Cosmin Olăroiu (56 years old) was present on the red-blue bench at the event that marked 20 years from the UEFAntastic quarter-final between FCSB and Rapid and gave statements at the end of the event.
Just like in 2006, Cosmin Olăroiu was on the bench for the red-blues, and the scoreboard still showed a tie at the end, score 0-0.
Cosmin Olăroiu said what was his regret about the event: that more spectators did not participate. Only 2,800 people attended the match at the “Arc de Triomphe”.
VIDEO. Cosmin Olăroiu, after the re-editing of the FCSB “quarter” – Rapid: “I expected there to be more people”
“I'm glad to see my former players, my family, even those from Rapid. I also spoke with Răzvan Lucescu, an emotional moment. Looking at them, even if so many years have passed, the quality has remained. We play for another 20 years and still 0-0 ends!
They are some players who have tremendous quality, you could clearly see what quality they have. And football quality, and human. My whole team impressed me, I won't name names. 20 years ago you realize I couldn't breathe.
I remember the extensions, I was asking MM minute by minute if there was more. It seemed to me that 30 minutes had passed, not 6. Now I was more relaxed, it was nicer, but unfortunately we couldn't score. The match was really re-edited.
I expected more people. It is probably difficult to play such a match again. I'm glad that I crossed the barriers and showed that football unites people, not divides them, even if the rivalry was very big then.
I am glad that I was with them, that I was able to help make this event happen and that I was present. We'll see tomorrow if I'll be at Dinamo – FCSB, there's still 24 hours,” said Olăroiu.
Cosmin Olăroiu: “I wish Gică Hagi much success!”
The technician sent a message to Gică Hagi, before his debut in the new mandate at the bank of Romania:
“I wish Gică Hagi the best of luck, I hope he succeeds in everything he set out to do. It's not easy, it's not a very good moment in Romanian football, but I think that he, with the quality he has, will be able to rekindle the flame of the national team.”
Asked if he will train in Romania again, Oli answered: “I don't know. There are things we don't know in life, we don't even know what will happen tomorrow. Life can take us on different paths. It is possible, there is that possibility, why not? It is my country, my home, I would be happy, but it depends on how things will turn out.”
Olăroiu is from April 2025 the United Arab Emirates coach, with whom he missed the qualification for the World Cup.
