Laurențiu Brănescu

Laurențiu Brănescu
Personal information
Full name	Laurențiu Constantin Brănescu
Date of birth	30 March 1994 (age 30)
Place of birth	Râmnicu Vâlcea, Romania
Height	1.94 m (6 ft 4 in)
Position(s)	Goalkeeper
Team information
Current team	Ceahlăul Piatra Neamț
Number	1
Youth career
2001–2004	FC Teleșpan 97
2004–2009	CSM Râmnicu Vâlcea
2011–2012	Juventus
Senior career*
Years	Team
2009–2010	CSM Râmnicu Vâlcea
2012–2020	Juventus
2013–2014	→ Juve Stabia (loan)
2014–2015	→ Virtus Lanciano (loan)
2015	→ Haladás (loan)
2015–2016	→ Omonia (loan)
2016–2018	→ Dinamo București (loan)
2018–2019	→ Gorica (loan)
2019	→ Žalgiris (loan)
2019–2020	→ Kilmarnock (loan)
2021	Politehnica Iași
2021–2022	Farul Constanța
2022	Universitatea Cluj
2023	Atromitos
2024–	Ceahlăul Piatra Neamț
International career
2007–2008	Romania U15
2009–2011	Romania U17
2011–2012	Romania U19
2013–2016	Romania U21
	*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 5 October 2024

Laurențiu Constantin Brănescu (born 30 March 1994) is a Romanian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Liga II club Ceahlăul Piatra Neamț.

Club career

Râmnicu Vâlcea

Born in Râmnicu Vâlcea, Romania, Brănescu began his career with the youth academy of local side CSM Râmnicu Vâlcea in 2000. He remained within the club's youth sector until January 2011, when he caught the attention of Serie A side, Juventus Football Club. Brănescu originally was scouted by the Turin-based club during the summer of 2010, but did not officially complete his transfer to Italy until 24 January 2011. Prior to his transfer, the then 16-year-old made his debut for his hometown club on 28 August 2010 in a 2–0 away loss to CS Turnu Severin. He made two additional appearances for the club in the Romanian Liga II, which included a clean-sheet for the player on 20 November 2010 in a 1–0 win over ALRO Slatina.^[1]

Juventus

On 24 January 2011, Brănescu officially transferred from Râmnicu Vâlcea to Juventus^[2] Upon joining the Turin-based club, Brănescu was instantaneously inserted into the club's youth sector, where he quickly established himself as the club's first choice goalkeeper. Along with his regularity in the youth academy, Brănescu also served as Juventus' fourth choice goalkeeper for the 2012-13 Serie A campaign, behind Gianluigi Buffon, Marco Storari and Rubinho, earning 6 first team call-ups during league play, and also was a part of the club's 2012–13 UEFA Champions League roster.

Juve Stabia loan

On 2 July 2013, it was confirmed that Juventus had officially loaned the young goalkeeper to Serie B outfit S.S. Juve Stabia on a season-long loan deal^[3] with an option to prolong his tenure with the club for a further season.^[4] He made his professional debut for S.S. Juve Stabia at 11 August 2013 in the second round of the Coppa Italia against A.S. Gubbio 1910.

Virtus Lanciano loan

On 30 January 2014 Brănescu was swapped with Mame Baba Thiam of Virtus Lanciano in co-ownership deals^[5] (plus €250,000 cash to Juventus). On 19 June 2014 the deals were renewed.^[6]

On 20 January 2015 Brănescu returned to Juventus for €1.2 million (a player swap, with De Silvestro moving in the opposite direction for €1.2 million);^[7]

Other loans

Brănescu was immediately left for Szombathelyi Haladás^[8] on a temporary transfer.^[9] On 27 June 2015 Juventus accepted a loan offer for him from the Cypriot club Omonia.^[10]

In 2018 mid-year transfer window, Brănescu left for Croatian club HNK Gorica on a temporary deal.^[11] On 12 February 2019, he joined Lithuanian club Žalgiris on loan.^[12]

On 8 July 2019, he joined Scottish Premiership club Kilmarnock on a season long loan.^[13] He said he had learned a lot from Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon and wanted to use that to become Kilmarnock's first-choice goalkeeper.^[14]

Brănescu was released by Juventus in the summer of 2020.