Cristian Chivu is the romanian's national team captain with 48 caps for the "Tricolours". He currently plays for Internazionale Milano and wears the number 26 jersey.

He started his professional career in 1996, at CSM Resita. In 1998 he was bought by Universitatea Craiova for a modest fee and played there just one year. Ajax Amsterdam saw him playing and decided to buy Cristian for 2,5 million euro. After just 2 years he received the captain armband of the dutch club, and won the championship in Holland one year later, in 2002. In 2003 he was sold to AS Rom for 21 million euro. He became step by step one of the best defenders in Italy and in the world. He also helped his national team to qualify for EURO 2008. In the minimercato from 2007-2008 Internazionale Milano bought Chivu for 16 million euro, despite him having offers from Real Madrid and Barcelona.

Resita: "I played there because my father was the coach. He was very important in my career. After his death I understood why did he acted with me like with any other player in the team."

Craiova: "I almost signed with Steaua Bucharest. But my career turned fast round the corner and I signed with Craiova. I played there left-back and I was proud about my evolution. I wasn't the youth Chivu anymore, I was Cristian Chivu, left-back in a team playing in the First league."

Ajax: "I grew up fast. I woke up at 18 years old being a defender in Holland, living in a hotel far from my country and my family. I adapted myself step by step, I learned dutch, I moved in my own house and I became captain."

AS Rom: "I adapted myself easily because I was used with the life abroad. I'm happy that I learned italian fast. It was important for me." tells Chivu in his autobiography

Now Cristian Chivu plays for Internazionale Milano and is close to his first "Scudetto", having 3 points more than his former club, AS Rom, with just 2 matchdays before the end of the competition.
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