Vincent Laban, the former midfielder from Astra, recalls the moments he spent with Constantin Budescu: “He liked life!”

Vincent Laban was one of Astra's most important footballers during the time when the team was coached by Daniel Isăilă. This was one of the first players to perform for the team that in the years 2013-2020 was a top team in League 1. In the Romanian championship, Laban played in 51 matches and provided seven assists.

Currently, he lives in France and revealed that he would not refuse an offer from League 1, a championship he knows well, after his experience at Astra Giurgiu.

Vincent Laban, about Constantin Budescu and Astra's double with Lyon

– Hello, Vincent! How are you and what are you currently up to?
– Hello. I am currently spending my time in France. I enjoy my family. I do a lot of sports, I would say sports other than football. I practice tennis, padel… I also surf, because I live in an area of ​​France where surfing is very popular. It's a pleasure to do something extra and something different from football.

– How did you like the time you spent in Romania? You played for one of the best teams of that period.
– To be honest, I really liked life in Romania. I didn't know what to expect, to be honest, because I had left a very beautiful country, Cyprus. It was always sunny there, a holiday atmosphere, so I didn't know what I would find. But Romania was very beautiful, especially Bucharest. You have huge malls, big parks, lots of things to do and lots of places to go. It was a beautiful time for me and my family. Of course, the fact that I played for a competitive team also mattered a lot. It was very important for me because I am a competitive spirit. At Astra, we fought in every competition. I had everything I wanted there and it was an excellent stage in my football career.

Vincent Laban: “Astra had a very good team at that time”

– He had Astra Giurgiu lot needed to win the title then? Do you regret not making it?
– Yes, Astra had a very good team at that time. Good players and, I would say, also a good coach in the person of Daniel Isăilă. And of course, we weren't that far from winning the championship. We won the Cup, we won the Super Cup, we got to the last qualifying round of the Europa League for the first time, and in the second year I was there we got to the Europa League groups. So, yes, I was close. We were missing something, you know… we were in direct battle with Steaua Bucharest (FCSB), which has a lot of fans and a lot of power, I would say. So it wasn't easy at all to take the championship, but we were close.

– Who is the Romanian player who impressed you the most? What qualities did he have?
– About the Romanian player who impressed me the most… you know, I was surprised, because there were many good players in the championship. I would say they had talent, technique and everything. I would say my friend who was my teammate, Constantin Budescu, because he was incredible. And I'm sure he won't take it personally, but if you look at him, he wasn't, I would say, an athlete, you know? You could see that he likes life, he likes to eat and… But when he had the ball, he was fast, strong, used both feet, pure talent, pure talent. And an extraordinary person, a super guy. As a player, yes, he was a key player and could decide a match. If he wanted to, he could win a match on his quality alone.

Junior Morais, with Constantin Budescu after Astra won the Romanian Cup in 2014 / photo: GSP Archive

– Tzionis, another Cypriot footballer, is currently playing in League 1. Do you think he could make the step up to a top three team?
– I heard about him, I know he has talent, so why not? But I can't say more about him. The only person I know very well is Elias Charalambous, the coach at Steaua (FCSB). He is a friend of mine.

Vincent Laban would like to coach in the Romanian Superliga

– Which Romanian footballers do you currently like?
– Honestly, I don't know much about Romanian footballers at the moment. But of course I watch the Champions League and I saw Dennis Man. He plays some good games at PSV. So I'd say he, this time. He is also a talented player.

– Tell us what is your favorite memory related to Romanian football and why.
– I would say two, because the first one that comes to mind is when we won the Cup against Stella at the National Arena. The stadium was full this time and I would say 95% were FCSB fans. It was a fantastic, fantastic memory. We won on penalty kicks. I almost converted my penalty with a panenka. It was a great memory.
And of course the second is when we beat Lyon. It was incredible, because I don't know if people realize what I've achieved. Lyon was then the best team in France. For 17 years in a row they reached the European cups, in the group stage, 17 years in a row, and we succeeded. I removed them. I played two incredible, incredible matches, and I remember the joy in the locker room, you know, at Giurgiu, when we were dancing and celebrating. It was a fantastic, fantastic memory.

Vincent Laban, during the time he played for Astra / Photo source: Gazeta Sporturilor Archive

– At the end of the interview, I would like to ask you if you would consider returning to work in Romania, regardless of the position?
– Yes, of course I will return to Romania one day. Primarily as a tourist, because I've already done that. I really did. I like it, like I said, I really like the country and I was there with my family, you know, after I quit football we went back there. And about football, why not, why not? You know, now I'm coaching a youth team here and I like it, I like it a lot. And if I were to go back to work there, it would definitely be as a coach. I see that I have friends there, as I talked about Elias Charalambous, who is there. He is doing a very good job, I am not surprised, because he is a very intelligent person. And why not, you never know what life has in store for you, you never know.