Nicolae Constantin

Nicolae Constantin (born 9 December 1973 in Bucureşti) is a retired Romanian footballer. He spent most of his playing career with his heart club, Petrolul Ploiesti, and FC Rapid Bucuresti. He played mainly as a central defender, but could also go as a center forward. Although uncapped by Romania, he has been regarded as one of the best central defenders in his country, since he was a very determined and hard-working man. Nae Constantin retired at the end of the 2010-2011 season, last playing for second tier club Chimia Brazi.

Nae Constantin started his playing career with Victoria Floresti, a local club in his home county of Prahova. After one season he made the big step to Prahova's biggest club, Petrolul Ploiesti. Despite being a central defender, he would go often up front and score goals for his team, as he proved so while loaned at AS Ploiesti, scoring 6 goals in 21 games. He continued his good goalscoring statistics at Petrolul, where he managed 7 goals in 69 matches. In 2000, he switched to Romanian giants Rapid Bucuresti. Despite being loaned out several times to Electromagnetica, Astra Ploiesti and his previous club Petrolul Ploiesti, he was a main figure in his later years in Bucharest. Following Razvan Lucescu's resignation at Rapid, with whom he had a great partnership, he secured a transfer to Cypriot club Digenis Akritas Morphou. He only wore Digenis' jersey 7 times, as he returned quickly to his home country to join Lucescu and many more ex-Rapid players at FC Brasov, following a mass exodus from the Bucharest club. Reunited with his former coach and teammates, he enjoyed playing 3 seasons with in Brasov, before joining for the 2010-11 season what proved to be his last club, Chimia Brazi. Nae Constantin was an important figure for the club, who missed out promotion to Liga II by only two points.

Club

Rapid București

• Romanian League Championship: 2002–03
• Romanian Cup: 2001–02, 2005–06, 2006–07

FC Braşov

• Romanian Second League: 2007–08