Career
Pancu began his playing career at Football Club Politehnica Iași. He made his debut in the Romanian First Division in 1995. In the winter of 1996 he was transferred to for the sum of United States$200,000.
He was, at that time, the most expensive player who has left from Iași.
After two and a half seasons, he moved to A.C. (before Christ) Cesena, in the Italian Serie B, for a transfer fee of United States$1,200,000. After a year, Cesena was relegated from the Serie B and Pancu returned to Rapid for a transfer fee of United States$800,000, where he stayed for two seasons.
During this tenure he gained the nickname "Ronaldo of Giulești". In 2002 he was bought by, at the request of the manager that discovered him, Mircea Lucescu, for a fee of United States$2,250,000.
lieutenant was at where Lucescu turned him from striker into central midfielder with amazing results.
In the winter of 2005/2006 he returned to Rapid, as a loan with the possibility of becoming a permanent transfer in the summer. Then he was bought by Bursaspor, but he returned to Rapid in the spring of 2008 and score one goal in first match for Rapid in 2008. In July 2008 he moved to Football Club Terek Grozny and left the club on 30 November 2009.
On 11 December 2009, it was announced in the Bulgarian media that CSKA Sofia are having an interest of signing the midfielder to the club
On 12 January 2010, CSKA signed Pancu to a one-a-half-year deal. After a short spell in Bulgaria at CSKA Sofia, Pancu returned to Romanian football later in 2010 to play for Football Club Vaslui, but had a difficult time breaking into the first eleven with strong competition from Wesley and Mike Temwanjera.
During the summer mercato of 2011 he re-signed for his heart club Curiosity On matchday 28 of the 2004/05 season, at the derby against Fenerbahçe Istanbul, when the score was 2-3, Pancu replaced Óscar Córdoba, after the goalkeeper received a red card and the substitution contingent of was already exhausted.
After penalty goal of Fenerbahce, Pancu resisted the goal efforts of the Fenerbahçe-players and -player Koray scored the fourth goal for in the fifth minute of the added time.
Pancu was given the nickname "Kadıköy Panteri" (panther of Kadiköy) and dressed in the following season as a regular goalkeeper"s jersey with number "1". He gained his first cap for the Romanian national team in 1995, he even became captain for a few matches. He played a total of 27 games and scored 9 goals.