Is Dinamo leaving? He is on the play-off spot in the Superliga and points to a strong point: “It will weigh a lot”
Article by Justin Gafiuc – Published Tuesday, 06 January 2026, 11:21 / Updated Tuesday, 06 January 2026 11:22
Craiova, Dinamo or Rapid? Who does Laszlo Balint, the 46-year-old coach of Oțelul Galați, a team ranked 6th in the Superliga, see as the favorite for the title? He said in an interview for Gazeta Sporturilur.
“A wider context must be taken into account. I believe that Dinamo has made the most progress and I see it as the team with the best chances for the title. I rely, first of all, on the continuity factor, which will weigh a lot.
I am referring to the work of Zeljko Kopic. Let's remember that he came at a delicate moment for the club, he also played that first league play-off. However, they have grown steadily, they entered the play-offs last season and now they are fighting to win the championship. I am convinced that they know what they have to do in the current mercato to reach their goal.
Zeljko Kopic, present in the Gazeta Sporturilor studio
Craiova has built a solid team, able to cope on several levels. The elimination from the Conference League meant a lot of bad luck, but they managed to create a special group there.
When we played against Craiova, it seemed to me a strong team, but let's not forget that there was a change of coach, Filipe Coelho in place of Mirel Rădoi, which means Dinamo also has an advantage in this regard. And Rapid remains Rapid, a team led by a highly experienced technician who knows what it means to fight for the title. They will fight for the trophy until the last stage”, explained Laszlo Balint for GSP.
Kopic came in 2nd place in Gazetai Sporturilor's Survey for Coach of the Year 2025, after Cristian Chivu.
Akhmetov to Steel? It seems like a fairy tale to me at this point. I noticed that all kinds of associations were made, but there is a long way, first of all, until the takeover of the Combine. I am convinced that these are complex procedures that take time. In addition, no one guarantees that the future patronage will find it worthwhile to invest in football. May God let it be so! We would be happy, because the club would go to another level, but we are only talking on assumptions. It seems to me a difficult matter to achieve, at least in the near future. Of course, this perspective offers hope, and automatically everyone relates a little to this scenario.
– Laszlo Balint
