Article by Cosmin Nistor – Published on Saturday, 21 March 2026, 00:14 / Updated on Saturday, 21 March 2026 00:32
Claudiu Petrila and Alexandru Dobre, two of the Rapid players summoned by Mircea Lucescu to the national team, reacted after the defeat suffered in Gruia, 0-1 with CFR Cluj, a team coached by a former striker from Giulești, Daniel Pancu.
The two talked both about the lost game and about Romania's chances in the tie with Turkey. The only goal of the match was scored by Korenica, in the 78th minute, after a well-constructed phase by the Transylvanian team.
Claudiu Petrila, after CFR – Rapid 1-0: “Maybe there is something mental when we play with CFR”
The Rapid winger recognized the difficulty of the match in Gruia.
“A very tough match, an even tougher pitch. It was difficult to tie the game, to pass, but I'm not trying to make excuses for us. It was a balanced match, they scored first and managed to keep this score.
In the heat of the match, you don't think of several options, you choose the first one that you consider the best.
Maybe it's also something mental when we play with CFR, that's how I experienced this with U Cluj. We have to get over this phase and play better matches. It was clear that there will be moments like this, you can't win every game. They are all balanced and anyone can win,” said Petrila, at Prima Sport.
Summoned to the national team, the Giulești native also spoke about the match in Turkey: “My expectations are quite high. I think we have our chance, we have to take it, fight and go there with desire. Yes, they have good players, but there is no fear in football. When you go on the pitch, you are equal to anyone.”
Alexandru Dobre: ”We, the Romanians, have that nerve, that fighting spirit”
The captain of the Rapid declared himself disappointed with the result, but optimistic about the future.
“Disappointed, naturally, for tonight's defeat. I'm sad because we didn't focus more on counter-attacks, make better decisions, attack more decisively.
I think it was a good game from both sides with chances, but we have to see what we did wrong and fix things because there are still games and we still have a chance to make the most of each stage.
Nobody is perfect. We have to have a correct attitude, because you saw how many supporters we have with us and it's a shame not to offer them something, especially since we have the chance to do something that hasn't been done for many years”, said Dobre, according to the quoted source.
Summoned to the national team, Dobre sent a clear message before the duel with Turkey: “I believe that we must go positive, confident, rise to the best attitude and quality that we have. We, the Romanians, have that nerve, that fighting spirit, and that can make the difference. When we are united, we can achieve something good.”
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