Article by Andrei Crăiţoiu – Published Saturday, March 28, 2026, 3:49 p.m. / Updated Saturday, March 28, 2026, 3:49 p.m.
Adrian Bumbescu (66 years old), former pillar of Steaua's defense, shared tasty memories and tough stories from his career. The “Colonel” spoke openly about the most difficult opponents encountered, the fiery duels in the European cups and the atmosphere in the locker room of one of the greatest generations in Romanian football.
From confrontations with legendary strikers of the world to tense episodes experienced off the pitch, the former defender offers an authentic portrait of an era. All the stories in a dialogue with Ovidiu Ioanițoaia at “Ovidiu's Friends”.
– Mr. Bumbescu, did you have many opponents, who created the biggest problems for you?
– We have an hour left! In Romania the strongest was Cămătaru! Then Mircea Sandu, Pițurcă, Radu II, who was a shoemaker.
– You were also friends with Pițurcă.
– Yes, yes. He played at Scornicesti, I was at Dinamo or Craiova. I caught him a few times. He didn't have Cămătaru's strength, but he was more technical. Good horse too.
– And international
– Van Basten, Gullit, Romario, Stoichkov, Hugo Sanchez.
“Stoichkov, the whole first half spat and cursed me”
– Stoichkov is the best rated Bulgarian player.
– Very good and very strong. We beat them 1-0 when we qualified for the World Championship. The whole first half he spat and cursed at me. And with elbows…
Hristo Stoichkov and Gică Hagi in Romania – Bulgaria 0-1, Euro 1996. Photo: Imago
– Did he know Romanian?
– All the nonsense…I wanted to get into it too. But he avoided! I got a punch, so I had to make rays. In the second half, he didn't come to the central area anymore, he kind of stayed away. Very difficult. Look, Cămătaru was very fair play. You hit him, hit him, but he didn't say anything.
– But you only had 15 selections for the national team, quite a few.
– I lost about four of them due to absence. I was injured. Then you played four, five games a year. I have many matches at the Olympics and at the youth level. With Belo I caught many matches.
Adrian Bumbescu: “Belo, Balint and Hagi used to go to the confectionery, for profiterole”
– How was Belo?
– More introverted. He wasn't talking. He was one of those people who would stay in training to force himself to have thin legs. It was obvious that he wanted something. In France Football the best pair of central defenders in '86-'87 was Bumbescu – Belodedici.
– Did Belo still go with you?
– No, no. With Balint and Hagi, they went to the confectionery, to the profiterole. We had our band with Duckadam, Iovan, Fane Petcu, Bărbulescu, Ilie, Radu II. Piti was more modest.
Anthology archive image: Gică Hagi, Gigi Becali and Gabi Balint // photo: FIFA + video capture
– Piçurcă didn't have them, yes.
– Then it was enough to see you at Marul de Aur or Lido, that's it. What Vadim did to me and Iovan… That we emptied the basements!
Monster scandal with Vadim Tudor on the plane
– But why?
– On the plane to the Super Cup, he started making jokes about me. When I went to Tokyo. He told reporters, “Forget the tracks of the Yeti, the snowman.” I also offended and cursed him. “Come on, you puffy!”… And he said to Valentin. From then on, he hated me, and as he caught me, he destroyed me.
– I understand.
– I told him. “Dude, puffy take it easy on these bad jokes! Am I the Yeti the Snowman?! Don't look at you puffy.”
– And?
– He had started with “I make the pool”, but he was having fun with Fănuș Neagu and his gang. “Comrade Valentin, Bumbescu curses the press”. That's why he couldn't…
