2010, Niculae signed a three-year-deal with Ligue 1 rivals AS Monaco. On 31 August 2011, Niculae signed for French side AS Nancy on a season-long loan. In a game against his former club, AJ Auxerre, on 30 January 2012, Nicuale scored a double giving his team the win. Although, before the game started, Auxerre's supporters booed him, at the end he got a standing ovation for his impressive performance. Kuban Krasnodar On 6 June 2012, he joined the Russian club Kuban Krasnodar, on a two-year contract. Here he will be coached by Yuri Krasnozhan. International career Niculae won his first international cap for Romania in 2003, but did not become a regular squad member until the 2005–06 season. He was selected for Romania's Euro 2008 squad, and started his country's first two matches. He came on as a substitute for their final group game against the Netherlands, but could not help Romania to a win, which would have taken the country into the Quarter-Finals. Other than the fact that they share birthplace, he has no connection with namesake and fellow international Marius Niculae. Career statistics Scores and results list Romania's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Niculae goal. Honours Rapid București Divizia A: 2002–03 Cupa României: 2001–02, 2005–06 Supercupa României: 2002, 2003 Liga IV – Bucharest: 2017–18 Auxerre UEFA Intertoto Cup: 2006 Astra Giurgiu Liga I: 2015–16 Cupa României runner-up: 2016–17 Supercupa României: 2016 References External links 1982 births Living people Romania under-21 international footballers Romania international footballers Footballers from Bucharest Romanian footballers Association football forwards FC Rapid București players AJ Auxerre players AS Monaco FC players AS Nancy Lorraine players FC Kuban Krasnodar players FC Astra Giurgiu players Liga I players Liga II players Ligue 1 players Russian Premier League players Romanian expatriate footballers Romanian expatriate sportspeople in Monaco Romanian expatriate sportspeople in France Romanian expatriate sportspeople in Russia Expatriate footballers in France Expatriate footballers in Monaco Expatriate footballers in Russia UEFA Euro 2008 players FC Rapid București presidents