Nicolae Rotaru began his senior career with Moldovan second-division side CSF Spartanii. The 20-year-old made his first-team debut in 2023. Interestingly, at the time his club primarily regarded him as a wide defender, meaning he made his senior debut at left-back. He featured in a total of 10 league matches during the 2023 campaign.

The following season, however, he was deployed mainly as a striker, and the change of position soon began to show in his numbers. His character was not reflected only by his goals, as at the age of just 18 he was already trusted with the captain’s armband. During the 2024 season, he recorded 4 goals and 2 assists in 18 appearances.

Spartanii earned promotion to the top flight, giving Rotaru the opportunity to make the next step in his career. In the 2024/25 season, he made 28 appearances across all competitions, registering an impressive 8 goals and 5 assists. His performances did not go unnoticed by one of Moldova’s leading clubs, FC Petrocub Hincesti, and he joined the top-flight side ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.

Rotaru made his debut for the two-time Moldovan champions in the UEFA Conference League qualifiers and scored his first goal for the club in only his second appearance. During the season, he was mainly used as the team’s second-choice striker, making a total of 36 appearances and contributing 4 goals and 2 assists. At the end of the campaign, Petrocub also managed to secure the league title ahead of major rivals Sheriff Tiraspol.

The 2026/27 season got off to an outstanding start for Rotaru. The 20-year-old, 184-centimetre-tall striker marked his UEFA Champions League debut with a goal, before scoring twice against Banja Luka in the Conference League qualifiers following Petrocub’s elimination. His domestic form was equally impressive, as he caught the attention of ETO FC by scoring 6 goals in just 8 league appearances.

In Nicolae Rotaru, a young, prolific striker with significant potential joins our squad.

 

Welcome to Győr, Nico! Best of luck!