Alin Gheorghe Bănceu (born 30 December 1973) is a Romanian former footballer who played as a defender and midfielder.
Club career Bănceu was born on 30 December 1973 in Mediaș, Romania. He played junior-level football at Universitatea Cluj. He made his Divizia A debut on 4 October 1992 under coach Remus Vlad in "U" Cluj's 2–0 away victory against CSM Reșița. Subsequently, he spent the 1993–94 season at Divizia B club CFR Cluj. Bănceu returned to Universitatea, where he made four appearances in the 1995 Intertoto Cup.
In 1997, Bănceu and his teammate, Cosmin Mariș, were transferred together from "U" Cluj to Fortuna Sittard. There, they became teammates with their compatriot Dorel Zegrean and a young Mark van Bommel. During a friendly against Genk, Bănceu was kicked in the groin by an opponent and was transported to a hospital where he had one testicle removed. He made his Eredivisie debut on 23 September 1997 when Bert van Marwijk sent him in the 82nd minute to replace Patrick Paauwe in a 3–2 away loss to PSV Eindhoven. Over the course of two seasons, Bănceu made only seven league appearances for Fortuna due to a serious injury to his right leg.
In 1999, Bănceu returned to Romania for a two-season spell at Național București. For the 2001–02 season, he joined Ceahlăul Piatra Neamț and made his final Divizia A appearances, totaling 114 matches with three goals in the competition. He ended his career in 2003, after playing one season for Serie C club Fermana.
International career In 1995, Bănceu made three appearances for Romania's under-21 team, including victories over Azerbaijan and Israel, and a 0–0 draw against France. The following year, he played for Romania B in a 3–1 loss to Egypt.
After retirement After his playing career ended, Bănceu worked for a while as a general manager at Universitatea Cluj.
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