Article by Alexandru Stanciu – published Tuesday, June 17, 2025, 22:17 / Updated Tuesday, June 17, 2025 22:18
Present in the GSP Live Special Studio, former international Ciprian Marica (39 years old) was surprised by the hard attitude of the representative of the U21 representative of the national team of Romania, Daniel Pancu (47 years), to the players.
Following the defeat with Italy U21, a 0-1 score, Daniel Pancu vehemently criticized the players in the press conference. Subsequently, after the second failure of Euro 2025, 1-2 with Spain, he again criticized the players in a discussion with the senior national team, Mircea Lucescu (79 years old). “They are wide, dead, finished!” He told “Pancone” to “Il Luce”.
Ciprian Marica did not understand Daniel Pancu's attitude to the players: “This is how Mircea Lucescu did”
“I was surprised, I didn't expect to have such an attitude. The speech of “Pancone” was one on the model “I'm not interested, I was leaving anyway”, so I perceived it from the outside, that's what I felt.
He knows that after this tour is leaving. “Well, you are guilty, now it's the moment, I say what I have green in front, I'm not interested.” That was my feeling. As a player, you ask yourself questions, you feel demoralized, you wait for the coach to take everything, to defend you.
Pancu's attitude has always been, now it is changed, it is not interested. It is very true, maybe he wanted to give them a public slap, maybe he adjusted in the locker room in the last days, he had time. I don't know if this happened.
First of all, I am curious to find out from him what determined to change his attitude, did he want to give a team shock? We had chances with Spain, in the 84th minute it was 1-0 for us, ”said Ciprian Marica.
Subsequently Rusescu river intervened: “We have a big striker, but we, on the offensive phase, then we had some counterattacks, but when Spain comes to 30 meters with the defenders of your gate …”, And Ciprian Marica recalled a victory of Romania against Spain: “I won with Spain at Cadiz, 1-0, I gave a goal, but otherwise we defended it, it was a torment.”
Rusescu again took the word: “In the 80th minute, when you have 1-0 with Spain, it was clear that you will dominate us, you expect at least to get an equal to stay with the last match. When you want to slap, between the quotes, the players, you ask for the TV and you do it with the egg, but I do it.
If you come and ask me on Saturday night, the next day you ask me to restore, but the third day I am a holder … I understand that we have claims, the claims were to qualify. Before the euro, his speech was about qualification ”.
Ciprian Marica then recalled the style of Mircea Lucescu, whom he had a coach at Shahtior Donetsk.
“Mr. Lucescu has always done so, we know his style. For years, the chessor was unpleasant, you used to get used to it, after the match you may steal it public if you don't play. It was hard for me to accept it and it was disturbing.
I hope the current players will be more detached, not to take things personally, although at that age it is difficult to have discernment and be so quiet. We know very well that the Romanian players need confidence, if you demoralize them they will play worse, the pressure does not do well. This is the DNA of the Romanian footballer. When you go outside and give pressure and competition in the true sense of the word, you lose your confidence.
Neither what Pancu does does not seem normal, nor what Mr. Lucescu does. He knows how to take the players, I am convinced, I worked with him, he had individual discussions after the match. Knows your confidence back but the first step does not seem to me a pleasant and good”.
