Article by Mihai Șovei – Published Friday, February 13, 2026, 4:34 p.m. / Updated Friday, February 13, 2026, 4:34 p.m.
Marian Aioani (26 years old), the goalkeeper of Rapid Bucharest, spoke before the match that the Giulești will play on the field of Farului Constanța, his former team.
He addressed several topics, including the reunion with Denis Alibec, his former colleague from Farul, about the elimination of Rapid from the Romanian Cup, but also about the situation of the selector Mircea Lucescu.
The match between the two is scheduled for Sunday, February 15, at 17:00, at Ovidiu.
VIDEO. Marian Aioani, before the duel with Farul: “A tough match awaits us”
“An extremely difficult game will await us. We are playing away and it is very difficult to win there, but we are confident that we can take the three points.
Denis Alibec is a very good player. We all know that, especially me who was a colleague with him at Farul, and he will surely be a useful player for them. I don't care what happens at other clubs besides Rapid. We must focus on ourselves, not look elsewhere, because we will no longer be focused on our goals. It doesn't matter which teams qualify for the play-offs, we have to play our game.
I saw that they played with the kids in the Cup, but I didn't watch the game. I think that Farul is not only in Denis, a good season is coming, Radaslavescu is doing well in midfield, Cojocaru is an important player, but also Larie, even if he is at the end of his career, he has shown that he is a valuable player. We have to analyze them very well in order to block them”, declared Aioani.
About the elimination from the Romanian Cup, Aioani said:
“The disappointment is great, considering that it was one of our goals. We wanted to win the Cup, but we have to prepare for the championship, because we have some tough games ahead of us. I don't know how good it feels when you don't meet a goal, but I hope that disappointment turns into ambition. I think we have matured as a team, we have a lot of time together, we managed to manage difficult moments together, and I think that in this respect we are much better than in previous years.”
Asked about the importance of the fans from Giuleși, Aioani emphasized:
“To have faith in us, to support us like they have done so far. We need their support.
About a possible arrival of Gheorghe Hagi on the bench of the national team, Aioani answered:
“I don't really want to talk, because now Mr. Mircea Lucescu is in charge. I spoke with him at the last selection. As for the draw, I can say that there are teams with high-quality players, but there is still a long way to go. Now we are thinking about what we have to do in the match against Turkey”, concluded the goalkeeper of Faru.
