Article by Marius Mărgărit – Published on Sunday, 10 May 2026, 16:16 / Updated on Sunday, 10 May 2026 16:16
Only a few hours before the match between Oțelui and Farul, extremely important for both teams, in an attempt to survive in the Super League, Ștefan Bană (21 years old) was excluded from the Galați team.
The footballer described on social networks what happened, that he was listening to the music at full volume in his room and that, angry that he did not answer his messages and that he did not turn the volume down, Diego Zivulic broke his door and came in on top of him.
“We were under a lot of pressure and he woke up the whole team!”
The President of Steel, Cristi Munteanu, explained to GSP how things happened: “I blame everything on Bană's age, youth. But you can't do something like that right before a game so important for the fate of our club.
I don't think that if he was at the University of Craiova he would have allowed himself to do that! You are not allowed to do such a thing. The gravity is that he did this, that he was listening to music at full blast, when the team was resting, two hours or so before a game in which, as far as I know, he was going to start.
He is a child who has a lot of qualities and who can become a valuable player, but take care of his behavior, because that is not what is done! Yes, it was as he told on the networks, Zivulic sent him a message, he didn't answer, he came to the door, shouted, he still didn't answer.
But Zivulic wasn't the only one at the door, there were also masseurs, there were other staff. Of course they broke down the door. Bana says he got scared and I think he got scared. But it was no longer possible. He played opera music, a soprano could be heard throughout the stadium.
How to do such a thing just a few hours before a match where we were playing our future in the Super League?! I don't know what was in his head, but he got it wrong!“.
“We treated him like our own child when he was in that depression!”
The leader of the Danubians confirmed that “after this episode, naturally we excluded him from the team, until the end of the season. Anyway, he was only on loan from Craiova University, we only have 30 percent of his federation rights. He went home.”
“Babicu” added that “we didn't need something like that, given that we were under enormous stress, before the game with Farul. And what he wrote, about Cristi Sârghi, that it would have made him “crazy”, there is no way it could be true! Cristi would not have allowed such a thing.
He went up there too, when the door broke. No one beat him, there was no problem. But to do that, to wake up all the colleagues, is not done! Plus, Sârghi was constantly by Bană's side, during the period in which he suffered that depression.
And we, the club, treated him like a child of ours. Take care of him! That he has extraordinary qualities, but now I don't know what happened to him!”.
“A tough year, we had to sell our best players to keep the club!”
Referring to the fact that Oțelul managed to mathematically ensure its survival in the Super League, after the victory with Farul (3-2), the president of the Galați team admitted that “it was a difficult year. And for us it is extremely important that we managed to stay in the first league.
I wasn't worried, because I knew we had a good, serious, mature team. But in the play-out, all matches are under pressure, everyone is fighting for survival. With two points at Botoșani and two more at home, with Metaloglobus, we would have been quiet for a long time.
But that's football, with unpredictable results, that's why it's beautiful. And we really have a strong championship, with many surprising results”.
Cristian Munteanu also said that “this season was difficult because of the budget problems. We had to sell our best players. I would have liked to have an extra million euros to allow us to refuse offers for Joao Paulo and Paulinho.
But that was the situation, we had to give them, so that we could pay the salaries of the team, of the players. And that's why I'm glad that we managed to finish the season already with our heads held high, without big emotions”.
In the last stage of the play-out, Oțelul, which ensured its presence in the Superliga for the next season as well, will play away from Petrolul.
“Out of respect for Ștefan Bană, I refrain from any comments. I don't want it to be distorted, for everything to become just a can-can. We should help him, as a person first and foremost. I hope he will be okay, because after all he is just a child”
Cristian SârghiOțelul sports director
