Article by Andrei Crăiţoiu, Daniel Grigore – Published Wednesday, February 11, 2026, 5:44 p.m. / Updated Wednesday, February 11, 2026, 5:48 p.m.
After the decision of the Disciplinary Commission in his case Stefan Baiaram, suspended for two Discipline matches after spitting at a Dinamo supporter, Sorin Cârțu suggested that the games will be played against his team, wondering which referees will be assigned to the upcoming matches with FCSB. GSP.ro found out the name of the “central” selected for the first of the two duels, in the Cup: Horațiu Feșnic.
A day before FCSB and Universitatea Craiova entered the field, in group B of the Romanian Betano Cup, another “match” between the two teams began, one of declarations.
After the University lost Ștefan Baiaram for the two games, the honorary president of the club, Sorin Cârțu, stated that “the games have begun”, showing his conviction that in the matches with FCSB the opposing referees will be delegated to Craiova. “For one of the two games we will more than likely have him on [Marian] Barbu”, the official from Bănie opined about the “central” which FCSB described sympathetically.
Horațiu Feșnic, the delegate referee at Craiova University – FCSB
GSP.ro found out who will lead the first of the two matches, on Thursday evening, in the Romanian Cup. It is about Horațiu Feșnic from Cluj, a “central” that Craiova is used to having in the center.
The University is the team that Feșnic refereed the most times in his career, 45 times. Olten won 27 of those games, drew 7, lost the remaining 11. So, a 60% win rate.
FCSB played 40 times with Feșnic in the center, with a record of 20 wins (50%), 10 draws and 10 failures. The Red-Blues had 5 players eliminated by Feșnic in these 40 games, the University four eliminated in 45 games.
Feșnic led 5 more duels between FCSB and Universitatea Craiova, the first in May 2017, a 3-0 for the Bucharesters, the most recent in April 2025, a 0-0 in the play-off of the previous championship.
Perfect balance in victories: two for FCSB (May 2017, in the play-off, November 2021, in the regular season), two for Craiova (April 2022, in the play-off, December 2024, in the Romanian Cup). The aforementioned equal completes the picture.
Horace Fesnic
Feșnic is persona non grata at FCSB: Becali claimed that he quit football because of him!
In recent years, Gigi Becali, the owner of the Bucharest team, harshly criticized the referee from Cluj. At one point, he even threatened to quit football because of Feșnic!
It was April 2023, right after that Rapid – FCSB 1-0, match with sparks. Becali then held a press conferenceannouncing his retirement from football.
“I ended up having 16 tension because of Feșnic. Do you realize? I also sent him a message. I found out his phone number and sent him a message. In the morning, at 7, I woke up with him in my head. I used to get up with the prayer, now I woke up with Feșnic in my head, with his thief.
Either you're too stupid, and then you have nothing to look for, or you're a thief. I can't anymore! What Feşnic did put a lid on it. It should be called «Darkness». I quit football. Because of him I go out. Such a thing is not possible!”, thundered Becali at the time. Obviously, he did not put his threat into practice.
A year later, Becali resumed the war with Feșnic, offending him after a 0-2 with Hermannstadt.
“Neither Kovacs, nobody, the only one you can compare with the referees of the past as a trick is Feșnic. The only one who has tricks is Fesnic, he has an indescribable perversity“said the landowner in August 2024.
