Article by Marius Mărgărit – Published on Thursday, 26 February 2026, 00:28 / Updated on Thursday, 26 February 2026 00:28
Today's case, which shocked the world of Romanian footballwhen following police raids in several counties, Prahova, Vâlcea, Argeș, Cluj, Ilfov and Dâmbovița and in the city of Bucharest, resulted in the arrest of 21 people accused of involvement in the 3rd League football betting mafia, is not singular. In one of the files, the arbitrator Iuliana Demetrescu is the defendant of the FRF. NOT because he would have influenced the performance in any way, but because he did not take into account the call of Jan Turiță, the goalkeeper who felt something unclean.
Last year, another party in the third echelon triggered a large-scale investigation, several footballers and officials of the Vulturii Fărcășești team being accused of match-fixing, also for betting.
And after the hearings and investigations of the FRF Integrity Commission, the file arrived, in December 2025, on the table of the Disciplinary Commission. Among the 16 “accused” are the president Mihai Robert Dumitru, the game delegate Fănuț Vlăduțoiu, the coaches Ionuț Cătălin Bucă and Dănuț Oprița.
Along with 9 players, but also Iuliana Demetrescu, FIFA referee, Alina Mihoc, FRF referee observer, as well as Erika Preda, president of the CSM Jiul Petroșani club.
“Direction” of 2 intermission/1 end
It is about the match CSM Jiul Petroșani – CS Vulturii Fărcășești, from May 3, 2025, from the play-out of the 3rd League, which ended with 3-2 for the hosts, after the guests had led at half-time with 2-0. A strange match, which GSP.ro wrote about at the time.
Later, the goalkeeper of Jiul, Jan Turiță, made several statements in the press, accusing, with details, that the match was rigged. He told prosport.ro that “at 3-2, in the 70th minute or so, I go to Mrs. Iuliana Demetrescu, the referee of that game, and tell her: “Iuliana, stop this match!
It says in the game report that it is not conducted under the spectrum of sportsmanship. Stop this game, it's dirty! Don't you see what's going on? They escape with me, goalkeeper, and hit 10 meters from the goal! They turn the phase, they wait for the defender to reach them, they don't want to finish!».
She said to me “What do I have to do with what you do?”. But I have no reason to blame her, how could the girl stop the game anyway? There was no way. I don't think he wrote in the report, Mr. Pașcu told me that he doesn't know if he wrote in the report, he suspects that he didn't, that it would have been heard”.
Moreover, Turiță also notified Erika Preda, the president of his club: “Yes, I told the president Erika Preda. I made prints of the messages from this camouflaged man, I told him about the discussion. The lady said she was disturbed by my messages.
I gave him a very extensive message, then he proposed to terminate the contract. So a player comes to you and says something like this, flagging possible fraud, and you come to propose termination? He couldn't have chosen a worse moment”. Turiță was also removed from CSM Jiul Petroșani.
They were notified, but they did not record anything in the reports, they did not notify the FRF
Initially, it was assumed that the presence of Iuliana Demetrescu, Alina Mihoc and president Erika Preda on the list from the Disciplinary Commission was as a witness. But GSP.ro sources claim unequivocally that they are defendants, “because they had information that the match was rigged, but they did not write anything in the reports, nor did they notify the federation of what happened.
And now they are accused, according to art. 61 bis of the Disciplinary Regulation, that they did not denounce that counter. Because, later, evidence was collected that it was a rigged match for betting, and that's why it reached the Disciplinary Commission”.
They were convened by the commission since the first term, that of December 15. And they are still on the list of those accused by the FRF. The same sources explain: “And those who hide such information are in the same boat as the others, directly involved. If the CCA has not announced anything about this case, it is their problem.”
And according to the Disciplinary Regulations, the three risk a suspension between one and 12 months and a fine between 10,000 lei and 150,000 lei.
Meanwhile, FIFA referee Iuliana Demetrescu continued to officiate both in domestic competitions, including the Super League, and in European cups. The last time she was delegated to the match FCSB – Metaloglobus, from the 28th round of the regular season.
For now, invoking the presumption of innocence, while the Disciplinary Commission has not given a verdict in the “Fărcășești case”, the Central Commission of Arbitrators has not taken any action against him.
WHAT THE DISCIPLINARY REGULATIONS PROVIDE
Article 60 bis/ Integrity of matches
1. Persons, who are subject to FRF regulations, must refrain from any type of behavior that undermines or is likely to undermine the integrity of matches and competitions organized by FRF, as well as cooperate fully and permanently with FRF, as an integral part of its fight against this type of actions.
2. Represents violations of this rule, in particular:
d. not immediately inform the FRF/LPF/AJF if he has been contacted in order to participate in acts aimed at influencing the progress and/or the result of a match or a competition.
e. not to immediately report to the FRF the behaviors that fall under the provisions of this article, if he is aware of them.
4. The violations provided for in this article are sanctioned with suspension from one month to 12 months and a sports penalty from 10,000 lei to 150,000 lei.
