Article by Alexandru Tomuțiu – Published Monday, November 17, 2025 10:27 p.m. / Updated Monday, November 17, 2025 11:36 p.m.
Mihai Stoica (60 years old), the president of the FCSB Board of Directors, said which national team would like to meet Romania in the World Cup qualifier.
Romania will be in the fourth ballot in Thursday's draw, and at this moment the possible opponents of the “tricolors” are Italy, Turkey, Ukraine and Poland. Mihai Stoica is of the opinion that it would be best for Mircea Lucescu's students to play against Ukraine, the national team that the “tricolors” clearly beat at Euro 2024 (3-0).
Ukraine plays its home matches on neutral ground and it would be another advantage for our national team.
Mihai Stoica: “If we played with Ukraine in Germany, the stadium would be “yellow””
“No way Turkey. What we saw in Italy… Italy managed to lose to North Macedonia (no in 2022), who now look much better than four years ago. You get scared: 'Italy', but they don't play anything! It was total chaos.
Let's say they play in a different system at the club and in the national team Bastoni and Di Marco. When you have defenders like that, let there be chaos? What did these people do to them… they stunned them.
Italy doesn't look extraordinary, but if we played against Ukraine in Germany, the stadium would be “yellow”, said Mihai Stoica, according to orangesport.ro.
Also present in the studio, former international Basarab Panduru had the same opinion: “Everyone wants to play against Ukraine. We're playing on a neutral ground, how can it not be ok. Poland and Ukraine are there. Yes, as if I wouldn't want to play against Poland. There's still that match when we beat Ukraine, I'd like to play with them.
They also have something: Dovbyk, Sudakov. On the other side you have Lewandowski, who you don't know if he is playing or not. They are good”.
