Adrian Păun

For the Romanian poet, journalist, and politician, see Adrian Păunescu.

Adrian Constantin Alexandru Păun^{[note 1]} (Romanian pronunciation: [adriˈan konstanˈtin alekˈsandru ˈpə.un]; born 1 April 1995) is a Romanian professional footballer who plays as a winger or attacking midfielder for Liga I club CFR Cluj.^[4]

Adrian Păun

Păun with CFR Cluj in 2022
Personal information
Full name	Adrian Constantin Alexandru Păun
Date of birth	(1995-04-01) 1 April 1995 (age 29)
Place of birth	Drăgășani, Romania
Height	1.77 m (5 ft 10 in)[1]
Position(s)	Winger, attacking midfielder
Team information
Current team	CFR Cluj
Number	11
Youth career
2005–2008	Triumf Drăgășani
2008–2014	CFR Cluj
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2014–2023	CFR Cluj	235	(26)
2022–2023	→ Hapoel Be'er Sheva (loan)	24	(4)
2023–2024	Hapoel Be'er Sheva	2	(0)
2023–2024	→ Bnei Sakhnin (loan)	29	(3)
2024–	CFR Cluj	18	(2)
International career‡
2011–2012	Romania U17	3	(0)
2013–2014	Romania U19	12	(1)
2014–2016	Romania U21	12	(3)
2021	Romania	1	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 22 December 2024 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 6 June 2021

Păun spent most of his professional career at his boyhood club CFR Cluj, for which he made his debut in 2014 and appeared in over 230 league games. In 2022, he moved abroad for the first time by signing for Hapoel Be'er Sheva on an initial loan, and also played for Bnei Sakhnin, before returning to CFR Cluj two years later.

Internationally, Păun made his first—and only—appearance for Romania in June 2021, in a 0–1 friendly loss to England.

Club career

Păun recorded his Liga I debut for CFR Cluj on 14 March 2014, in a 2–2 away draw with Corona Brașov. He scored his first goal for the team on 28 April 2015, in a 2–1 home victory over Concordia Chiajna.^[5]

On 28 September 2022, Păun joined Israeli club Hapoel Be'er Sheva on a season-long loan with an option to buy.^[6] On 15 November that year, it was announced that he signed for Be'er Sheva on a permanent deal until 2026.^[7]

On 20 September 2023, Hapoel Be'er Sheva sent Păun on a season-long loan to fellow Israeli Premier League side Bnei Sakhnin, with the player's salary being split between the two clubs.^[8]

International career

Păun was called up to the Romania national team for the first time by coach Cosmin Contra on 30 August 2019, for the UEFA Euro 2020 qualification matches against Spain and Malta.^[9] He finally registered his debut on 6 June 2021 by starting in a 0–1 friendly loss to England.^[10]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 22 December 2024^[11]

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club	League	Season	League		National cup		Continental		Other		Total
			Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
CFR Cluj	2013–14	Liga I	4	0	1	0	—		—		5	0
	2014–15	Liga I	20	1	3	0	1[a]	0	1[b]	1	25	2
	2015–16	Liga I	32	3	4	1	—		1[b]	0	37	4
	2016–17	Liga I	29	4	2	0	—		1[c]	0	32	4
	2017–18	Liga I	19	2	1	0	—		—		20	2
	2018–19	Liga I	27	3	2	0	5[d]	0	1[c]	0	35	3
	2019–20	Liga I	24	7	0	0	14[e]	0	0	0	38	7
	2020–21	Liga I	39	5	1	0	8[a]	0	1[c]	0	49	5
	2021–22	Liga I	36	1	0	0	13[f]	0	1[c]	0	50	1
	2022–23	Liga I	5	0	—		10[g]	0	1[c]	1	16	1
	Total		235	26	14	1	51	0	7	2	307	29
Hapoel Be'er Sheva (loan)	2022–23	Israeli Premier League	24	4	1	0	—		1[h]	0	26	4
Hapoel Be'er Sheva	2023–24	Israeli Premier League	2	0	0	0	4[i]	0	0	0	6	0
	Total		26	4	1	0	4	0	1	0	32	4
Bnei Sakhnin (loan)	2023–24	Israeli Premier League	29	3	1	1	—		0	0	30	4
CFR Cluj	2024–25	Liga I	18	2	1	0	3	0	—		22	2
Career total			308	35	17	2	58	0	8	2	391	39

1. Appearance(s) in UEFA Europa League
2. Appearance in Cupa Ligii
3. Appearance in Cupa României
4. One appearance in UEFA Champions League, four appearances in UEFA Europa League
5. Seven appearances in UEFA Champions League, seven appearances in UEFA Europa League
6. Six appearances in UEFA Champions League, one appearance in UEFA Europa League, six appearances in UEFA Europa Conference League
7. Two appearances in UEFA Champions League, eight appearances in UEFA Europa Conference League
8. Appearances in Toto Cup
9. Appearance(s) in UEFA Europa Conference League

International

As of match played 6 June 2021^[12]

Appearances and goals by national team and year

National team	Year	Apps	Goals
Romania
	2021	1	0
Total		1	0

Honours

CFR Cluj^[11]

• Liga I: 2017–18, 2018–19, 2019–20, 2020–21, 2021–22
• Cupa României: 2015–16
• Supercupa României: 2018, 2020^[13]

References

1. Some sources incorrectly give out his first name as being "Alexandru" and his surname as the single "Păun".^[2] His actual surname is the double "Alexandru Păun",^[3] in spite of the fact that children in Romania typically only take on their fathers' family names.

1. "Adrian Paun" (in Romanian). CFR Cluj. Archived from the original on 2 September 2019. Retrieved 2 September 2019.
2. "Alexandru Păun a vorbit despre cea mai noua achiziţie a CFR-ului. "Este un jucător de valoare"" [Alexandru Păun talked about CFR's newest signing: "He is a valuable player"] (in Romanian). Telekom Sport. 10 August 2015. Retrieved 2 September 2019.
3. "Alexandru Păun, de la CFR: "Dacă nu eram fotbalist, mi-ar fi plăcut să fiu actor de comedie"" [Alexandru Păun, of CFR: ”If I wasn't a footballer, I'd be a comedy actor”] (in Romanian). Digi Sport. 14 September 2015. Retrieved 2 September 2019. Adrian is my first name, Alexandru and Păun are my family names. I have two. Not many know and it creates confusion.
4. "CFR 1907 | BINE AI REVENIT ACASĂ, ADRIAN PĂUN!". cfr1907.ro (in Romanian). 21 June 2024.
5. "Fotbal. Adrian Păun a spart gheaţa. Mijlocaşul CFR-ului a marcat primul său gol în Liga 1" [Football. Adrian Păun broke the ice. The CFR midfielder scored his first Liga 1 goal] (in Romanian). Digi24. 30 April 2019. Retrieved 1 August 2015.
6. "Adrian Păun, prezentat de Hapoel Beer Sheva. Ce a declarat fostul jucător al CFR-ului" (in Romanian). Digisport.ro. 28 September 2022. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
7. "OFICIAL | Adrian Păun, transferat definitiv! Ce sumă primește CFR Cluj" (in Romanian). Digisport.ro. 15 November 2022. Retrieved 15 November 2022.
8. "Adrian Păun a plecat de la Hapoel Beer-Sheva, dar se duelează cu fosta echipă! Cu cine a semnat" [Adrian Păun left Hapoel Beer-Sheva, but he is dueling with his former team! Who did he sign with?]. Sport.ro (in Romanian). 20 September 2023. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
9. "Lotul chemat de Contra pentru meciurile cu Spania si Malta: Trei jucatori, convocati in premiera. Niciun jucator de la FCSB si Dinamo" [The squad convoked by Contra for the matches against Spain and Malta: Three players, called up for the first time. No players from FCSB and Dinamo] (in Romanian). Ziare. 30 August 2019. Retrieved 2 September 2019.
10. "England v Romania game report". ESPN. 6 June 2021.
11. Adrian Păun at Soccerway. Retrieved 4 December 2017.
12. "Adrian Păun". European Football. Retrieved 6 June 2021.
13. "FOTO&VIDEO | CFR Cluj a câștigat Supercupa României!" [PHOTO&VIDEO | CFR Cluj won the Romanian Supercup!] (in Romanian). Romanian Football Federation. 15 April 2021. Retrieved 16 April 2021.

External links

• Adrian Păun at RomanianSoccer.ro (in Romanian)
• Adrian Păun – UEFA competition record (archive)