“I had to put other conditions in the contract”

Laszlo Balint managed a brave 2025 with Oțelul, saving from relegation last season, plus ranking in the play-off position, 6th place, after the first 21 stages of the regular season. About three and a half years ago, however, he had the most curious experience as a coach, on the bench of the University of Craiova, which he left in a bizarre climate after only two months spent in Bănie, in 2022 (June 13 – August 9).

It's an episode that the technician has not forgotten and comments on today as a strange story. In a dialogue with Gazeta, he recalled the dates of an affair that he does not hesitate to call “disappointing”.

Laszlo Balint is still puzzled: “Things happened in a strange way”

Does the experience at the University of Craiova still hurt, somewhere in the corner of your soul? Balint's answer comes immediately: “It hurts, maybe it's a bit much to say, because, after all, we're talking about a professional experience, but, definitely, I was left with a bitter taste.

I did everything in my power at the time to make things work in a difficult context. We were involved in two competitions, the transfers were slow to come, at least the first part of the training we led with an incomplete squad. That's also because there were matches in the League of Nations and there were players who received a vacation supplement after participating in the actions of the national team”.

And adds: “However, the frustration for me came from several reasons. One – I was sacked after a win with city rivals FCU Craiova, which I was told was of great value to the club and supporters.

After that, I didn't get any kind of explanation. It was simply followed by an information that the continuation of the collaboration is no longer desired, that is, a strange way of unfolding events. At least in the last part of the mandate, I actually felt that I was marginalized, along with the staff. However, we did our job even under these conditions and I consider that we left with our heads held high”.

Laszlo Balint didn't even have time to adjust to the equipment of the University of Craiova. Photo: Facebook@ University of Craiova

Things were on the right track, we were able to achieve our goals. It remains a useful experience, from which I have extracted both good and less good parts

– Laszlo Balint, Oțelul coach

“I gave up the chance to train Craiova before securing contract protection. Naive!”

Laszlo Balint continues: “I am convinced that, in similar situations, I would react differently from now on. I would no longer accept certain compromises made at that time. For example, I would no longer sign a contract that did not offer me a protective framework.

I considered then that coaching Craiova University was an opportunity to fight for trophies and, in my naivety, I believed that I could make things work without putting certain conditions in terms of transfers, completing the squad, especially since we were starting the campaign in Europe very early”.

The Craiova team before the tour with the Albanians from Vllaznia Shkoder: it is one of the two victories of Laszlo Balint on the bench of Olten Photo: Facebook@ Universitatea Craiova

He elaborates: “We had a rather difficult schedule at the start of the Super League season, so it was clearly a situation in which we needed a very balanced, numerical and valuable team. That didn't happen. And I, in that situation, put the chance to prepare Craiova University ahead of the criteria I should have set when I signed the documents.”

And concludes: “Let this be a lesson for other coaches as well! No matter how good you are, it's very difficult to get results if you don't have the players at your disposal. You may succeed in one match, in two, but, especially when the team is involved in several competitions, you need a complete, valuable batch.”

• 7 matches Laszlo Balint was on the bench of the University of Craiova, in all competitions: two wins, three draws and two failures