“Open it and throw the money out the window, into the wind!”

His story begins with a Bulgarian transferred after the World Cup in Mexico, continues with long journeys through Europe in cars loaded with cash.

In a dialogue for Gazeta Sporturilor, Ioan Becali talks about the beginnings of the impresario, about the relationships with big names in Romanian football, from Cornel Dinu to Gheorghe Hagi, but also about the dramatic moments that marked his career and life.

– Mr. Becali, who were the first players you transferred?
– The first player was Nasko Sirakov. Because I speak Bulgarian. In '86, at the World Cup in Mexico, the first match of the World Championship was Bulgaria-Italy. 1-1. Goal by Nasko Sirakov. I was in Mexico and I left then. I stayed in the Bulgarian camp in Mexico City. His wife was a European gymnast, an Olympian in rhythmic gymnastics. I had known some very old impresarios… I was the seventh impresario!

– What happened?
– I took him to Espanyol. I took a bundle of money with that bank band and it's a bonus. After which I also said, “Let's just let it go.” And I started visiting the national team until the World Championship in Italy

– But you were associated with Dan Alban?
– Yes, yes. He was very good friends with Dinu.

“Maybe fate was turning around. Maybe he wasn't causing the accident anymore”

– When Alban died in the car, in the accident, he was with Dinu.
– He was with Dinu and I had to be there too. We parted in Rome. I come here because together with Alban I met a Spaniard who was coming to open a bingo at the Ambassador, at the hotel. He was paying $25,000 a month in rent for the Ambasador restaurant, where Horia Moculescu was performing, and they didn't want… Those at the reception wanted to become them with percentages. Woe to them!

– And?
– They didn't take 25,000 per year and I give them per month. That they don't have someone to make breakfast. Knock the hell out of two rooms… I didn't do anything. And that's why I came and they didn't want to take me to the airport. He with a boy, one Emil Țiganu, a smart boy. Cornel Dinu and I were not talking at that moment. I was angry. So it was January 14, 1991. While I'm not talking to Dinu, Dan Alban is coming from Leverkusen, where he was at Timofte. I was staying in Frankfurt, he was staying in Karlsruhe. And he said, “Come on, Giovanni, we're going to Genoa, because Steaua is playing.” They beat us 1-0 in Genoa, in the cold. It was in December, when it was the last round of UEFA cups.

– That's right.
– I said, “Come on, let me take my car!”. That I had a Mercedes 560, with 8 airbags, with I don't know what. “No, me, what about going with that cow. We're going in Lisa's car.” Golf, his wife. How he died!

Cornel Dinu and Dan Alban (with mustache)

– Close to Telese, right?
– Yes, Benevento Street, at a bend. When I crossed the border into Switzerland, he told me that he was also Cornel Dinu. Although he knew I wasn't talking to him.

– But why were you angry?
– I don't know why… He had become a minister, this one…

– Secretary of State.
– Some stuff like that. “Okay, Dan, you weren't telling me I wasn't coming.” After we passed Switzerland, he told me that Dinu was also coming. “Okay, me, dad, let's go.” Dinu also comes there, the match ends, we beat 1-0. The team leaves, we go to the hotel. The next day let's go because Fogia is coming to stay there, at Telese.

– That's right.
– At two o'clock in the morning I was sleeping… The reception calls: “Someone is looking for you.” Pavlovich, God forgive him. He said he was the second coach, at Lucescu, at Brescia, but he was hitting the field with a rake. “I'm with Cornel here.” Me thinking that Cornel Dinu returned with Steaua. But how strange it was. He had no relationship with either Ion Alecsandrescu or Steaua… But probably Dan told him “Come and stay with us”. But he didn't tell me that. Maybe fate was turning. Maybe he wasn't causing the accident anymore.

“I went to Dinu and saw him. He was still bandaged. You couldn't even see his nose”

– And what happened?
– I took him with us… I went to Rome, but the Spaniard called me that he was coming to Bucharest. “Take me to the airport, because I'm going to Bucharest.” “Get me a cab.” I took the taxi to go to Frankfurt to pack my luggage. And that night I receive a call from Dan Petrescu, “Dan Alban is dead”.

• Nicknamed “The Albanian”, Dan Alban was one of the first managers of Romanian footballers. A good friend of Mircea Sandu, Gino Iorgulescu and Serghei Mizil, he fled to Germany as early as 1977. There, frequenting close circles of German athletes and footballers, he married Liza, a Romanian who later became a German citizen, who today is Mircea Sandu's wife.

– Dinu was quite paranoid then.
– The first thing I did, I went to Dinu. I didn't go, because I knew Dan was dead. I sent Lisa to identify the body. I went to Dinu and saw him. He was still bandaged. You couldn't even see the nose, only the eyes. That was…

– But now you and Dinu are in normal relations?
– Yes, I have good relations. We respect each other. I was also president of Dinamo. He was also my confidant there. And how can I say…

“That they heard about the mobsters, not to do us, not to treat us…”

– And how did you start with the first Romanian players?
– We visit all the teams. I went to the European Champions Cup in Seville, the '99 final with Milan. The preparation of the Student Sports saw that she Gica there. Then I went to Monaco and saw Gica's goal. So we were visiting them. I took advantage of the fact that Victor, my brother, was friends with Hagi, Mateuț, Cămătaru. That Gigi was with them, they went to discos in the North…

– And it was at the beginning. Our players had no agents.
– In '86 you win the final, in '87 you are eliminated in the semi-final, in '88 in the quarters, in '89 you play another final. Let's enter their circle. Qbefore the World Cup in Italy, Ion Țiriac played a match in Romania with Bayern Munich. It was there, but we had no signed players.

– What was the first one you impresario?
– Raducioiu.

– Which you sold…
– In Bari for 3 million dollars. But there is a whole story with Răducioiu and Lupescu. That they were both young and didn't want to sign us.

Florin Răducioiu in Bari

– Tell us the story?
– He didn't want to sign with us. At least Răducioiu. That they heard about the mobsters, not to hurt us, not to treat us…

“Open the window and throw the money out the window, into the wind!”

– But you come from Germany…
– I told Dan Alban to take Piti Varga with us. Let him stay with us for a month, not drink a beer… Where we sleep, let him sleep too. And so I did. And he signed a power of attorney to Piti Varga. Then there was no FIFA license, it was illegal… In '93 the exams were given.

– And that's how Răducioiu signed.
– He signed to Piti. We transferred Răducioiu on Piti's behalf. When he saw that we were serious people, he also signed us the power of attorney. Varga became our springboard. But I gave him $75,000 then.

– So that was the first money taken.
– I won't tell you anymore… I was with Bari's sports director. The transfer was made. And he says “Give us an invoice and I'll give you the money”. We, without companies, without anything. “Sir, look what the situation is! You give us the money in cash. There is no other way.”

– Romanians were used to cash money.
– Out of three million there were three hundred thousand, ten percent. He was the brother-in-law of the president from Bari, at the Italian post office he did what he did, he gave us the money in cash. I was going in a Mercedes. Me in front with the sports director and the bag between my legs. We were going to the hotel to return with the money… I say to Dan Alban who was in the back. “Let's give him something too, the man helped us.”

– That's right.
– I tell the sports director. “I made a good deal, it's a good start, you were the man who kept the relationship going. Here's the situation. I'll give you three $10,000 packages.” He reaches into his bag… He takes them, opens the window and throws the money out the window, into the wind! “Well, stop the car!”. An incredible lesson… “I'm paid by Bari. I'm the sporting director and I don't need anything!”. We stopped further and ran to retrieve the money, good thing it was tied up. This was the first money!