runner-up: 2019, 2021
'''Noah''' *Armenian Cup: 2025–26 *Armenian Supercup: 2025
==References== {{Reflist|30em}}
==External links== *{{RomanianSoccer|4348/valentin-costache}} *{{UEFA player|250078018}}
{{FC Noah Squad}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Costache, Valentin}} Category:1998 births Category:Living people Category:Footballers from Teleorman County Category:Romanian men's footballers Category:Men's association football wingers Category:Men's association football midfielders Category:Liga I players Category:Liga II players Category:Cypriot First Division players Category:Armenian Premier League players Category:FC Dinamo București players Category:CS Afumați players Category:CFR Cluj players Category:FC Rapid București players Category:Apollon Limassol FC players Category:FC UTA Arad players Category:FC Noah players Category:Romania men's youth international footballers Category:Romania men's under-21 international footballers Category:Romanian expatriate men's footballers Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Cyprus Category:Romanian expatriate sportspeople in Cyprus Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Armenia Category:Romanian expatriate sportspeople in Armenia Category:21st-century Romanian sportsmen