Dorin Rotariu

Dorin Rotariu (born 29 July 1995) is a Romanian professional footballer who plays as a forward.

Rotariu moved from his boyhood club Politehnica Timișoara to Dinamo București in 2012, aged 17. He amassed over 120 Liga I appearances for "the White and Reds" over the course of several seasons, and in 2017 earned a transfer abroad to Club Brugge in Belgium. Two years later, after being loaned out to Mouscron and AZ Alkmaar, Rotariu joined Kazakh team Astana with which he won three domestic honours. He also competed professionally in Bulgaria and Greece, for Ludogorets Razgrad and Atromitos, respectively, before returning to Romania with FCSB in 2023.

Internationally, Rotariu made his full debut for Romania in a 5–0 FIFA World Cup qualifier victory over Armenia in October 2016, and scored his first goal in a 1–0 friendly win over Sweden in March 2018.

Early career / Dinamo București
Rotariu played as a youngster for FC Politehnica Timișoara's academy, and in September 2012 was loaned to top-flight club Dinamo București. Several other teams had previously wished to sign him, including ACS Poli Timișoara—the supposed successor of FC Politehnica which was dissolved during the same month of the player's transfer. Rotariu chose to join Dinamo București in order to play alongside teammates from the national under-19 squad. He stayed with the reserve team before making his Liga I debut against Concordia Chiajna in March 2013, aged only 17 years and eight months.

After his loan expired in the summer of 2013, Dinamo București reached a full transfer agreement with the owner of the defunct FC Politehnica society, Marian Iancu, despite interest from fellow league side FC Vaslui. Rotariu was signed as a free agent, but the capital-based club promised to pay 50% of a future transfer fee to the businessman. On the eve of his 18th birthday, Rotariu recorded his first goal in a match against FC Vaslui, which ended 2–0. On 11 August 2013, he netted in a derby against FC Steaua București. Twelve days later, he scored again in a 6–0 victory over Universitatea Cluj.

Rotariu was the most efficient young player in the first part of the 2016–17 Liga I campaign, having scored six goals and offering one assist.

Club Brugge
On 31 January 2017, the last day of the winter transfer window in Belgium, it was announced that Rotariu signed a three-and-a-half-year deal for an undisclosed fee with defending champions Club Brugge. He made his Belgian Pro League debut five days later, entering the pitch as an 80th-minute substitute in a 1–0 home victory over Charleroi at the Jan Breydel Stadium. His first goal came in a 2–1 home success over Zulte Waregem, on 1 May.

Loans to Mouscron and AZ Alkmaar
Rotariu agreed to a season-long loan deal with Royal Excel Mouscron on 31 August 2017, rejoining his former Dinamo București coach Mircea Rednic. He recorded his first goals in a Belgian Cup match with Tubize on 20 September, netting twice in the 3–1 win. Rotariu was again loaned for the following campaign, this time to Dutch club AZ Alkmaar.

Astana
After a move to 2. Bundesliga side Arminia Bielefeld fell through, Kazakh team FC Astana announced the transfer of Rotariu on a four-year contract on 26 February 2019. He made his competitive debut on 3 March, as Astana won 2–0 over Kairat in the Kazakhstan Super Cup.

Ludogorets Razgrad
On 17 June 2021, Bulgarian First League club Ludogorets Razgrad announced the signing of Rotariu. He scored his first and only goal for the team on 31 July, in a 3–0 league defeat of CSKA 1948.

Loan to Atromitos
On 25 January 2022, Rotariu joined Greek side Atromitos on a short-term loan. On 4 July that year, his loan was extended until the summer of 2023. Rotariu scored his first goal in the Super League Greece on 4 September, in a 1–1 home draw with Panathinaikos.

FCSB
On 10 October 2023, Rotariu returned to Romania on a one-year contract with the option of another two years at FCSB, the cross-town rival of his former team Dinamo București.

International career
Rotariu was called up by manager Christoph Daum to the Romania national team squad to face Montenegro in September 2016. He earned his first cap on 8 October that year, in a 5–0 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifier win over Armenia, in which he came on for Alexandru Chipciu in the 67th minute.

Rotariu scored his first goal for the full side on 27 March 2018, coming on as a 53rd-minute substitute for Alexandru Mitriță and netting the only goal in a friendly against Sweden.

Style of play
Rotariu's main position is that of a winger, preferably on the right flank, but he can also be deployed as a supporting or a lone striker. Cristian Dulca, his coach at the Romania under-21 national team, stated that his best quality is ball control, and that he advances well while looking for spaces between lines.

Personal life
Rotariu's father Ilie was a footballer who totalled two games in the Romanian top tier, and has an identical twin named Iosif. The latter also played for Politehnica Timișoara and the Romania national team, among others.

International

 * Scores and results list Romania's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Rotariu goal.

Honours
Dinamo București
 * Cupa României runner-up: 2015–16

Astana
 * Kazakhstan Premier League: 2019
 * Kazakhstan Super Cup: 2019, 2020; runner-up: 2021

Ludogorets Razgrad
 * Bulgarian First League: 2021–22
 * Bulgarian Supercup: 2021

FCSB
 * Liga I: 2023–24

Individual
 * Digi Sport Liga I Player of the Month: August 2016