Darius Buia finds stability in Liga 3 after four surgeries derail promising career

Darius Buia, the son of former footballer Romulus Buia, known as "Figo din Banat," has rebuilt his career in Liga 3 with CSC Ghiroda and Giarmata Vii. At 32 years old, the midfielder has found peace and joy in playing football again after a career marked by severe injuries and four surgeries.

Buia’s early promise saw him represent the Romania national junior team at the Under 17 European Championship. He joined Dinamo București at age 17 and made his Liga 1 debut at 19 in a match against Politehnica Timișoara under the guidance of coach Flavius Stoican.

His trajectory changed during a loan spell at Clinceni, where he suffered his first ligament rupture. After an eight-month recovery, Buia returned to score in his first two matches, but he ruptured his ligaments again just 30 minutes into the second game. Although a Dinamo doctor initially claimed the ligaments were intact, a subsequent examination in Hungary confirmed the rupture.

Buia later joined Viitorul Constanța, where Gheorghe Hagi expressed strong interest in working with him. However, the need for another surgery, which required seven to eight months of recovery, struck a significant blow. In total, Buia has undergone three ligament surgeries and one meniscus operation, moments he described as among the most painful of his career.

Now at CSC Ghiroda and Giarmata Vii, Buia appreciates the club’s conditions, which he compares to those of a Liga 2 team. He no longer harbors dreams of returning to Liga 1 or playing for other Liga 2 clubs. Instead, his primary objective is to enjoy football while helping his current team achieve promotion to Liga 2, a goal he views as a fulfilled dream.