Article by Andrei Crăiţoiu – Published Tuesday, March 24, 2026, 6:04 p.m. / Updated Tuesday, March 24, 2026, 6:05 p.m.
Controversial, direct and always sure of his role in the big moves in Romanian football, Gigi Nețoiu recalls the scenes of one of the most spectacular ascents: the story of Adrian Mutu's transfer.
The former financier spoke in a dialogue with Ovidiu Ioanițoaia, on “Friends of Ovidiu” about negotiations, huge sums for that period and the special relationship he has with the striker later launched in big football, but also about how he claims to have saved and revitalized important clubs such as Dinamo Bucharest.
– Mr. Nețoiu, you were the owner of Mutu at one point, right?
– Mutu was not 18 years old. It was Rocar's, not mine. He had scored 14-15 goals at FC Argeș. Giovanni and Victor waited for me to take him to Rocar. Then Steaua, Rapid and Craiova fought. I gave 600,000 for only 50 percent. I credited Rocarul with 600,000, money that FC Argeș took. What was the contract clause?
– Like that?
– The 600 thousand is recovered, and if Mutu is sold for two million, it is divided 50-50%. It was Cornel Dinu, the coach, and at that time he had a very strong team. It was Lupescu, Vlădoiu, Mihalcea, Contra and they didn't let him play. His mother, his father called me all day… The last match he played with Onești, in December, he scored two or three goals. They didn't put him in because he was on loan. “Okay, when are you going to give me the money I gave to Pitesti?”.
Adrian Mutu in the shirt of FC Argeș / photo: Facebook Football Club Argeș Pitești
“The first shirt with which Mutu debuted in Italy was brought to me”
– And what happened?
– I gave it away for free to get my money back. From that moment he played match after match and after six months he went to Italy, to Inter. Dinu said she had concave legs.
– You liked Mutu a lot.
– I bought him a house in Pitesti. The parents' house in the center of Pitesti was to come to Rocar.
– What is your relationship with him?
– Very good! His first shirt with which he debuted in Italy brought it to me. He calls me “Daddy”, “Daddy”. I also rented him an apartment in Dorobanti.
“Dinamo won on my money and some say I'm not a Dynamo fan”
– So you won something from this business?
– Dinamo recovered the money it gave me, then the club shared with Pitesti. Dinamo won on my money and some say that I am not a Dynamo fan. Then only I put money in Dinamo in 1996! There was no one! Me and Buduru brought Dinamo out of bankruptcy.
– It would be the height for Dinamo to curse you.
– Well, I gave them a title for free! If Gino made it 1-1, he would win the title, Dinamo would no longer win it… Yes?! In 2002! 600,000 then is about six million now. Who had this money?!
– I want to ask you something.
– One second! Where I was, I wanted to win. We took Rocarul and promoted it, we took Craiova to the European cups after relegation, Dinamo so many titles. Think how much of a scandal it was when we brought Dinamo from Şiman. That no one wanted him… Seven games he won nothing. The players who had come from Craiova worked with those from Dinamo. After three, four years I took everything… Then Borcea, Giovanni, Turcu appeared, with money. I revived Dinamo, with Mr. Buduru.
