LIVE Rapid – University of Craiova, derby without stakes in Giulesti! Champion of Romania vs. Gaulca, in the last match

An unforgettable play-off for the Giuleștean breath comes to an end this evening, in a gala confrontation with the new champion of Romania. The Oltenians won their event, but promise not to make an appearance in Bucharest, at the last appearance of this season.

Rapidul parted this evening with the technician Constantin Gâlcă, who will not continue in the summer with Dan Șucu's team. The games are done: the new coach will be Daniel Pancu!

Rapid – University of Craiova, live from 20:30

Rapid – Craiova University, probable teams:

Rapid: Aioani – Onea, D. Ciobotariu, Pașcanu, Sălceanu – Christensen, K. Keita, Grameni – Moruțan, D. Paraschiv, Dobre
Reserves: Briciu, Šimonia, D. Todoran, Burmaz, M. Costache, Hazrollaj, Hromada, Koljic, A. Şucu
Coach: Constantin Galca

University of Craiova: Goncalves – Mogoș, Stevanovic, Screciu – Mora, A. Crețu, Teles, Fl. Ștefan – Băsceanu, Etim, Baiaram
reserves: L. Popescu, Bancu, T. Băluță, Anzor, Al Hamlawi, M. Rădulescu, Romanchuk, Cicâldău, D. Matei, Nsimba
Coach: Filipe Coelho

Stadium: Giulesti
Referee: Iuliana Elena Demetrescu (Râmnicu Vâlcea) / A1: Romică Bîrdeș (Pitesti) / A2: Ionuț Marius Bobe (Bucharest) / VAR Referee: Valentin Porumbel (Oltenița – Calarasi) / AVAR Referee: Sorin Costreie (Volunteers – Ilfov) / R1: Ovidiu Robu (Chitila-Ilfov) / Referees Observer: Adrian Vidan (Bucharest)

Play-off standings

Costel Gâlcă, honest speech before the last match at Rapid: “We climbed to the top of the mountain and then fell into the abyss”

Before the last match on the bench of Rapid, Costel Gâlcă congratulated Craiova University for winning the title and admitted that the Giulești team had a season below expectations.

“It's the last match, we're playing against the champion and we want to congratulate them for making the event. They were the more consistent team and it showed in the results. I don't know if the players who have performed so far or another team will play tomorrow, but for us it is important for the records, nothing more.

To be honest, we climbed to the top of the mountain and then fell into the abyss. That's pretty much how the season was, and in my view, more could have been done. For me, our supporters deserved much more, and in the future they deserve much more, because they come in huge numbers. And they supported us on trips. There were also times when they were frustrated and that's normal, logically, but I think they deserved more.

Everything broke after the match with U Cluj. There were problems before, but then we patched ourselves up a bit, found solutions. I didn't have constancy, even though I was up there. We could not use the same players in several matches”, declared Gâlcă.

Filipe Coelho: “We have to take care of the players”

Filipe Coelho, the coach of the University of Craiova, prefaced the match with Rapid, on Monday, in the last stage of the Superliga play-off.

“We have one more game, naturally this week was different. Now we have to focus on the game. We start next season earlier, so we have to take care of the players. Ambition and motivation must be the same.

It was a different week, we have a lot of players who are going to the nationals, many who have had a lot of games, got a lot of minutes. On Monday we will try to give everything, to get 3 more points.

It's a historic season, I hope I'm not wrong, but it's the team's best performance in recent years. Of course, it's a great season, but we have to prepare for the future. This season has already passed.

I hope that next season we start as we finished now, with the same atmosphere. I would like us to have that atmosphere, but it depends on us, how we play. They are wonderful players and they are different”, said Filipe Coelho, before Rapid – Craiova.

Rapid – Craiova | Key data about the match, filtered by GSP statistician Liviu Manolache:

– Nine wins, five draws and five defeats is the record recorded by Giulești in the current championship at home.

– The “students” from Olteni won eight of the 19 trips in the current editionand seven other times they finished in a tie.

-10,194 spectators is the average recorded by Bucharest in the 19 matches played at home, the 3rd place in this chapter.

– 23 of the players used by Olteni had at least one offensive contribution (goal, assist, penalty taken and converted by another colleague), the most.

– Since Rapid's return to the main domestic competition in 2021, the two teams have met on the first stage 17 times, Craiova won eight times, Bucharest won four games, and five other games ended in a draw.

– The most recent direct Super League match: April 19, 2026, Craiova-Rapid University 1-0, goal scored by Assad Al-Hamlawi.

– It should be recalled that the technician Constantin Gâlcă trained the group from Banie in 2023/2024 and 2024/2025, his record on the blue-white bench comprising 35 games in all competitions – 16 wins – 11 draws – 8 defeats