Bogdan Lobonț

Bogdan Lobonț

Lobonț with Romania in 2010
Personal information
Full name	Bogdan Ionuț Lobonț
Date of birth	(1978-01-18) 18 January 1978 (age 39)
Place of birth	Hunedoara, Romania
Height	1.84 m (6 ft 1⁄2 in)
Playing position	Goalkeeper
Club information
Current team	Roma
Number	18
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1995–1997	Corvinul Hunedoara	40	(0)
1997–2000	Rapid București	80	(0)
2000–2006	Ajax	49	(0)
2001–2002	→ Dinamo București (loan)	22	(0)
2006–2007	Fiorentina	17	(0)
2007–2009	Dinamo București	71	(0)
2009–	Roma	22	(0)
National team‡
1997–1998	Romania U21	10	(0)
1998–2013	Romania	85	(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 04:22, 19 September 2016 (UTC). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 15 November 2013

Bogdan Ionuț Lobonț (Romanian pronunciation: [boɡˈdan ˈlobont͡s]; born 18 January 1978) is a Romanian professional goalkeeper playing for Italian club Roma and the Romania national team. Lobonț has been popularly nicknamed "Pisica" ("The Cat") in Romania due to his quick reflexes, compared to those of a cat.

Lobonț began his career with hometown club Corvinul Hunedoara. He remained with the team until 1997, when he moved to Rapid București. He enjoyed success there and was transferred to Dutch club Ajax in 2000. Injury and inexperience, however, kept him out of the starting XI, and he was loaned to Dinamo București for the 2001–02 season.

Upon his return to Ajax, he became the team's primary goalkeeper. Although he struggled with occasional injuries, he played well when healthy in both the Eredivisie and the UEFA Champions League.

In January 2006, Lobonț was sold from Ajax to Italian Serie A club Fiorentina, which needed a goalkeeper after the injury to starting goalkeeper Sébastien Frey. Although he played particularly well, Frey's return meant that he would spend most of the time as a substitute. Because he had also lost his place on the Romania national team, Lobonț made a surprise move back to Dinamo București in January 2007 and helped the club win Liga I.

On 31 August 2009, Italian Serie A club Roma signed Lobonț on a free loan from Dinamo, with an option for the club to buy him at the end of the season. He made his first appearance for the Giallorossi on 4 October, coming off the bench after 23 minutes in a game against Napoli. Because of starter Maarten Stekelenburg's injury, he was the temporary first goalkeeper in four matches in 2011–12. On 4 March 2012, he came on against Lazio because of Stekelenburg's red card. On 1 July 2013, Lobonț signed a new three-year contract with Roma which will keep him at the club until 2016.