Few Romanian players can boast a UEFA Champions League trophy in their career, especially if we talk about the last 20 years, and Christian Kivu is one of them.
On Tuesday, November 26, Romania honors a former international great, a man who took the word professionalism to a whole other level.
Christy Keeve turns 42 on Wednesday
Cristi Kivu, born in Resita on October 26, 1980, is one of the best defenders in Romanian football history.
His career in professional football began in 1997 with the local team CSM Reșita and gradually, through seriousness and evolution, Kivu made the step to the University of Craiova.
Only a year later, Kivu was the protagonist of a very important move for Romanian football, being acquired by Ajax Amsterdam for €2.5 million.
In Holland, the Romanian defender collected no less than 142 games in the “Lancers” shirt, scored 13 times and provided 6 decisive assists, managing to contribute to winning 3 trophies: Eredivisie (2002), Dutch Cup (2002) and Dutch Super Cup (2003). .
In the summer of 2003, Roma paid 18 million euros for him, considered one of the best defenders in the Dutch championship.
He did not disappoint even with the team at the Stadio Olimpico, and after 4 years, Inter transferred Giuseppe Meazza for 16 million euros.
Here, Kivu achieved success at club level and had the opportunity to work with some of the coaches who have gone down in world football history, including Jose Mourinho.
Along with this, Inter won 3 league titles, 3 Italian Cups, two Italian Super Cups, the UEFA Champions League trophy and the Club World Cup.
Christy Kivu, a real pillar of the Romanian national football team
On 18 August 1999, Kivu was introduced on the field in the 78th minute of a match against Cyprus in place of Stefan Nana. The game ended 2-2, but it was an important moment for the youngster, who played for the tricolor for the first time, aged just 19.
In total, Kivu collected 75 caps for the Romanian national team and managed to score 3 times, being a true model for a Romanian footballer who chooses to represent his nation.
Christy Kivu, the success coach of tomorrow
Having finished his career at Inter Milan, Kivu gained the trust of the Nerazzurri management from the very beginning, who offered him the opportunity to coach the Italian under-14 team.
Little by little, Kivu demonstrated both the qualities of a teacher and a coach, and today he heads the youth team of “Inter” under 19 years old, with which he plays in the UEFA Youth League.
Who knows, maybe one day the Romanian technician will get into the training of the first team of the vice-champion of Italy.
Happy birthday, Christian Kivu!
Source: Hot News RO
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