Article by Adrian Duţă – Published Wednesday, January 14, 2026, 07:15 / Updated Wednesday, January 14, 2026 07:26
Former great striker Adrian Mutu criticized Mauro Pederzoli, the Italian sports director brought by Dan Șucu to Rapidfor the mercato campaign of the team from Giulio this winter.
The former coach from Rapid believes that the white and cherry took a risk with the transfer of Daniel Paraschiv, who was a reserve at Leonesa, in the second Spanish league, in the first part of the season. Mutu expected transfers with money made by Dan Șucu's club and is of the opinion that Rapid needed a fit striker.
The national team's all-time top scorer, along with Gică Hagi, told how Paraschiv was pursued by Rapid and when he was a coach in Giulesti, that's why he is convinced that the striker was brought by Victor Angelescu, the minority shareholder and president of the white-cherries.
Adrian Mutu: “Rapid took a risk, I think he should have gone for something else, given the money and got a striker”
“Pederzoli had to bring in players. Rapid is in a position where he can make transfers. With a very good financial situation, he had to do them. I mean, boy, you saw in the last part of the championship Rapid had difficulties. Consulting with Gâlcă, you kind of knew what you had to bring.
Are you coming with Daniel Paraschiv? He is still Victor Angelescu's invention, 100%. I'll tell you why, because he wanted it when I was there too. We looked at him, I told Victor then that I like him, Paraschiv was doing very well in our championship. He is the kind of mobile attacker, he goes down, then Rrahmani came and it proved that such an attacker was useful.
He chose this way, to go out. I hope that he will find as soon as possible the form he had when he left Romania, although I think it will be difficult for him, because he did not have continuity. We'll see, that name is important.
But Rapid took a risk, I think they had to go for something else, give the money and get a striker. Having an important chance for the title, I think he should have pressed the accelerator a little and walked to the structure of the group from a qualitative point of view”, said Mutu, according to digisport.ro.
54 matchesAdrian Mutu sat on the bench of Rapid
Mutu: “Rapid does not seem like the team to sprint for the title”
“Numerically there are many, but qualitatively they don't seem to be a team that can make the last sprint towards the title chance. I would have done it differently. If this book with Paraschiv comes out, it means that they were right.
They probably rely on the fact that he is Romanian and knows our football, he adapts and returns to his former form. This is also a strategy, I hope they succeed, I remain a fan of Rapid, even if they are no longer there”, said Adrian Mutu.
35 goalsenrolled Mutu in the Romanian national team
