Article by Sergiu Alexandru, Maria Olteanu – Published Monday, March 16, 2026, 1:44 p.m. / Updated Monday, March 16, 2026, 1:49 p.m.
Croatian Stjepan Tomas (50 years old) is 99.99% the new coach of Oțelul Galati. He will take over the formation on the banks of the Danube, after Laszlo Balint (46 years old) resigned from the helm of the team at the end of the first play-out match, failure with Csikszereda, score 2-3.
Balint resigned live during the flash interview and Steel management had to move quickly.
Who replaces Balint in Galați
Until the end of the season, Balint's place on the technical bench of the Moldovans will be taken by Stjepan Tomas, according to digisport.ro.
GSP.ro sources confirm the arrival of the 50-year-old technician at Oțelul Galati. The two sides have verbally agreed, and during Monday evening he is expected at the team for the last discussions with the club's management and the signing of the contract.
In the first phase, he will sign a contract valid until the end of the play-out. If things work out as they should, he will have a clause to extend the deal for next season as well.
Stjepan Tomas will be the coach of Oțelul
Laszlo Balint left Oțelul in 5th place in the play-out, and the new coach will aim to save from relegation, in the context in which the team did not submit the licensing file for Europe.
Stjepan Tomas will be the coach of Oțelul // photo: Imago
Stjepan Tomas has been a free contract coach since February, since he left Al-Okhdood, a team that was taken over by the Romanian technician Marius Șumudică in the winter.
Antalyaspor, Rizespor, Goztepe, Sheriff Tiraspol, Osijek are the other teams he trained throughout his career.
He spent the most time on the Sheriff's bench, for 25 matches, where he achieved the best average points, 1.80/match.
In his last venture as a coach, he collected 21 matches in Saudi Arabia, averaging 0.76 points/match.
As a player, Stjepan Tomas played for Galatasaray, Rubin Kazan, Fenerbahce, Como and Gaziantepspor, among others.
If he agrees with Oțelul Galati on the last details, he will debut in the Dunăre group on Monday, March 23, in the second stage of the play-out, away, with Unirea Slobozia, from 20:30.
The ranking from the Superliga play-out
