 Pustai in 2012 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Cristian Dumitru Pustai | ||
| Date of birth | (1967-10-12)12 October 1967 (age 57) | ||
| Place of birth | Mediaș, Romania | ||
| Height | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Striker | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Gloria Bistrița (manager) | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –1985 | Gaz Metan Mediaş | ||
| 1985–1987 | Șoimii Sibiu | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1987–1995 | Gaz Metan Mediaş | ||
| 1995–1998 | Apullum Alba Iulia | ||
| 1998–2000 | Chimica Târnăveni | ||
| Total | (170) | ||
| Managerial career | |||
| 2000 | Chimica Târnăveni | ||
| 2003–2007 | Gaz Metan Mediaş (youth) | ||
| 2007–2013 | Gaz Metan Mediaş | ||
| 2013–2014 | Pandurii Târgu Jiu | ||
| 2014 | ASA Târgu Mureș | ||
| 2015 | Rapid București | ||
| 2015–2016 | Botoșani | ||
| 2016–2018 | Gaz Metan Mediaș | ||
| 2018–2019 | Gaz Metan Mediaș (technical director) | ||
| 2019–2021 | Dunărea Călărași | ||
| 2021–2022 | FC Buzău | ||
| 2022–2024 | Ceahlăul Piatra Neamț | ||
| 2024– | Gloria Bistrița | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Cristian Dumitru Pustai (born 12 October 1967) is aRomanian footballmanager and formerfootballer who played as astriker, currently in charge ofLiga III clubGloria Bistrița-Năsăud.
Cristian Pustai played as a striker for Gaz Metan Mediaş,Unirea Alba Iulia and Chimica Târnăveni.[1] He is credited for scoring 170 goals for these teams.[2]
He began his coaching career at Chimica Târnăveni, towards the end of the 1999–2000 edition of Division B, when he led the team as a playing-coach. He quit his job there after the team was relegated from theLiga III.[3] Afterwards he became a math teacher.
In 2003, he became a part of Gaz Metan Mediaş's staff, coaching the youth teams.[4]
In 2007 Pustai was appointed head coach of thenLiga II club Gaz Metan Mediaş. He managed to win the2007–08 Liga II in the first season with the team, gaining promotion to the Liga I.[5] In the first division, the team under his guidance had a constant progress.[6]In the2011–12 season Gaz Metan Mediaş played in theUEFA Europa League under his command. They managed to knock outMainz 05, but were subsequently knocked out byAustria Wien.[7]
In January 2013, Pustai took overPandurii Târgu Jiu.[8] At the end of2012–13 season, Pandurii finished as Liga I runner-up for the first time in the history, becoming the vice-champion of Romania, and qualified for the first time inEuropa League.[9] Starting its European adventure from the second qualifying round, Pandurii qualified in thegroup stage after surprisingly eliminatingSporting Braga with 2–0, after the pandurs were defeated with 0–1. In the group stage, Pandurii failed to win any match, drawing twice with Paços de Ferreira and losing againstFiorentina andDnipro Dnipropetrovsk. In the championship, Pandurii failed to maintain its position between the first squads, and after a poor series of results which led the team to fall to the sixth place, Pustai resigned from his duties on 23 April 2014.
On 30 September 2014, he signed a contract withASA Târgu Mureș.[10] He was sacked on 29 December 2014.[11]
On 8 January 2015, he was announced as the new head coach ofRapid București. His objective was to save the team from its precarious position, the 18th in Liga I. He was however sacked on 14 April 2015 due to poor results. He was replaced byCristiano Bergodi.[12]On 16 July 2024, agent Bogdan Apostu announced that Cristian Pustai will become the new coach ofCS Gloria Bistrița-Năsăud.[13]
| Team | From | To | Record | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | D | L | GF | GA | Win % | |||
 Gaz Metan Mediaş | 9 March 2007 | 18 January 2013 | 223 | 91 | 55 | 77 | 296 | 218 | 040.81 |
| Pandurii Târgu Jiu | 20 January 2013 | 23 April 2014 | 58 | 26 | 11 | 21 | 94 | 67 | 044.83 |
| ASA Târgu Mureș | 30 September 2014 | 17 December 2014 | 11 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 16 | 5 | 054.55 |
| Rapid București | 8 January 2015 | 14 April 2015 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 033.33 |
| Botoșani | 2 October 2015 | 1 April 2016 | 19 | 6 | 4 | 9 | 26 | 28 | 031.58 |
| Gaz Metan Mediaş | 6 April 2016 | 30 June 2018 | 98 | 32 | 32 | 34 | 116 | 112 | 032.65 |
| Dunărea Călărași | 23 June 2019 | 15 June 2021 | 59 | 23 | 15 | 21 | 72 | 83 | 038.98 |
| FC Buzău | 1 July 2021 | 4 October 2022 | 40 | 23 | 6 | 11 | 90 | 40 | 057.50 |
| Ceahlăul Piatra Neamț | 8 November 2022 | 18 May 2024 | 48 | 22 | 13 | 13 | 81 | 58 | 045.83 |
| Gloria Bistrița | 22 July 2024 | present | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 14 | 9 | 066.67 |
| Total | 571 | 236 | 141 | 194 | 811 | 628 | 041.33 | ||
Gaz Metan Mediaș
Gaz Metan Mediaș