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UEFA Champions League
2005-06 player's profile
A striker of outstanding technical ability, Adrian Mutu has the
touch and speed to beat defenders and is deadly from set-pieces.
National team
Capped by Romania at all youth levels, Mutu made his senior debut
in a 2-0 defeat by Greece in March 2000. He played at the 2000
UEFA European Championship but failed to score. After being banned
for seven months for testing positive for cocaine, Mutu returned
for a friendly against Moldova in May 2005.
Club
Started out at FC Arges Dacia Pitesti where he scored eleven
goals in 41 games before sealing a 600,000 transfer to
FC Dinamo Bucuresti. Mutu was superb for the capital club, registering
22 goals to help Dinamo to the league and Romanian Cup.
1999: Joined FC Internazionale
Milano midway through the season for 1.2m. Mutu failed
to replicate his form in Serie A, playing only ten games for
the Nerazzurri without scoring. In 2000 he was partly sold to
Hellas-Verona FC before they paid 4m to buy him outright,
and struck 12 league goals in 2001/02, tempting Parma AC to pay
10m for his services. The next season was his most productive
in Italy, 18 goals in 31 Serie A games helping Parma into the
UEFA Cup and persuading Chelsea FC to part with 22.4m for
the Romanian.
2003: Four goals in three matches
immediately endeared him to the Stamford Bridge faithful, but
the goals dried up as the season progressed.
2004/05: Having failed a drugs
test, he was sacked by Chelsea in October and suspended for seven
months by FIFA. He joined Juventus FC in January, and appeared
as a substitute after his ban expired on the final day of the
club's title-winning season.
Did you know?
With seven, Mutu has more tattoos than any of his Romanian international
team-mates.
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