Article by Daniel Grigore – published Wednesday, September 10, 2025 6:15 / Updated Wednesday, September 10, 2025 7:05 pm
Mircea Lucescu, 80 years old, the coach of the first representative of Romania, answered two questions on the lips of all microbiists: why did not play Stefan Baiaram and Alexandru Mitriță, why he changed Alex Dobre and not Dennis Man, in draw with Cyprus, score 2-2?
In the Nicosia match, an essential one in the qualification campaign, Romania was equal to 2-0. At least two major question marks remained on the changes made by coach Mircea Lucescu.
Why was Alex Dobre from the field, when Dennis Man seemed much deleted, and why did not play Stefan Baiaram and Alexandru Mitriță, two of the most Romanian players?
Mircea Lucescu explained this evening, in an intervention at “Football Club”, at Digisport.
Mircea Lucescu replies: “Mitriță made so much mistakes with Canada. He needs the whole team to play for him, he does not do the defensive phase.”
“I have heard you were talking about Mitriță. He is an extraordinary boy. I do not understand why he is put in such discussions. He is a very good footballer, except that he is for a certain type of game. Needs the whole team to play for him, graduate from defensive obligations.
Also look at the match with Canada, in which he made so many mistakes! He marked his defender, he did not go with him. Is used to such behavior. The others were playing for him, but when you go to another level, when you play with high value professionals, it's hard if you don't cope. And in Vienna, he ate.
He can pull the team after him, but he does it in the moments, he has no continuity. That's why I always used it 20-25 minutes, because it could change the result.
Here, when the problem was raised to replace … No one knows, but Baiam had to enter. But the physical trainer told me that he feels loaded, he has problems and is afraid to get injured. I protected the players who play in the European cups as much as possible. I saw that we were going through a moment when the injuries are linked, and I didn't want to …
He was loaded, I said “well, we don't use it.” The same thing, with Canada, said “I don't feel good, I'm afraid of injury.” Okay, don't play, wait. They are not used to. My big problem is the level of physical training from clubs. They come with 3 kilometers running on the training some of them. If you do not get used to the body with serious training, how can it be cope? ”Lucescu said in the first phase.
Mircea Lucescu: “Dobre has qualities, but it is still unusual at this level”
“Dobre played well in the first half, but at the break I said, “I need something more. You stay too close to the cough line, you leave you very easily marked. I have the impression that you are more concerned about your opponent, not to go in attack, instead of using your qualities to enter the inside, to help everyone else.
Then the second half began, and he was no longer physically facing. I told him to enter the interior, but no longer … it was very high, and the others had taken the initiative. Then I used Miculescu.
Man is a player who can at any time, but at any time … May not be seen 10 minutes but suddenly an action to go to empty. It was difficult to change it, as if I had punished him for his failure.
He had the moment when he could mark, if he was doing what Drăguș did, who dribbled the goalkeeper. But when Fabiano came to him, he thought he was hoping for the opportunity. Normally, if he controlled it inward, he opened the game angle and gave it to the empty gate, but he rushed, halted and gave in the goalkeeper.
There was to be Dobre. There were actions on the right side, but Dobre was stuck to the cough. Is a player with qualities but still unusual at this international level. There were actions on the right, a very good center of Rațiu … He had to be in front of the gate, but he was somewhere near the cough, “the coach added.
Ovidiu Ioanițoaia: “I would not have changed Dobre, but Man!”
Among those who challenged the changes of the coach are the director of the Sports Gazette, Ovidiu Ioanițoaia, in today's intervention from GSP Live.
“I would not have changed Dobre, I would have changed Man, who missed a monumental opportunity at 2-1 for us. If he had succeeded, alone with the goalkeeper, to score, he changes the match. He has a part of the 2-2 goal, he is the one who loses the ball in the first phase and is equalized.
As Lucescu judged, it's hard for me to say. I guess he waited for a glitter from Man, but he didn't come. Man, transferred from Parma to PSV, in a powerful championship, a player praised by everyone … But he had to change earlier, in my opinion, “said the experienced journalist.
