Adrian Porumboiu (75 years old) says that today's Romanian football does not live only from private money, but also from hidden public resources, and harshly criticizes the patrons who “beat their chests” for investing from their own pockets.
The former patron of Vaslui revealed on “Friends of Ovidiu”, about the pressures from communism, the influence of Dinamo and about the only current patron he is: Valeriu Iftime, from FC Botoșani
“Today's patrons? They say they spend their money, but they also spend the state's money”
– Mr. Porumboiu, has anyone ever dared to threaten you? “Sir, bathe, take care that if you don't…”.
– What more do you want, when they strip you naked before going to an international match? What more do you need than a threat? I know that person, he is still alive, who was in the exercise of the function. They happened. Dinamo had a strength that didn't suit them, they thought I would be with Steaua. God forbid, no word. Steaua had a better team during that period, by right.
– Hear…
– I refereed these matches and they kept making all kinds of connections. But Dinamo, when he wanted to do something, he did, if he found you with a bump on you.
– And he worked with passports, he wouldn't give you your passport, you couldn't leave.
– I was an international referee and the only thing I was criticized for all the time was that I was not a party member. I was a company director, but I was not a party member.
– You've never been?
– Exactly in '89, around October. On the first trip, I had to take the party card to the first secretary and I said: “I don't take it anymore, leave it here, because I go abroad more often.” That's it.
– He stayed with them.
– I had not applied, because I was also a company director, I was also an international arbitrator, but for reasons that existed at the time.
– Tell me, what do you think about today's investors? How do they compare to the era in which you invested?
– Some spend their money, others say they spend their money, but they also spend the state's money. Some spend only state money. Those who beat themselves up about spending their money, it's not just their money. When this state, so weakened, gives you 100 million euros in compensation for three sausages and two coffees. Two or three important people get huge sums from incorrect amounts but no one checks them. The others receive money from the state, from the municipalities. Not fair competition on a professional, truly professional league. Let the state and state money have no business! That some are trickier and receive money from the state, well done to them, you have nothing to say to them. I don't have such a…so clear opinion, so to speak, on this matter.
“Valerius, be careful, you are fast approaching being a fool like me!”
– Which of today's investors is more like you, if you were to compare yourselves?
– I think my Moldovan from Botoșani, Iftime. And I said to him: “Dude, you are fast approaching to be…”.
– Iftime only uses his own money, he is the president of the County Council.
– Don't put even two coffees in there. His money! And I said to him: “Valerius, be careful, because you are fast approaching being stupid like me!”. Ha, ha, ha!
Valeriu Iftime, the patron of FC Botoșani
– You gave him a compliment.
– Well, but I tell him a reality. Time will prove: “Well, Porumboiu was right.”
– He never proposed to you to come?
– Well, yes, but he knows what my point of view is, that you can't go back to where you saw the slaughter with your own eyes and saw all the misfortunes. You can't fix it, and I don't see… I don't see it in the next few years that things will get better. A weak league, by all accounts.
– Listen, but…
– Gino asked me to talk to Iftime, not to know what to vote, to do. He, Gino, his, old, from before the Cooperative. And I said: “Guys, please… But what are you doing?”. “Well, are you crazy? I'd tell you from the start to do what I say, but I will never for the life of me tell you to…follow the path Gino tells you to.” And please, everyone does what they see fit.
– Doesn't it look like he's only putting in his own money?
– Don't make me talk about things I don't know in their depth and better… better refrain, because…
