Cristian Dumitru Pustai (born 12 October 1967) is a Romanian football manager and former footballer who played as a striker, currently in charge of Liga III club Gloria Bistrița-Năsăud.

Cristian Pustai
Pustai in 2012
Personal information
Full name Cristian Dumitru Pustai
Date of birth (1967-10-12) 12 October 1967 (age 57)
Place of birth Mediaș, Romania
Height 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Position(s) Striker
Team information
Current team
Gloria Bistrița (manager)
Youth career
0000–1985 Gaz Metan Mediaş
1985–1987 Șoimii Sibiu
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1987–1995 Gaz Metan Mediaş
1995–1998 Apullum Alba Iulia
1998–2000 Chimica Târnăveni
Total (170)
Managerial career
2000 Chimica Târnăveni
2003–2007 Gaz Metan Mediaş (youth)
2007–2013 Gaz Metan Mediaş
2013–2014 Pandurii Târgu Jiu
2014 ASA Târgu Mureș
2015 Rapid București
2015–2016 Botoșani
2016–2018 Gaz Metan Mediaș
2018–2019 Gaz Metan Mediaș (technical director)
2019–2021 Dunărea Călărași
2021–2022 FC Buzău
2022–2024 Ceahlăul Piatra Neamț
2024– Gloria Bistrița
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Club career

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Cristian Pustai played as a striker for Gaz Metan Mediaş, Unirea Alba Iulia and Chimica Târnăveni.[1] He is credited for scoring 170 goals for these teams.[2]

Coaching career

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Chimica Târnăveni

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He began his coaching career at Chimica Târnăveni, towards the end of the 1999–2000 edition of Division B, when he led the team as a playing-coach. He quit his job there after the team was relegated from the Liga III.[3] Afterwards he became a math teacher.

Gaz Metan Mediaş

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In 2003, he became a part of Gaz Metan Mediaş's staff, coaching the youth teams.[4]

In 2007 Pustai was appointed head coach of then Liga II club Gaz Metan Mediaş. He managed to win the 2007–08 Liga II in the first season with the team, gaining promotion to the Liga I.[5] In the first division, the team under his guidance had a constant progress.[6] In the 2011–12 season Gaz Metan Mediaş played in the UEFA Europa League under his command. They managed to knock out Mainz 05, but were subsequently knocked out by Austria Wien.[7]

Pandurii Târgu Jiu

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In January 2013, Pustai took over Pandurii Târgu Jiu.[8] At the end of 2012–13 season, Pandurii finished as Liga I runner-up for the first time in the history, becoming the vice-champion of Romania, and qualified for the first time in Europa League.[9] Starting its European adventure from the second qualifying round, Pandurii qualified in the group stage after surprisingly eliminating Sporting Braga with 2–0, after the pandurs were defeated with 0–1. In the group stage, Pandurii failed to win any match, drawing twice with Paços de Ferreira and losing against Fiorentina and Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk. In the championship, Pandurii failed to maintain its position between the first squads, and after a poor series of results which led the team to fall to the sixth place, Pustai resigned from his duties on 23 April 2014.

ASA Târgu Mureș

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On 30 September 2014, he signed a contract with ASA Târgu Mureș.[10] He was sacked on 29 December 2014.[11]

Rapid București

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On 8 January 2015, he was announced as the new head coach of Rapid București. His objective was to save the team from its precarious position, the 18th in Liga I. He was however sacked on 14 April 2015 due to poor results. He was replaced by Cristiano Bergodi.[12] On 16 July 2024, agent Bogdan Apostu announced that Cristian Pustai will become the new coach of CS Gloria Bistrița-Năsăud.[13]

Managerial statistics

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As of 21 September 2024
Team From To Record
G W D L GF GA Win %
  Gaz Metan Mediaş 9 March 2007 18 January 2013 223 91 55 77 296 218 040.81
  Pandurii Târgu Jiu 20 January 2013 23 April 2014 58 26 11 21 94 67 044.83
  ASA Târgu Mureș 30 September 2014 17 December 2014 11 6 3 2 16 5 054.55
  Rapid București 8 January 2015 14 April 2015 9 3 2 4 6 8 033.33
  Botoșani 2 October 2015 1 April 2016 19 6 4 9 26 28 031.58
  Gaz Metan Mediaş 6 April 2016 30 June 2018 98 32 32 34 116 112 032.65
  Dunărea Călărași 23 June 2019 15 June 2021 59 23 15 21 72 83 038.98
  FC Buzău 1 July 2021 4 October 2022 40 23 6 11 90 40 057.50
  Ceahlăul Piatra Neamț 8 November 2022 18 May 2024 48 22 13 13 81 58 045.83
  Gloria Bistrița 22 July 2024 present 6 4 0 2 14 9 066.67
Total 571 236 141 194 811 628 041.33

Honours

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Player

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Gaz Metan Mediaș

Coach

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Gaz Metan Mediaș

References

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  1. ^ http://7sport.ro/cristian-pustai-jucat-tractorul-brasov/ Pustai a jucat pentru mai multe echipe in diviziile inferioare
  2. ^ http://7sport.ro/cristian-pustai-jucat-tractorul-brasov/ Pustai a marcat mai mult de 150 de goluri
  3. ^ http://www.sport.ro/liga-1/pustai-isi-tortura-ore-in-sir-colegii-de-vestiar-recitandu-le-poezii-meniul-zilei-bacovia-sau-arghezi.html Am renuntat la cariera de jucator pentru a ma face profesor
  4. ^ http://www.adevarul.ro/sport/fotbal_intern/Cristi_Pustai-_-De_scarba_fotbalului_am_ales_matematica_0_394161167.html Dupa 3 ani m-am intors la Gaz Metan
  5. ^ http://www.adevarul.ro/sport/fotbal_intern/Cristi_Pustai-_-De_scarba_fotbalului_am_ales_matematica_0_394161167.html Pustai a promovat cu Gazul
  6. ^ "Cristian Pustai: "Am fost echipa mai matura"" (in Romanian). Onlinesport.ro. 26 July 2010. Retrieved 30 July 2010.
  7. ^ http://www.ziare.com/articole/eric+gaz+metan Gaz Metan spera sa l foloseasca pe Eric cu Austria
  8. ^ "Clubul Pandurii Târgu Jiu a ajuns la un acord cu antrenorul Cristi Pustai" (in Romanian). pandurii-tg-jiu.ro. 19 January 2013. Archived from the original on 6 August 2013. Retrieved 19 January 2013.
  9. ^ "Pandurii Târgu Jiu, noua vicecampioană a României, merge în Europa League după egalul cu Astra Giurgiu: 1-1" (in Romanian). Digi24. Retrieved 29 May 2013.
  10. ^ "Cristian Pustai, noul antrenor al echipei" (in Romanian). asatirgumures.ro. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  11. ^ "Mulțumim, Cristian Pustai !" (in Romanian). asatirgumures.ro. Retrieved 29 December 2014.
  12. ^ "Cristi Pustai – antrenorul Rapidului" (in Romanian). fcrapid.ro. Archived from the original on 8 January 2015. Retrieved 8 January 2015.
  13. ^ "Bogdan Apostu, comparație arogantă cu Aurelian Băbuțan: "O Dacie și un Mercedes are același preț?" Vezi detalii de la Gloria!" (in Romanian). www.sportulbistritean.ro. Retrieved 16 July 2024.