Article by Ovidiu Ioanițoaia – published Tuesday, April 29, 2025, 16:15 / Updated Tuesday, April 29, 2025:36
It is known that I am not the fan of the patron of the champion, this is not a novelty. I praised Gigi Becali for investing in FCSB and, in general, because, taking players from the inside, he helped the whole football. But I did not look for him, in the sense that I did not end up fine his decommissioning outings. Some quite painful, even scandalous.
Now, however, I think he is right to take a position against the U21 rule, which FRF imposes Manu Military, President Răzvan Burleanu himself stating, in the Executive Committee, that “the renunciation of the U21, as Mr. Becali wants, would take our football 5-6 years ago.” Why with 5-6 years and not 3-4 times with 7-8?, It has not been said, but let's not go into detail!
When he claims that “it is not the job of a club to grow up footballers, but the federation”, of course Gigi Becali opens an endless controversy. It becomes even aggressive, perhaps and cynical, the moment the tone raises that “I am not set to develop Romanian football, what am I, a coceni hood?!”.
Despite this exaggerated reaction, let us agree that there is a lot of truth in that response. Only because, functioning as companies or shares, clubs pursue other objectives than federations. And the first ones are, obviously, the frame, the atmosphere. But their main concern is, they should be, to do well.
To obtain results and, as a primordial purpose, have a profit. However, forcing them to use one or more U21, FRF only mixes in their kitchen. In other words, to confuse their accounts. To put them in wheels.
Hence the opinion of some, including the undersigned, that the FRF should not oblige the clubs to promote young players, but to encourage them to proceed. To co -interest them, as is happening in some countries. To stimulate them.
For example, CFR Cluj's current goalkeeper, Otto Hindrich, born 2002, defended in 2022-2023 in Kisvarda, in Hungary. For every minute played there as U21, his team received money from the Budapest forum.
It should be noted that in Hungary does not work the rule repudiated by Gigi Becali, as well as other Romanian investors, a norm that is nowhere in world football! However, Burleanu and the courtiers of more Catholics were found than the Pope of Rome, the smartest on earth!
The solution would be, easy to imagine, as FRF, instead of imposing, to encourage the clubs by rewarding them according to the young people promoted. Only the officials of the Football House do not like to give, proof how they shared, arbitrarily, by ear, the amounts sent by UEFA to help the clubs. But this is the beginning of another discussion.
