Romanian former footballer and philanthropist
Mihai Neșu
Born Mihai Mircea Neșu
(1983-02-19 ) 19 February 1983 (age 41) Occupations Known for Founding and managing the Mihai Neșu Foundation Height 1.76 m (5 ft 9 in) Association football career
Position(s)
Left-back 0000 —2001
Bihor Oradea Years
Team
Apps
(
Gls ) 2001–2008
Steaua București
87
(1) 2008–2012
FC Utrecht
86
(2) Total
173
(3) 2003–2005
Romania U21
12
(0) 2005–2010
Romania
8
(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 14 March 2011 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 3 March 2010
Website
www .mihainesufoundation .com /ro /
Mihai Mircea Neșu (born 19 February 1983) is a Romanian former
footballer
[1] and
philanthropist .
A
left-back , Neșu played as a senior for
Steaua București and
FC Utrecht , as well as being
capped eight times for the
Romania national team . His footballing career ended at age 28, when he suffered a severe neck injury that left him
paralysed .
[2]
After his accident, Neșu started a personal foundation dedicated to children with
motor disorders , at the same time receiving treatment for his paralysis from which he did not make a full recovery.
Club career
Steaua București
Neșu, who was nicknamed Bișonul (
Romanian for "the
Bichon "), was born in
Oradea and started to play football with the junior squads of
Bihor Oradea .
[2]
[3]
[4] He was transferred to
Steaua București in 2001 for
$ 6,000 and made his
Divizia A debut on 21 April 2002, when head coach
Victor Pițurcă used him in a 1–1 draw with
Petrolul Ploiești .
[2]
[3]
[5]
[6]
During his time in the
capital , Neșu aided the club in winning the national title in the
2004–05 and the
2005–06 seasons . He also amassed 33 games in
European competitions , of which twelve in the latter campaign as they reached the semi-finals of the
UEFA Cup .
[2]
[3]
[4]
FC Utrecht and career-ending injury
On 27 August 2008, Neșu was sold to
FC Utrecht for
€ 1.2 to replace
PSV Eindhoven -bound
Erik Pieters .
[7]
[8]
[9]
[10] He played 86
Eredivisie matches and scored two goals during his stint, and in 2008 was named the best left-back of the competition.
[2]
[3]
[8]
On 10 May 2011, Neșu got injured during a training session by colliding with teammate
Alje Schut ; he broke his cervical vertebrae, which left him
paralysed in a wheel chair ever since.
[2]
[11]
[12]
[13] His FC Utrecht contract expired in July 2012, formally ending his footballing career.
[2]
In 2020, he was selected by FC Utrecht fans as the best left-back the team's history.
[8]
[9]
International career
Neșu appeared eight times at international level for
Romania , with manager Victor Pițurcă handing him his full debut on 12 November 2005, when he replaced
Răzvan Raț in the 80th minute of a friendly 1–2 loss to
Ivory Coast .
[14]
[15] He also played in a 1–0 away victory against the
Faroe Islands at the
2010 World Cup qualifiers .
[14]
[16] His last game for the national team was a friendly which ended in a 0–2 loss to
Israel , on 3 March 2010.
[14]
[17]
Personal life
Neșu's father,
Mircea , was a footballer,
referee , and doctor.
[18]
[19] His nephew
Nikos Barboudis is also a football player.
[20]
[21]
Neșu married Maria Laura Gherman in June 2006, but they divorced after six years.
[22]
Philanthropy
In the
2012–13 season , Steaua București honoured Neșu by displaying the logo of his namesake foundation on the club's kit in the
UEFA Europa League matches against
Ekranas ,
Ajax and
Chelsea .
[23]
As of January 2022, Neșu manages the construction of a new and larger rehabilitation centre in
Oradea for children with
motor disorders .
[24]
Honours
Steaua București
[25]
References
^
Mihai Neșu at WorldFootball.net
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"FOTO Mihai Neşu şi-a încheiat contractul cu Utrecht şi, o dată cu el, cariera de sportiv: "Ultima mea zi ca fotbalist" " [PHOTO Mihai Neşu concluded his contract with Utrecht and, with him, his sports career: "My last day as a footballer"] (in Romanian). Gsp.ro. 2 July 2012. Retrieved 24 October 2020 .
^
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Mihai Neșu at RomanianSoccer.ro (in Romanian)
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"Cum arată viața lui Mihăiță Neșu la aproape zece ani de când a rămas paralizat: "Scriu cu gura, de aceea am contracturi" " [What does Mihăiță Neșu's life look like almost ten years after he became paralyzed:"I write with my mouth, that's why I have contracts"] (in Romanian). Digisport.ro. 15 October 2020. Retrieved 19 January 2022 .
^
"Episod confuz între Piţurcă şi Neşu: "Poate e mai bine să ai un accident d-ăsta, că ai lumea lîngă tine!" " [Confusing episode between Piţurcă and Neşu: "Maybe it's better to have an accident like this, because you have all the people next to you!" What does Mihăiță Neșu's life look like almost ten years after he became paralyzed: "I write with my mouth, that's why I have contracts"] (in Romanian). Gsp.ro. 29 March 2013. Retrieved 19 January 2022 .
^
"Mihai Neșu a dialogat cu ProSport! Ce-și dorește "Bichonul" pentru 2012! Citește mesajul EMOȚIONANT transmis românilor" [Mihai Neșu talked to ProSport! What does "Bichon" want for 2012! Read the EXCITING message sent to Romanians] (in Romanian). Prosport.ro. 3 January 2012. Retrieved 19 January 2022 .
^
"Utrecht confirmă transferul lui Mihăiță Neșu" [Utrecht confirms Mihăiță Neșu's transfer] (in Romanian). Prosport.ro. 22 August 2008. Retrieved 19 January 2022 .
^
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"Respect! Mihai Neșu, ales de olandezi cel mai bun fundaș stânga al lui Utrecht din toate timpurile" [Respect! Mihai Neșu, chosen by the Dutch as the best left defender of Utrecht of all times] (in Romanian). Gsp.ro. 29 April 2020. Retrieved 19 January 2022 .
^
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"Mihai Neșu, ales de fanii lui Utrecht în cea mai bună echipă din istoria clubului. Nu lipsesc Mertens, Kuyt și Van Breukelen" [Mihai Neșu, chosen by Utrecht fans in the best team in the club's history. Mertens, Kuyt and Van Breukelen are not missing] (in Romanian). Digisport.ro. 30 April 2020. Retrieved 19 January 2022 .
^
FC Utrecht rondt transfer Mihai Nesu af
Archived 22 August 2008 at the
Wayback Machine
^
"Fotbalistul Mihai Neșu și-a rupt gâtul în timpul antrenamentelor" [Football player Mihai Neșu broke his neck during training] (in Romanian). Libertatea.ro. 10 May 2011. Retrieved 19 January 2022 .
^
"Picture" . mpinteractiv.ro . Retrieved 4 May 2019 .
^
"Mihai Nesu: The footballer, the victim of cruel fate, the fighter" . Sports Keeda. 26 August 2013. Retrieved 26 August 2013 .
^
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"Mihai Neșu" . European Football. Retrieved 23 October 2020 .
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"Romania - Côte d'Ivoire 1:2" . European Football. Retrieved 23 October 2020 .
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"Faroe Islands - Romania 0:1" . European Football. Retrieved 23 October 2020 .
^
"Romania - Israel 0:2" . European Football. Retrieved 23 October 2020 .
^
"Tatăl lui Mihai Neşu, fostul jucător şi arbitru Mircea Neşu, a murit" [The father of Mihai Neşu, the former player and referee Mircea Neşu, died] (in Romanian). digi24.ro. Retrieved 9 November 2017 .
^
"Tatăl lui Mihai Neşu a murit. Mircea Neşu ajunsese la spital după o supradoză de medicamente, Mihai Neşu: E un an foarte trist, dar ăsta e cursul vieţii" [Mihai Neşu's father died. Mircea Neşu arrived at the hospital after an overdose of drugs, Mihai Neşu: It's a very sad year, but this is the course of life] (in Romanian). mediafax.ro. Retrieved 9 November 2017 .
^
"EXCLUSIV Nikos Barboudis, nepotul lui Mihăiță Neșu: "Torje poate fi decisiv" " [EXCLUSIVELY Nikos Barboudis, nephew of Mihăiţă Neşu: "Torje can be decisive"] (in Romanian). libertatea.ro. 14 November 2013. Retrieved 9 November 2017 .
^
"Foto: Nikos Barboudis, nepotul lui Mihăiţă Neşu: "Mihai mi-e ca un frate!" " [Photo: Nikos Barboudis, nephew of Mihăiţă Neşu: "Mihai is like a brother!"] (in Romanian). libertatea.ro. 29 May 2011. Retrieved 9 November 2017 .
^
"Fosta soţie a lui Mihai Neşu şi-a refăcut viaţa după divorţ. Ce face acum Maria Gherman" [Mihai Neşu's ex-wife resurrected her life after divorce. What is Maria Gherman doing now?] (in Romanian). Prosoprt.ro. 1 April 2017. Retrieved 24 October 2020 .
^
"Steaua a jucat cu "Mihai Neşu Foundation" pe tricouri, o iniţiativă care l-a impresionat pe fostul fotbalist: "Vă mulţumesc şi plîng!" " .
^
"Mihai Neșu, din ce în ce mai aproape de ridicarea complexului de recuperare de la Oradea" .
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Mihai Neșu at Soccerway
External links