Article by Andrei Crăiţoiu, Sergiu Alexandru – Published Wednesday, February 18, 2026 10:02 p.m. / Updated Wednesday, February 18, 2026 11:27 p.m.
Dan Nistor (37 years old) reached an impressive milestone over the weekend: 500 matches in the first league. And he spoke to Gazeta Sporturilor about his career, including the ill-fated period in France.
Having spent time at Pandurii, Dinamo, Universitatea Craiova and U Cluj, the midfielder now under the command of Cristiano Bergodi also had an unsuccessful experience in France. In the summer of 2013, he transferred from Pandurii to Evian (Ligue 1), but he did not adapt in France, where he played only 9 matches. After 6 months he returned to Pandurii, as a loan, and stayed permanently.
Now, in an interview with GSP.ro, he spoke about the time he spent in France, explaining what problems he had and what is the big difference between the two championships.
VIDEO. Dan Nistor explains the difference between Romania and France: “I didn't cope, it's very simple”
– Vice-champion with Pandurii. Did that fabulous period of yours at Târgu Jiu, even though it was a small provincial team, help you even more? It was not the chaos of Bucharest.
– It helped me, but at the same time I also made a very big mistake. Having a fairly low salary there, that offer came from Evian in France and, like the vast majority of footballers, they think about the financial thing, which I think I did wrong. Basically, I think that's about the only mistake I've made in my career! Not choosing the football part, because I had another offer from Spain. I was very well at that time, I was also called up to the national team very often, I even played as a starter and, unfortunately, I chose the financial part, which at that time was not good. I regretted it later, but that's part of the world of sports. What to do…
– What was the hardest thing there in France?
– The world will say that I am racist, that Romanians are, I don't know how. But I know what happened there. As proof that the team no longer exists. It was very, very physical football, which didn't help me at all, being a technical footballer. There was a lot of strength, a lot of running, so there were all the elements that didn't really help me. That's probably why I didn't make it there, plus the level was very, very high. I am not ashamed to admit or be embarrassed, so to speak, that he did not settle, sir. No, they were better than us and that was the truth, we don't have to hide! They were better than me and I couldn't cope, it's very simple.
– In your case, it wasn't even about these faces of a star footballer who left Romania: “I'll go there, I'll show them who I am”?
– No, and I didn't even have enough chances. Basically, I only played, if I'm not mistaken, six games or something like that, very, very little. Because the coach's boy brought me there and he was, so to speak, crazy about me: “Come here because you're going to play, I don't know what.” You know how it is, they brainwash you one after the other. And you say that everything that flies is eaten, but no… in fact it is not so. And that was to be. I told you, I regret this very much. I could choose the football part, the sports part. But man learns from mistakes and in the future I hope it will be good.
