Article by Daniel Grigore – Published Friday, 20 February 2026, 22:49 / Updated Friday, 20 February 2026 22:49
Leo Grozavu (58 years old), the coach of FC Botoșani, commented failure with U Cluj, 1-3after which the Moldovans remained at 42 points, immediately below the play-off zone.
FC Botoșani was among the top ranked for a long time, and qualifying for the play-offs seemed only a matter of “when”, not “if”.
The results of the last months have seriously chipped away at the play-off dream. With only one win in the championship in the last 3 months, the Moldovans have dropped below the line, but they still remain in the books for the TOP 6. For that, they need victories in the last stages, with Hermannstadt in Sibiu and with Petrol at home.
Although the play-off chances are intact, coach Leo Grozavu seems to have thrown in the towel, talking about the upcoming play-out matches.
Leo Grozavu threw in the towel regarding the play-off: “It will be difficult in the play-out”
“It's a defeat, all defeats hurt. It was a game that started from 0-2 and then it was very difficult for us, although we tried. As an attitude I have nothing to reproach them with, but unfortunately we gave a lot of gifts. Three, to be exact, the three goals were born from our mistakes.
That's football, that's all I could do today. The first goals were scored at indigo, very simple actions with the central striker free in the box, but what to do? That's it.
We are not in the best period, that is clear, but more than a few steps have been lost. Of course now we have to raise our heads, there are two regular season stages left. If we compare it with what happened in the past years, we had a good, very good championship.
It's 42 points, it's not easy to do that many. But that doesn't mean we have to sleep on one ear from now on. There are two regular season games left, then the play-out will be a very tough championship.
Somewhere you predict [căderea]because I know what happened in other years, with other teams. We generally know that there are problems when the cold season comes. But we have to solve them, all of us here.
We close ranks, we fight on. Mathematically there are still chances [pentru play-off]but now we have to show that we are players of character, club of character. There's no point in crying now, we have to close ranks.
We need to rebalance quickly, now let's show we're all mature, right? [să venim] with reproaches. What's gone is gone, the past can't be returned, but we can change the present and the future,” Grozavu told PrimaSport.
