Article by Eduard Apostol – Published Tuesday, December 23, 2025 23:24 / Updated Tuesday, December 23, 2025 23:25
Cristi Borcea, 55 years old, is of the opinion that Romania has no chance at the dam with Turkey from Istanbul in March 2026. He is not impressed by the players of the first national team and believes that if Gică Hagi will not succeed Mircea Lucescu in the leadership of the national team, then only Victor Pițurcă could save the tricolor formation!
The year 2025 was disappointing for the national team. The Tricolors missed out on the tickets for the final tournament of the 2026 World Cup on American soil, but they have the chance of at least a play-off due to the Nations League route.
That's why, on March 26, at Beşiktaș Park, Romania will meet Turkey in the semi-final of the World Cup play-off. In case of a victory, Romania will play for the place in the World Cup, also away, with the winner between Slovakia and Kosovo.
Cristi Borcea, drastic regarding the Turkey-Romania dam: “No chance. Or maybe 10 percent. The difference in value is much too big”
Cristi Borcea was manager of Dinamo between 1995 and 2012
Opinions are divided on the chances of qualifying against Turkey in Istanbul. Dinamo's leader for almost two decades, Cristi Borcea, 55, is circumspect about the duel in spring 2026.
“We have no chance with Turkey. Even if we have Mircea Lucescu, the best, the most titled… No chance! It has to happen like it happened with Argentina in 1994. Do you see it happening again?
The difference in value is far too great. Maybe we would have a chance if Stanciu started to play, if Drăgușin started playing match by match. But the Turks also have superstars. I say we have a 10 percent chance at most.
Well, in football, anything can happen. Who would have given us, at Dinamo, a chance to eliminate Everton? Or that we beat Shakhtior round and round?”, reacted the businessman.
1998it is the year in which the Romanian national team last played in a World Championship final tournament. Then, the Golden Generation passed the group stage and was eliminated by Croatia (0-1)
Who could be Mircea Lucescu's successor: “If Gica Hagi doesn't want it, then let's pray for Victor Pițurcă to perform another miracle”
Always a declared fan of Mircea Lucescu, Cristi Borcea is of the opinion that the 80-man selector does not have a performing team. He was a supporter of the national team at Euro 2024, but he was not impressed by the performance of Edward Iordănescu's team at the final tournament in Germany.
“Irrespective of who comes as coach, he doesn't have the raw material to have a chance at the playoffs! Those are not the days anymore. Our level is very low. What use does Lucescu have? Maybe Victor Pițurcă would have been targeted. Who gave us a chance with Holland or Portugal, in the qualification groups?!
He proved that he was the best at the level of the selector. The best selector after Mircea would be Gică Hagi. He knows Romanian football best. I don't know if he would come back. If Hagi doesn't come, then let's go pray to Pițurcă to perform another miracle. Or at least try to”Borcea also declared.
Cristi Borcea, caustic about the national team footballers: “We only have friends with footballers”
“We don't have a footballer who can be decisive in the national team. Only through running, through work, not through value. (Would it have been better if Edward Iordănescu had continued?) We won by chance, by luck, we only have friends with the footballers.
Where do ours play?! Who else catches in a top 10 championship abroad is in the second division there, not in the first. So what are we talking about?! Where does Dennis Man play?! I don't even watch the matches anymore!” concluded the millionaire.
