“I kicked him off the team for betting!” » The footballer now plays in the Super League!

It happened in 2018, at the very first team of Mutu's coaching career – FC Voluntari.

EXCLUSIVE VIDEO | Adrian Mutu, on the GSP “2 to 1” podcast: “I suspected he was betting and I kicked him out”

It's about the central defender Cosmin Achimnow a player in the Superliga, at Metaloglobus.

• In 2023, Achim was the subject of a investigations by the FRF Integrity Commission for betting. At that time, Orange Sport wrote that the footballer's ex-girlfriend sent emails to the Professional Football League and the Federation, messages that contained captures from his phone and conversations with members of an underworld clan, revealing betting games, wagered amounts – around 8,000 lei on certain tickets -, including matches of Petrolului Ploiești, the stopper's team at the time.
• The result? A suspension from football for one year and a sanction of 150,000 lei.
• Achim returned to the Superliga at the beginning of the current season, as part of the newly promoted Metaloglobus. Before signing with the team coached by Mihai Teja, he played in the lower leagues, at ACS Sport Team and Agricola Borcea.

Cosmin Achim (number 2), in the shirt of Metaloglobus, photo: Imago Images

Mutu started the discussion from the financial problems in Romanian football.

“With this large infusion of foreigners, the Romanian talent was lost a little. Many prefer to take a player from outside, because the Romanian also makes figures, he has the pretension to take his money. No one here talks about the precarious financial situation. In 85% of the teams in Romania, no one speaks!

For example, I just took the last money from Petrolul. And he had to give it to me in a month! But I have the table set at home, thank God! But those who work every day for that table, and you don't give them the money for 3-4-5 months, what do they do?! It is borrowed. I go from debt to debt. What to do?

After that you think that he also plays on bets… There were cases, I notified the club and kicked him out“, said Adrian Mutu, present in the Gazeta Sporturilor studio.

Challenged to divulge the footballer's name, Adrian Mutu was initially reluctant, but then revealed: “It's about Mr. Achim. His case is known, it's public. At the time, I only suspected him. Later, it proved what I said”.

7 matchesCosmin Achim played under the command of Mutu, in 2018. The season ended with Voluntari escaping relegation, after a draw with Chindia in which the Ilfovenians no longer counted on Achim

4 partiesgathered Achim, 30 years old, in this championship at Metaloglobus

FULL VIDEO | GSP podcast “2 to 1” with Adrian Mutu:

About Adrian Mutu:

• one of the greatest footballers in the history of Romania;
• in the country, he played at FC Argeș, Dinamo, Petrolul and ASA Tg. Mures;
• abroad played for Inter, Hellas Verona, Parma, Chelsea, Juventus, Fiorentina, Cesena, Ajaccio and Pune City;
• he has 35 goals in 77 selections for the national team, number 1 all-time alongside Gheorghe Hagi;
• scored 103 goals in 271 Serie A matches;
• in European cups, he scored 26 times in 60 games;
• two championship titles in his record, one with Dinamo (1999/2000) and another with Chelsea (2004/2005). The “Calciopolli” scandal canceled the championship he won with Juventus;
• Mutu scored 6 goals in 27 matches in the Premier League;
• has 11 goals in 37 games in Ligue 1;
• he was president of Dinamo, then, in 2018, he officially started coaching, saving Voluntari from relegation;
• he also coached the Al Wahda second team, coached at FCU Craiova, CFR Cluj, Petrolul;
• as a club coach, he had OK results at Rapid and Neftchi;
• he also led the U21 national team, which he qualified for Euro 2021, where he finished the group undefeated, but did not qualify for the knockout stages.