Nicolae Croitoru (56 years old), the interim coach of Chindia Târgoviște, commented on the outcome barrier for promotion/maintenance in the Superliga. His team lost against Farului on penalty kicks, after 1-1 in the second leg and 3-3 in the first leg.
Employed by Chindia on a short-term basis to navigate the troubled waters of this end of the season, Croitoru emerged undefeated from the “double” with Farul. The draw was made from the lime point, where two of his students missed: the first performer, Andrei Pandele, and the third, Iulian Roșu.
Chindia's coach, about those who missed penalties: “This week they showed that they can execute”
Why was that the order and does he feel he left with a handicap in the shoot-out with the likes of Popadiuc, Florea and Doumtsios off the field? These questions were addressed to Croitoru at the press conference.
“The main performers were out, but also the performers, in everything we prepared this week, proved that they can execute.
Probably the pressure, the importance of the moment made them miss. It happens and has happened to much bigger footballers as well,” answered Chindia's coach.
“The lighthouse had nothing to look for at the dam!”
He spoke highly of the Lighthouse, concluding that such a team “had nothing to look for at the dam”:
“We played perhaps against the most difficult opponent that could come our way. We managed not to lose in the two games, but unfortunately the penalty draw was not in our favor. I congratulate the Farul team for winning the play-off and staying in League 1.
I don't know the details, but how the team looks, how it played today, very well, there was nothing to look for at the dam! It is clear that it is one of the best organized clubs in League 1 and deserves its place here.”
Nicolae Croitoru: “My contract ends today, I don't know what will happen”
“Congratulations to our boys as well. They played two great games. I don't think many people expected a month ago that we could keep up with a team like Farul, but the attitude, even the sacrifice they showed today, makes me proud of them, especially as they went through an extremely difficult road at the end of the season.
But they had confidence, they got it and in many moments they proved that they are players who can play at an even higher level”, added Croitoru, who avoided a concrete answer when asked if he will train Chindia in the next season:
“What I can tell you is that from tomorrow I'm looking forward to taking it easy. It's been a tough 7 weeks. The contract ends today.
I don't know what's going to happen next year, but you realize after a game like that, when you've been so close against an extremely formidable opponent, i feel the need to calm down a bit. It's deja-vu for me, I had another tie with Voluntari, lost also on penalties”.
