Article by Alexandru Tomuțiu – Published Tuesday, January 13, 2026, 2:55 p.m. / Updated Tuesday, January 13, 2026, 2:57 p.m.
Gigi Becali (67 years old), the owner of FCSB, made a discriminatory statement to the central defender Mihai Popescu (32), who is currently injured.
Mihai Popescu, the undisputed starter at FCSB until he got injured, still has a contract with Bucharest until the summer, and Becali had declared that he would not extend his deal. Now, the patron has changed his mind, but he sets a condition for the hitchhiker: to return to orthodoxy.
In the summer, Popescu chose to renounce Orthodoxy in favor of the Pentecostal cult, something that caused the patron's anger ever since.
Gigi Becali discriminates against Gigi Becali: “I only extend his contract if he changes his religion”
“What decision should I make with Mihai Popescu? It's one thing, I'm saying what I think, to be born a Muslim, another to be born a Christian. It's another to be born a Christian and become a sect. It doesn't work. As proof, God gave him signs.
And he's a golden boy. Dulceata is, you have never seen such a quality boy in your life. That's why he gives trouble. God gives him signs to return to his religion.
If he returns to Orthodoxy, I will extend his contract. If it comes back, I extend it. It will be a big fight in the championship,” said Gigi Becali, according to fanatik.ro.
The stopper had suffered a serious knee injury in the match with Romania – Austria, 1-0, played on October 12. His recovery is going well, and FCSB expect the footballer to be fit to play in a month and a half. Initially, it is believed that he will be unavailable for the rest of the season.
Mihai Popescu, for 3-4 matches he only does nonsense. He renounced the baptism of his ancestors and became reborn. Since then, only trouble, because his wife did it… I expected it to be trouble since he became a sectarian.
– said Gigi Becali about Mihai Popescu in July
