Romania – San Marino 7-1. Mircea Lucescu, the national team coach, held a new conference-marathon, after the last match of the preliminaries for the World Championship.
Mircea Lucescu spoke about the victory in Ploiești, analyzed the progress of the national team in the group and said that he has no preferences in the draw. Romania can play with Italy, Turkey, Ukraine or Denmark in the semi-final of the play-off for the 2026 World Cup, which will take place in March 2026.
The draw will take place on Thursday. In the end, Lucescu wanted to convey a message to the protesters and suddenly left the conference.
Mircea Lucescu: “Little by little we have to come back, and the national team should be an example for the clubs in the country”
“A game with a bitter taste for me. It should have been a celebration for the team and for Romanian football. However, the bitterness of not qualifying from first place or at least from second place remains. A complicated tie awaits us for absolutely everyone.
I can say though that I am pleased with the way the boys came back, even though we met a team far below our level, even though their players showed willingness and determination.
I saw them against the Czech Republic and they played much better there… or the Czechs didn't know how to play against them. I am satisfied with the way the boys behaved, with their dynamics, with their willingness to attack the spaces, to combine, to play from two touches, exactly how a Romanian team should play, that characterizes us.
We are superior to many European teams from this point of view. Little by little we have to come back, and the national team should be an example for the clubs in the country. Even if there are many foreigners in the championship, we must not forget the spirit of the national team”, said Lucescu, at the conference.
Lucescu: “These guys have an extraordinary group spirit, but when you lose 8-9 players, it gets diluted”
“If we had played in the same way at the beginning of the second half against Bosnia… there I was afraid. In three minutes we gave 15 passes to the opponent, until they scored. Then things balanced out, but we are talking about the mistakes of kindergarten children. I scolded them, I also took responsibility for not being able to impose this state of mind.
The Romanian team should not be afraid of anyone. This fear marks us in all fields, not only in football. We do not have the courage to face our own quality, our personality, our strength. This must be conveyed to these players: we lost the qualification because of fear. We also took the goals in Vienna, for example.
The opposing teams were not clearly superior to us. I was pleased tonight with the way they played the game. I didn't let them and they didn't want much either. They now have 3-4 months to prepare. I told them that they will live with the last result, and that will give grist to their critics.
We are at the end of the campaign, we also had a lot of bad luck with injuries: players who disappeared from the circuit for various reasons, team changes, lack of form, recurrent injuries… we lost important people in the central defense area. I am convinced that if we had them there, things would have turned out differently.
I changed 4-5 players every 3-4 days. These guys have great team spirit, but when you lose 8-9 players, it gets diluted. You cannot ask someone to immediately fit into a group built over time.
No one is entitled because someone decided that. Play the best, that's my goal. For 2-3 years the group has been the same. It went up, but at some point things go down. You have to challenge the team. Tonight I really liked Eissat, he is 20 years old. I also liked the others, but he stood out”, continued the selector.
Lucescu: “Regardless of who we play in the play-off, we have to do everything to win”
Asked about the possible opponents at the dam, Lucescu stated:
“I don't have a preference for opponents. No matter who we play in the play-off, we have to do everything to win. We beat Italy when they were world champions. We didn't qualify further then because we lost Cămătaru and Balaci, like now we lost the central defenders. I'm not the Messiah, I can't do miracles. I'm a human like everyone else and I try my best. They know the pressure I put on them.
Tomorrow I'm going to draw lots, so that by March we can talk openly and put an end to these discussions. Many do their shows using my name, they talk for an hour just about it. At least if they were fair, if they analyzed the professional aspects. But when you get into things that harm Romanian football or the players…
Lucescu: “I came with all my heart. If I can help, I help. If I feel I can't anymore, I leave alone”
“I cared too much about the national team. I was only captain of the national team. No matter what others do, my obligation and responsibility is to be here. Attacks characterize those who launch them, by their lack of respect. There is a line that must not be crossed.
What I did in my career they will not do in 2000 years. They try in every way to find something and they find nothing. I concentrated on football, I didn't sell matches to Securitate or others.
I came with all my heart. If I can help, I will. If I feel I can't anymore, I go alone. A lot of players are gone and you can't bring them back… there has to be competition. You mention Răzvan Marin, his godfather is Răzvan. It has to show that it is better than another. His mistakes were numerous, including with Bosnia.
I get over it, if he understands certain things. My mission is not to protect someone, but to build a team. I don't have all the young players I would like. That's why I say Eissat. I hope to see him in the Romanian championship.
I tried to explain everything to you, although everything I say ends up being interpreted. That's the problem with those who analyze. I understand them, they have a name and they have to do their shows with that name,” the selector also said.
