Article by Daniel Grigore – Published Saturday, October 18, 2025, 5:40 p.m. / Updated Saturday, October 18, 2025, 5:45 p.m.
Leo Grozavu, 58 years old, the coach of the surprise leader of the Super League, FC Botoșani, commented on the success that consolidated the first position for the Moldovans, 2-0 with U Cluj.
With 28 points accumulated in the first 13 rounds, FC Botoșani, a team that last year narrowly escaped relegation, is now leading the domestic championship. Thanks to today's victory, 2-0 away to U Cluj, it is certain that it will end the stage as the leader – in case Rapid does not beat Dinamo with a fantastic score.
Considering the course so far, Grozavu was asked if his team announces itself as “Leicester of Romania”. In the 2015/2016 season, Leicester shocked the continent by winning the English title in a season where they were considered a second-half team.
The coach of Botoşani did not maintain such a comparison.
“Will you be the Leicester of Romania?” » Leo Grozavu: “We want to save ourselves from relegation”
“It is very important to have a change of mentality. Now we have to learn to fight in the upper part as well. This is because the opposing teams will be more and more attentive, more motivated. We will have to find resources to face them”, stated Grozavu in the first phase.
Confronted with that comparison, Grozavu called for balance:
“It's too early to talk about such things, the championship is very long. There's no point discussing Leicester, it's very long. The championship is not even half over, we still have to score points. First of all, we want to save ourselves from relegation. Then, any higher position than last year only shows us that we have done our job.
I have to coach the team to win every game. In the end we will see. Now we have to earn points. What happened last year scared us, that's why I'm so… I don't belittle the boys either, I tell them: «Remember what happened last year. If we forget, we have problems»“.
Leo Grozavu: “Cîmpanu was much more rebellious”
At the end of the intervention from DigiSport, when asked what has changed regarding the players who did not give results and with other coaches, Grozavu mentioned George Cîmpanu, today's decisive scorer and passer:
“First of all, everyone… Even Cîmpanu was much more rebellious at the time I came. Little by little, he saw that this is the only solution to make his presence felt on the field: with training, work, seriousness, group spirit, to play for the team, because individual achievements have no value if they are not doubled by those of the team.”
