Darius Dumitru Olaru (born 3 March 1998) is a Romanian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Liga I club FCSB, which he captains, and the Romania national team.
After starting out at his hometown side Gaz Metan Medias, for which he amassed over 100 appearances in the Romanian top flight, Olaru transferred to FCSB in 2020. He immediately went on to win the Cupa Romaniei in his first season at the club, and claimed a national title in the 2023–24 campaign.
Internationally, Olaru represented the Romania under-21 team in two editions of the UEFA European Championship, in 2019 and 2021. He registered his full debut for the country in June 2021, in a 1–2 friendly loss to Georgia.
Olaru made his senior debut for Gaz Metan Medias on 29 August 2015, appearing in a 2–1 away win over UTA Arad in the second division. He amassed twelve games and scored two goals during the campaign, as his hometown club returned to the Liga I after only one year of absence.
Olaru recorded his debut in the latter competition on 19 September 2016, in a 2–0 victory against defending champions Astra Giurgiu. On 23 May 2017, he scored his first league goal from the penalty spot in a 3–0 defeat of Concordia Chiajna.
In early 2018, Olaru signed a precontract with fellow Liga I side FCSB, but the move initially fell through after a transfer fee could not be agreed upon. In May the following year, the capital-based reinstated its interest and signed him for an undisclosed sum, with the deal seeing him join up with the squad at the start of 2020. FCSB reportedly outbid CFR Cluj for the transfer of Olaru, where he was highly regarded by manager Dan Petrescu.
Olaru was officially unveiled as a FCSB player on 7 January 2020, and was assigned the number 27 jersey. He made his first appearance for the Ros-albastrii in a 0–1 loss to CFR Cluj on 2 February, and four days later scored the opener in a 2–1 win over Voluntari. Following the conclusion of his first full season at the club, during which he played 30 matches and netted seven times in the league, Olaru was named to the 2020–21 Liga I Team of the Season by the Liga Profesionista de Fotbal.
In the 2023–24 campaign, Olaru aided with a career-best 15 goals in 36 league games, as FCSB won its first national title in nine years.
After being deployed as an offensive-minded midfielder or a winger in his beginnings, Olaru developed more into a box-to-box midfielder following his transfer to FCSB. Romanian manager Ioan Sabau characterised him as "a player who is physically and mentally involved, both defends and attacks, also has physical strength and appears earnest". Naturally right-footed, Olaru is able to score goals with either foot due to his ambidexterity. |
