Ioan Ovidiou Sabau was born in Campia Turzii on February 12, 1968. He played as a midfielder and was capped 52 times at the national team, scoring 8 goals. He participated along with the “Golden Generation” at the World Cup in 1990 and at the EURO 1996.

He was awarded the second best Romanian  player of the year in 1989. He also won the Romanian Championship and the Romanian Cup with Dinamo Bucharest in 1990 and with Rapid Bucharest in 2003 and the Dutch Cup with Feyenoord Rotterdam in 1991 si 1992.