Article by Remus Dinu, Robert Vîrdol – Published on Thursday, 12 February 2026, 09:16 / Updated on Thursday, 12 February 2026 09:17
Universitatea Craiova – FCSB, the derby of the last group stage of the Romanian Betano Cup, is played today, from 20:30, liveTEXT on GSP.ro and live on Digi Sport and Prima Sport. The champion needs three points to advance to the “quarters”, while a draw would be enough for the Oltenians to qualify.
The double “fire” Craiova – FCSB starts this evening, in Bănie, with a confrontation with implications in the Romanian Betano Cup. The two rivals meet in the last stage of the groups, with qualification in the “quarters” on the table. The red-blues are obliged to win, otherwise they leave the competition, the Juves would settle for a draw.
Prefaced by sharp remarks behind the scenes, the Oltenians protesting the two-match suspension received by Ștefan Baiaram, tonight's confrontation promises to be an extremely tense one, taking into account the stakes of the game. On Sunday, also in Oltenia, the University and FCSB clash in the championship, in the headline of the stage.
It's a moment of the season when the Cup winks at both, even the champion, used to sacrifice the competition. At the bottom of the championship, where they risk not getting the play-off, the red-blues can reach the Europa League preliminaries by winning the trophy they deliberately neglected two months ago.
The real-time situation in Group B of the Betano Romanian Cup
University of Craiova – FCSB, live from 20:30
👉🏻Three days from now, the two teams meet again, this time in a Super League game. Craiova University is the leader, while FCSB is fighting for a place in the play-off of the competition.
👉🏻 24 hours before the game, Sorin Cârțu resumed his “stings” at the champion, also bothered by the suspension received by Baiaram: “Games with FCSB on Thursday and Sunday, and he is suspended on Wednesday. It is sewn with white thread!”, Sorinaccio “thundered” last night.
Craiova University – FCSB, probable teams:
University of Craiova: Popescu – Rus, Stevanovic, Badelj – Mora, Houri, Basceanu, Teles, Stefan – Etim, Al Hamlawi
Coach: Filipe Coelho
FCSB: Târnovanu – Crețu, Dawa, Duarte, Pantea – Alhassan, Joao Paulo – Toma, Olaru, Tănase – Thiam
Coach: Elias Charalambous
Stadium: “Ion Oblemenco”, Craiova
Referee: Horatiu Feșnic (Cluj) / A1: Alexandru Cerei (Cluj) / A2: Ioan Alexandru Corb (Satu Mare) / VAR Referee: Cătălin Popa (Pitesti) / Referee AVAR: Mircea Orbuleț (Bucharest) / Book: Andrei Moroiță (Ploiesti) / Referees Observer: Cristian Nica (Ploiesti) / Game delegate: Roxana Berceanu (Bucharest)
Referee Fesnic!
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 percentage.
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 duels between FCSB and Craiova Universitythe first in May 2017, a 3-0 for Bucharest, the most recent in April 2025, a 0-0 in the play-off of the previous championship
Filipe Coelho, before Craiova – FCSB: “We will do everything possible to advance in the Romanian Cup”
Filipe Coelho, the coach of Olten, said what is the aspect that worries him the most before the match with FCSB:
“It's a game in a different competition, we'll try to move on. To be honest, we are worried about getting the players back, it is a short period between the last game and the next one. We didn't have much time to work tactically.
Of course, FCSB has a lot of strengths, a strong team with many good players. The focus will be on what we have to do, but until tomorrow we try to recover the players and check which of them can play.
We still have a training session, in which we see which players are available to play and we will do our best to advance in the Romanian Cup”, said Filipe Coelho, at the pre-match press conference.
Craiova is a good team, but for me the most important thing is what we do. We have to do our job, it doesn't matter who we play. That's what I'm focused on, our game.
– Elias Charalambous, after the victory with Oțelul
Gigi Becali, before the “double” with Craiova University: “We have to win both matches”
To stay in the Cup, FCSB absolutely needs a win against Craiova University tonight. Gigi Becali made it clear that the red-blues will no longer manage their starters, as they did in Arad, with UTA (0-3):
“We have a strategy. I can't say the strategy now, it's something else. The fight is too big now. I'm not saying anymore, that now we have to win both matches. The championship is the main objective, but the Cup must also be won.
I mean, I want this year, when everyone is crying and singing my prohod, I want to do the event, the Cup and the championship, with both of them. I want to sing “1, 2, 3, 4, the Cup and the championship!” at the end, said the FCSB boss, according to Fanatik.
“It will be a big war. And now I'm optimistic, we have to beat them, but Craiova is a strong team. We have no other chance. They are playing for glory, that they are in first place, and we are playing not to die. It's good that they lost Nsimba, he was the most dangerous. Craiova is too strong a team, but we have to beat a point, there is nothing else!” added the landowner.
