Unirea Urziceni coach Dan Petrescu on tough finances
By: sasha |
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Although only one point behind Dinamo Bucureşti in first place, Dan Petrescu is not optimistic of Unirea Urziceni’s chances to win the championship due to financial restrictions. The club has suggest to Bogdan Mara and Jacob Burns that although they are welcomed back, to search out offers. Following an impressive scoreless draw against Ukraine powerhouse Shakhtar Donetsk he said:
“It was important to see we can hold our own against the big teams. The result gives us hope but it would be a miracle if we were to qualify for the UEFA Cup again. To achieve it we’ll need hard work, discipline and players who want to achieve in life.”
Of player moves Dinamo Bucureşti have added Claudiu Niculescu, who returns from being on-loan, Senegalese international Ousmane N’Doye from SC Vaslui and finalizing a deal to Cosmin Moţi from Sienna of Seria A. However both Bucureşti rivals have cut payrolls with Steaua Bucureşti losing captain Mirel Rădoi and Rapid Bucureşti emptied with Dănuţ Coman, Pierre Boya, Ionuţ Stancu, Daniel Paulista and Júlio César all leaving. The biggest addition to date is CFR 1907 Cluj signing of Serbian U21 striker Rade Veljović from FK Voždovac.
Category: Liga 1 News
Mirel Rădoi leaves Steaua Bucureşti
By: sasha | 3 Comments
In a surprise decision, favoured son Mirel Rădoi has left Steaua Bucureşti after over eight seasons and will join former Steaua manager Cosmin Olăroiu at Al-Hilal. Steaua will receive a €6m fee from the Saudi Arabian club.
Honoured forty-nine times for Romania, the Steaua captain said graciously:
“I was not an outstanding player for Steaua. I was a normal one who did what he knew best and gave everything every time I went on the pitch. It is sad to leave my team-mates, but there comes a time when you have to.”
All Liga 1 fans will miss him but wish him best in the future.
Category: Liga 1 NewsMarian Rada take charge of Rapid Bucureşti
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Following the dismissal of José Peseiro, Rapid Bucureşti have hired from within and appointed Marian Rada and Nicolae Manea as head coach and technical director respectively. For long time supporters of the Bucureşti giant, this is not merely a move you can be pleased with but one to rejoice of. Both had long playing careers as players and have been a major part of the development of younger players with the club.
Category: Liga 1 NewsJosé Peseiro contract terminated with Rapid Bucureşti
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After only six months in-charge of Rapid Bucureşti, José Peseiro has resigned. Although their on conflicting news reports of whether his contract was terminated or he resigned, his reign leading the Bucureşti giant is now over. After coming over from Panathinaikos of the Super League Greece, Peseiro fiery demeanor has seen him sent to the stands on four occasions but slowly the club has accepted his style. Like FC Timişoara’s letting go of Dušan Uhrin Jr, it is difficult move to understand as the club has been climbing up the table and in the midst of a seven match unbeaten streak. The club has yet to issue any formal statement on its web-site.
Category: Liga 1 NewsAles Jindra takes over at CFR Cluj
By: sasha | 1 Comment
After only four months in charge of Liga I champions CFR Cluj have replaced Maurizio Trombetta with Ales Jindra formerly of Banik Sokolov of the Czech Republic’s Druhá liga.
After leading Cluj to the championship manager Ioan Andone was let go and replaced by Maurizio Trombetta. While under the direction of Trombetta, Cluj was able to pull off a spectacular upset of AS Roma in the Champions League, they were unable to advance and standing fourth in domestic play management decided to end his reign.
The thirty-five year-old Jindra will be joined by Dušan Uhrin Jr, who as you will recall was shockingly terminated by FC Timişoara last month even though the Alb-Violeţii were one of the best teams in the league the first half. Given Liga 1 rules that do not allow an individual to coach more that one team a season, Uhrin will take the role as “sports councilor.”
Veteran midfielder Alin Minteuan will assume the role of assistant coach with Horia Cârlan in charge of goalkeeper training.
Category: Liga 1 NewsThe return of Marius Lăcătuş
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In a surprising turn-of-events Steaua Bucureşti owner George Becali has fired Dorinel Munteanu who was brought in only two months ago and appointed Marius Lăcătuş, who had resigned from the position. Under Dorinel Munteanu were only able to win once and finished dead last in their Champions League group and with the lack of production, the normal short-fused Roş-Albaştrii owner choose to end his run. Of the firing George Becali said simply:
“I do not see any chance of us winning the title.”
Category: Liga 1 NewsSteaua Bucureşti loses to Fiorentina in Champions League
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Dorinel Munteanu’s Steaua Bucureşti lost to Fiorentina 1-0 at Stadionul Steaua. With the Roş-Albaştrii chances to advance to the UEFA Cup hinging on a victory, they came out with intent but could not break-through. Tricolorii capped Bănel Nicoliţă came close with a free kick early but it wasn’t to be and six minutes after the hour Juan Manuel Vargas’s corner was headed-in by Alberto Gilardino to give the Serie A club the 1-0 lead. The task went uphill six minutes last Polish international Paweł Golański was excused with his second yellow and the match concluded as a 1-0 defeat of Steaua Bucureşti.
I apologize how late this post was but I just noticed in the “draft” section.
Category: Liga 1 NewsCFR Cluj efforts fall short against Chelsea
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CFR Cluj ended its Champions League efforts with a 2-1 loss to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge but equally earned a great deal of respect from their peers.
Chelsea’s Michael Ballack said of Cluj:
“We knew from the first game with them how good they are – not just the result [a 0-0 draw] but their performance as well but it wasn’t just against us, Cluj also showed against Roma and Bordeaux that they can fight and play football.”
After Salomon Kalou gave Chelsea the lead five minutes before the half, the Liga 1 champions fought back and at the fifty-fifth minute Yssouf Kone headed the cross of Romanian international Cristian Panin into the net. Yet heroics were in store for Didier Drogba who scored with nineteen minutes remaining to give Chelsea the 2-1 victory.
While Cluj were impressive throughout the tournament, they unfortunately finished four and miss out on a chance for the UEFA Cup.
Category: Liga 1 NewsCFR Cluj visits Chelsea
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After getting off to a great start in the Champions League, Liga 1 defending champions CFR Cluj have stumbled with three consecutive losses. Sitting at the bottom of Group A, three points behind Bordeaux, this match is for pride and spoiling Chelsea’s hopes for the Champions League. As always for Cluj, key players to watch are Eugen Trică, Ciprian Deac, Gabriel Mureşan along with rumoured transfer targets Emmanuel Culio and Sebastián Dubarbier. This is certainly a peculiar match for Maurizio Trombetta’s side as with the lengthy Liga 1 break starting this past week, how they approach the visit to London will be of some question. All the (annoying) back and forth commentary Maurizio Trombetta and Luiz Felipe Scolari will mean little once the match begins and I Cluj expect to play a highly defensive match in a effort to push Chelsea out of the Champions League.
Category: Liga 1 NewsLiga 1 week 17 summary
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Dinamo Bucureşti maintained their top of the table form as they defeated a very tough Argeş Piteşti 2-0. The match was deadlocked until the Piteşti’s Ilie Poenaru was red-carded ten minutes after the re-start. With the man advantage Mircea Rednic’s Câinii Roşii got off the mark six minutes after the hour with Adrian Cristea’s close-range strike through the fog. Deep into added time former-Independiente man Osvaldo Miranda doubled the margin
Dorinel Munteanu’s Steaua Bucureşti got by Unirea Voluntari Urziceni 1-0 on a last minute as ex-AEK Athens striker Pantelis Kapetanos scored as time ran out as his shot from outside the box took a huge deflection into the goal.
Rapid Bucureşti came from behind to defeat Politehnica Iaşi 2-1. Romulus Miclea gave Iaşi the lead twelve minutes after the start after accepting a through-ball but with his strike taking a pronounced deflection over Vulturii Visinii ‘keeper. Juliano Spadacio leveled the match just past the half-hour mark as he jumped on a rebound off Ovidiu Herea’s drive. João Paulo scored the winning goal with twenty-six minutes remaining as Juliano Spadacio provided him a perfectly placed cross in close.
Timişoara continued to make their run up the table with a 4-0 destruction of Braşov. The match got off to a bad start for Braşov with a dreadful own goal by Cristian Oroş at the seventeenth minute. Armenian international Artavazd Karamyan brought the fans to their feet with a perfectly placed left footed shot to the opposite corner of the highest quality. Lukáš Magera scored twice to round out the scoring, heading in Dorin Goga’s cross at the sixty-third minute and bringing the match to its 4-0 final with eight minutes remaining with a close-range volley.
Defending champion CFR Cluj snuck-by Gaz Metan Mediaş 2-1. Romanian capped Gabriel Mureşan struck just past the half hour mark as his free-kick snuck through the wall. However Alexandru Curtean leveled match into added time with a perfect drive to the opposite corner. Cluj found the winner three minutes into added time with Sebastián Dubarbier gathering a long ball off and driving the ball into the net.
FC Vaslui shocked Universitatea Craiova with a late goal to earn a 1-1 draw. Mihai Dina opened the scoring five minutes into the match with Mike Temwanjera equalizing the match two minutes into added time.
Elsewhere Gloria Bistriţa defeated Gloria Buzău 2-0, with the Vampirii Albaştri’ Cristian Coroian opening the scoring at the tenth minute with Cristian Silvăşan making it 2-0 six minutes before the break.
Farul Constanţa overcame CS Otopeni 1-0 with Dejan Rusmir goal two minutes past the half-hour mark.
Elsewhere Oţelul Galaţi and Pandurii Târgu Jiu played to a scoreless draw
With the end of week seventeen Liga 1 breaks for the long winter break.
Category: Liga 1 News
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