Article by Liviu Manolache, Maria Olteanu – Published Monday, December 29, 2025, 11:27 p.m. / Updated Monday, December 29, 2025, 11:28 p.m.
At the end of 2025, Gazeta Sporturilor presents the list of players who have disappointed throughout this year in the first league, footballers around whom there were very high expectations, but who did not convince. Whether they had very good previous seasons, were “hopefuls” ready to “explode” or foreigners ready to be decisive in the Superliga, they did not rise to the right level, being categorized after a few months and a few appearances as big disappointments.
Below is a list of 10 names that underwhelmed in 2025, but can bounce back in 2026.
1. Tavi Popescu, now or never
Tavi Popescu is in free fall
Octavian Popescu, seen a few seasons ago by Gigi Becali and not only a huge talent and a player who will reach an exceptional level in League 1, was lost along the way.
There was always the comparison between him and Ștefan Baiaram, the “pearl” of Craiova University, both being born in the same year and the same month. But at some point a visible difference began to appear: while Baiaram became a key player in Craiova and decisive in European cups, Tavi Popescu remained in the shadows, forgotten on the bench.
Quoted three years ago, at the end of 2022, at 4 million euros on Transfermarkt, Tavi Popescu “collapsed” seeing with his eyes. There is also a big difference compared to a year ago or even 6 months ago, when Tavi was quoted at 1.4 million euros.
But the lack of official matches and sporadic appearances, poor in achievements, were felt, and now, at the end of 2025, the one who was seen as a great hope and one of the leaders of his generation ended up being valued at only 850,000 euros.
And beyond the numbers, amounts and criticism received from all sides, the future of Tavi Popescu seems uncertain. With only 794 minutes accumulated in the 2025-2026 edition, in all competitions, he is already on the “blacklist” of the FCSB boss, who it was decided to give him one last chance in this winter's training camp, in Antalya.
2assists Octavian Popescu managed in the 22 matches played in all competitions in 2025/'26, one in the championship (1-2 with Farul) and one in the Europa League (3-2 with Drita).
2. Jovan Markovic, the striker with two goals in two years
Jovan Markovic // photo: Imago Images
Jovan Markovic was seen as one of the most promising forwards of the new generation, with a sense of goal and refined execution. He shone in blue-white and it seemed that he is capable of carrying Craiova to the much-coveted title in Bănie. But it wasn't like that.
Among all kinds of controversies related to the number of extra kilograms, exiled by Mirel Rădoi from the Craiova team, during the technician's first term in Bănie, and accused of not fully dedicating himself to training, Markovic's career took a downward slide in 2024, when the Oltenians loaned him to Hermannstadt, with the hope that the transfer could represent the relaunch of his career.
It wasn't like that, he didn't convince even in the Sibiu shirt, he ended up on loan at Oțelul Galați and in the summer, when his loan expired, he returned to Craiova, where Olten decided not to bet on the attacker born in Belgrade.
Transferred definitively to Farul, he failed to establish himself and become a basic piece even in the gear of the “sailors”. Without a full-time game since his move in August, Markovic is left with a future in doubt.
And the numbers also show the almost inexplicable and prolonged decline: only two goals were scored by Jovan Markovic in the last two championships, during which he played for four teams, FC Hermannstadt, Oțelul (both in 2024/'25), Universitatea Craiova and Farul (both in 2025/'26).
3. Gabi Iancu, zero on the line
Nearing the end of his career, Gabi Iancu is only a shadow of the player who stood out in previous seasons, and the year 2025 ends with a lot of uncertainty surrounding the former FCSB footballer and the national team.
The last match in which he was a full-time player dates back to February 3, 2025, a 2-1 victory, in which he also scored a goal. In the current season, he collected only 289 minutes in the Superliga and 154 in the Romanian Cup.
Gabi Iancu had eight appearances in the shirt of Dobrogen in the 2025/2026 season, zero goals, zero assists. And a red card at the start of the season, in the second stage, with Oțelul Galati, taken just a few seconds after entering the field.
4. Eduard Florescu, a new chance in 2026
Eduard Florescu signed with Hermannstadt
Santa brought a new team to Eduard Florescu, who scored only one goal in the 16 matches played in the current championship for Unirea Slobozia. At the end of the year, he made the move that could relaunch his career, signing an agreement with Hermannstadt, the club where he will play from the new year.
Having reached the age of 28, after returning to the country, from Kazakhstan, Florescu did not convince this year, continuing to be on a downward slope, an aspect that is also reflected in the market value, also decreasing for a year and a half: from 650,000 euros to 300,000 euros.
5. Marko Gjorgjievski, passed under the sign of the number 0
Marko Gjorgjievski // Photo: CFR Cluj
Marko Gjorgjievski arrived at CFR Cluj in the summer, but after only a few months he was kicked out of the team. The North Macedonian had 3 years left on his contract with Transylvania, but the two sides shook hands much faster. He played 11 matches, without scoring, and was transferred from the 9th stage to Hermannstadt, where he did not tick a single match as a full-time player.
Marko Gjorgjievski collected 15 games in the Romanian Superliga in the 2025/'26 season (4 for CFR, 11 for FC Hermannstadt), zero goals, zero assists, zero penalties taken, zero on the line for the player who in May 2025 reached his best market value, 500,000 euros.
6. Timotej Jambor did not convince even after receiving the second chance
Timothy Jambor. Photo: Cristi Preda (GSP)
Raised by Zilina, Jambor was one of the brand transfers of Dan Șucu last summer, the Giulești paying the Slovaks the sum of one million euros in exchange for him. He did not impress at the cherry team and was loaned for six months to the same team from where Rapid bought him.
Even since his return, Timotej Jambor has not been able to establish himself at Rapid and it remains to be seen what will be decided about him, especially since he still has a contract until 2028. He needed 18 matches to score his first goal in the Giulești shirt, otherwise the only notable success.
The only success, in the 23 matches played in the 2024/2025 and 2025/2026 seasons for Rapid, came in the victory of the Giulești team on October 30, 2025, 4-0 against CSC Dumbrăvița.
Without any other success and with only 199 minutes collected in the Superliga, this season, the Slovak did not represent a solution for Gâlcă, who in 11 of the games of the current season left him as an unused substitute.
21of minutes caught Timotej Jambor in the Superliga from September until the end of this year
7. Ștefan Pănoiu remains with the school performance
Ștefan Pănoiu, the midfielder on loan from Rapid to FC Botoșani. Photo: Cristi Preda (GSP)
Ștefan Pănoiu, the youngster from the Superliga who impressed a few years ago with the sensational result obtained at the maturity exam, 10 on the Baccalaureate linehe failed to be decisive on the football field.
Ștefan Pănoiu is without a goal or assist in the last three Superliga seasons, during which he played for Rapid, U Cluj (both in 2023/'24) and FC Botoșani (2024/'25, 2025/'26).
In the current edition of the championship, he played in only the first 4 stages for FC Botoșani, since then being left on the reserve bench or out of the squad.
8. Antoine Baroan, a good match does not make spring
Antoine Baroan, in Rapid – FC Botoșani. Photo: Cristi Preda (GSP)
Antoine Baroan did not convince in the Giulești shirt, again behavior problems they made Gâlcă stop betting on him at all lately.
Antoine Baroan had 15 appearances in all competitions in Rapid's shirt and two goals, both in the championship victory, 2-1 with FC Botoșani, on August 4, 2025, far too few for a top attack.
With CFR Cluj, on November 23, he marked the last official match. He was a reserve with Csikszereda and FC Argeș, and with Botoșani, Oțelul and FCSB he was no longer part of the team.
And the minority shareholder Victor Angelescu said that in the next period a decision will be made in his case: he still has a contract until 2028, but Gâlcă is decided not to give him another chance!
9. Kurt Zouma, a false hope at the end of his career
Kurt Zouma, training at CFR // photo: Facebook @ Fotbal Club CFR 1907 CLUJ
Although Zouma's CV was impressive upon arrival (Champions League, two Premier Leagues with Chelsea and a Conference League winner with West Ham), the French defender did not confirm at all in Romania, being only a big disappointment at CFR, a team that he failed to lift from the play-out places and put it back on the right path, towards the play-offs.
Only 197 minutes were collected by Kurt Zouma, the “image shot” given by CFR in the fall of this year, 107 in the championship and 90 in the Romanian Cup.
He did not convince and the management of Cluj thought that he could still have a say in 2026, which is why Zouma will almost certainly leave the Cluj group at the start of the new year. “He is very positive, a good boy, but we don't need good boys, but players who are fit. He is a quality boy, with character, he has an impressive physique, but some problems with both knees,” said Iuliu Mureșan, the president of CFR, recently.
10. Sergiu Hanca, increasingly “invisible” offensively
Sergiu Hanca has been playing for Petrolul since the summer of 2023 / Photo: GSP
Sergiu Hanca is just a shadow of the footballer he was a few years ago. In the current season, the Petrol player has zero offensive contributions in 15 appearances in the championship and not even a head-to-tail match in the Superliga.
The only game in which he played 90 minutes was in the Romanian Cup, in the unfortunate failure against Craiova University, score 0-4, on December 4, moreover the only match this month in which he got so many minutes, in the rest, in the other four appearances, totaling 75 minutes.
Superliga standings at the end of 2025
