Article by Alexandru Tomuțiu – Published Saturday, March 21, 2026, 11:33 / Updated Saturday, March 21, 2026 11:34
Daniel Pancu (48 years old), the coach from CFR Cluj, spoke about the chances that the Romanian national team has in the tie with Turkey, which will be played on Thursday, March 26, from 19:00.
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Turkey – Romania will be played on March 26, from 19:00, match broadcast by Prima TV. If we win, we play the qualification final against Slovakia/Kosovo on March 31, 2026.
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Gazeta Sporturilor will have 6 experienced reporters in Istanbul, who will send the most important information, the hottest reports and a series of multimedia correspondence.
Daniel Pancu played in Turkey for Beşiktaş and Bursaspor and is very optimistic about Romania's World Cup qualification.
Mircea Lucescu's squad includes no less than 5 players who play in the Superliga play-out: Daniel Bîrligea, David Miculescu, Florin Tănase, from FCSB, Marius Coman (UTA) and Kevin Ciubotaru (Hermannstadt). Pancu believes that only Bîrligea will play in Istanbul.
Daniel Pancu, about Turkey – Romania: “We have to make the most of it”
“Drăgușin returns to us, which is a great gain, because he was absent from the national team in some very important matches. We have Ianis Hagi, Sorescu, Mihăilă, who play in Turkey. Nea Mircea knows very well the profile of the player in Turkey and especially the atmosphere there.
We need to make the most of the spaces and have a goalkeeper in top form. I don't think play-out players will play in Turkey. We are inferior on paper, but otherwise we are a team that has been to the Euros and gained a lot of experience in the last two years. I really think we can qualify. Bîrligea will probably play.
Bîrligea plays in the play-out for two stages, before he played in the European cups, so we cannot consider him a play-out player. I haven't given a single minute of interview in Turkey and I won't. I am Romanian, I stick with Romania, even if Turkey is my second home and I hope that one day I will go and train there”, said Daniel Pancu, on the show “Digi Sport Matinal”.
