Cristian Melinte

Cristian Melinte

Personal information
Full name	Cristian Costel Melinte[1]
Date of birth	9 May 1988 (1988-05-09) (age 23)
Place of birth	Timişoara[1], Romania
Height	1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)[2]
Playing position	Right / Left back
Club information
Current club	Petrolul Ploiești (loan)
Youth career
	Fortuna Covaci
	FC Auxerre Lugoj
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2005–2008	UTA Arad	8	(0)
2007	→ CS Ineu (loan)	7	(0)
2009	Dinamo Bucureşti	1	(0)
2009	Dinamo II Bucureşti	8	(0)
2009–	Palermo	2	(0)
2010	→ Piacenza (loan)	16	(0)
2011-	→ Petrolul Ploieşti (loan)	7	(0)
National team
	Romania U-19	2	(0)
2009	Romania U-21	1	(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 9 May 2010. † Appearances (Goals).

Cristian Costel Melinte (born 9 May 1988 in Timişoara^[1]) is a Romanian football defender who is currently with Petrolul Ploiești, on loan from Palermo.

Club career

He began his career in Fortuna Covaci, but just some months later he changed to play for FC Auxerre Lugoj (Liga II). Then he joined FCM UTA Arad in 2005, playing three times in his first season^[2] and five times in the following one, in Liga I.^[3] He then was sent on loan to CS Ineu, and then returned to UTA Arad in early 2008 playing regularly with the side. In late 2008 he joined AS Monaco FC for an unsuccessful trial,^[3] and then left to join FC Dinamo Bucureşti later in March 2009.^[2]

Career in Italy

He was acquired by Palermo in a free transfer on August 2009, after a successful trial with the Sicilians, being awarded a four-year contract with the rosanero club.^[4]

He made his debut on 29 October 2009, playing the first half in a Serie A game ended in a 3–5 away loss to Inter. After playing a Coppa Italia home game against Reggina, he was again featured in the Italian Serie A on 30 January 2010 as a replacement for injured Federico Balzaretti in an away game versus Bari. Melinte's performance was then verbally criticized by club chairman Maurizio Zamparini after the Romanian caused a penalty (then scored) with the game being 2–2, and then making a mistake that was instrumental in Bari's fourth goal. Two days later, he was sent out on loan to Serie B club Piacenza in switch with Marco Calderoni.^[5]

He returned at Palermo at the end of his loan spell, but no interested party was found and he was subsequently excluded from the first team. On 31 August 2011 he moved on loan to Petrolul Ploiești.

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} "CRISTIAN COSTEL MELINTE" (in Italian). US Città di Palermo. http://www.ilpalermocalcio.it/it/0910/scheda.jsp?id=6799. Retrieved 2009-08-28. 
2. ^ ^{a b c} "CRISTIAN MELINTE:LA SCHEDA DEL GIOCATORE" (in Italian). Mediagol.it. 2009-07-28. http://www.mediagol.it/articolo.asp?idNotizia=160176. Retrieved 2009-08-18. 
3. ^ ^{a b} "Utistul Melinte în probe la AS Monaco" (in Romanian). Arad Online. 2009-01-06. http://www.aradon.ro/stiri/im:aradon:sport-uta/articol/utistul-melinte-in-probe-la-as-monaco/cn/news-20090106-02525036. Retrieved 2009-08-18. 
4. ^ "Ingaggiato Cristian Melinte" (in Italian). US Città di Palermo. 2009-08-18. http://www.ilpalermocalcio.it/it/0809/news_scheda.jsp?id=18014. Retrieved 2009-08-18. 
5. ^ "Ultimi movimenti di mercato per i rosa" (in Italian). US Città di Palermo. 2010-02-01. http://www.ilpalermocalcio.it/it/0910/news_scheda.jsp?id=19710. Retrieved 2010-02-01. 

Persondata
Name	Melinte, Cristian
Alternative names
Short description	footballer
Date of birth	9 May 1988
Place of birth	Timişoara, Romania
Date of death
Place of death