The Grand Champion Francis Vaștag broke his silence and intervenes in the scandal between VassThat would be the solution!”

The most interesting and full of adrenaline, but also the most dangerous, are the wild boar races, for which the season ends on February 1. There is little time left for a more special trophy.

But the triple world champion from the 80s-90s is still extremely affected by what is happening in the world of Romanian boxing and especially by the new scandal between the president Vasile Cîtea and the coach Dorel Simion.

Francis Vaștag: “We also had a better senior 4 years ago, Cosmin Gîrleanu, and Cîtea didn't even sign him!”

Feri admits that for 3-4 years “I kind of broke away from boxing at the group level, after the last experience I had with the federation, with the president of Cîtea. By 2022, we tried to do something, an academy, together with Dorel Simion. Citea told me to come, to help, but I told him from the start that I can't stay like this, in the lot, for months, that I've had enough of being away from home as an athlete.

But he doesn't admit it now. I wanted to help, but not to sit around the lots non-stop. Dorel was going to take care of the youth team, they gave me the senior team, although at that time we did not have well-trained senior athletes. He kind of tricked me, because I wanted to work with Dorel. Let's do it by rotation, that anyway we had the same training principles.

Plus at that time we really didn't have international seniors. It was only Cosmin Gârleanu, who was 23 years old, a very good athlete. But he also gave up. Well, he trained hard for about 4-5 months there, at the Bascov Academy. And he didn't even make a contract.

The children did not come to the games because they were not offered anything by the federation. There were only 4 young athletes at the Olympic center in Bacău, but they were financially supported by COSR, not by the federation. They had Olympic scholarships of 2,000 lei per month, plus room and board”.

“The president told all of us that we are not good, that we did not confirm, but he did nothing for Romanian boxing!”

Vaștag continued, explaining that “then I spoke with Cîtea, I told him to do something, to offer the boxers something from the federation as well, so that they would come to the lot. But he did nothing. Naturally, things didn't work out. We then went to the U22 European Championships after only a month of training and we didn't get any medals. After which he started hitting on us everywhere, on social networks.

I don't have Facebook, but my friends told me, they gave me to read. citea always hit the Romanian coaches, those from his family. In me, in Auraș, in Vrânceanu, in everyone. We, you see God, are not good, we are not involved, because we did not confirm.

How can you expect to confirm, after not even two months of training, with some children who were untrained, unprepared?! But you, president of the federation, what have you done for Romanian boxing?! Nothing! We understand that there are problems, that the federation has no money.

Until now I haven't said these things, but I can't anymore. It's easy to give to everyone, to your family. But is it really only our fault that Romanian boxing went downhill?! And now he's doing the same with Dorel Simion!”.

Referring to this scandal between Vasile Cîtea and Dorel Simion, as a result of which the coach was removed from the Olympic Training Center in Bucharest, Vaștag says that “what is happening is not right at all. Now, Cîtea has brought his Cuban coaches and he thinks that he has his bags in the cart.

And he wants to get rid of Dorel. Well, because this man worked with the two children, he takes care of Florin Ioniță and Arun Todoroiu for 4 years. He won medals with him, the European title Ionita, Arun was continental vice-champion. Oh, that last year they didn't get a medal at the U23 European Championships, that's something else. And what, now that's it, they're no longer good?! Then why are they calling them to the lot?!”.

“Let Dorel finish his job!”

The former great Romanian champion believes that “a solution could be found. Dorel would have understood, he would have gone to the lot in some periods, with the boys he raised. But let him be there too, because he wants to qualify them for Olimioana from 2028. How many reproach us, the Romanians, for not sitting non-stop at the lottery, as the Cubans do.

Well, Dorel really stayed, he was only there, with his boxers, in the center. Then, what's up with him, why are you kicking him out?! How to take the athletes that he took care of for so many years, he made results and now put him aside?. This is not normal, it is not fair, neither to him, nor to his work!

Those kids are used to him, to his methods. Now who will answer if they get lost too?! That I know how it is in boxing, when you get attached to a trainer. How many have to solve this, to bring Dorel to the lot, to be with his athletes!”.

Vaștag has problems with his 2024 champion, Sebastian Nițu

For more than 20 years, Feri Vaștag has been training boxers in Reșita. He says that “it's hard here too, because there is no money. I have a very good boy, Sebastian Nițu, who in 2024 became national champion in the 71 kilogram category. But he has older problems, on one hand.

He got injured and we don't know what to do for him to recover. He was also now at the nationals in Târgu Mureș, in December 2025. He reached the semi-finals but lost his hand again, at the wrist. He's trying, we hope he recovers, because he's a very promising athlete, but it's very complicated.”