Romanian soccer star who has been widely regarded as one of the premiere strikers in Serie A while playing for clubs like Chelsea, Juventus and Fiorentina. He was named the Romanian Footballer of the Year in 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2008.
He joined the youth system of Arges Pitesti in 1987 before making his professional debut with the club in 1996.
He scored a team-record 35 goals during his years with the Romanian national team, a record he has shared with Gheorghe Hagi.
He was married to television presenter Alexandra Dinu from 2001 to 2003 and later got remarried to Dominican model Consuelo Matos Gomez in 2005. He has children with both women.
He appeared alongside Rapper Snoop Dogg in the music video for the song "Acrobat."
