Marius Baciu, the head coach of FCSB, expressed his disappointment during a press conference following his team’s heavy defeat to Auda, which ended 1-4. Despite the scoreline, Baciu emphasized his satisfaction with the team’s performance, particularly their ability to create numerous opportunities.
FCSB, a favored team against Auda, ranked third in Latvia, faced embarrassment after losing both legs of their matchup, falling 2-3 in Bucharest and 1-4 in Riga. Baciu described the result as shameful and lamented the team’s inefficiency in front of goal, although he was pleased with the organization and the high number of scoring chances created.
Baciu: “A Coach Can’t Help But Feel Happy When Organized Well”
“It’s a pity… Europe seems like it wasn’t meant to be for us. I say ‘unfortunately’ because we had so many situations and simply missed them. Both in the first leg and here, we should have been 2-0 up by the 20th minute,” Baciu stated. He argued that had they scored early, the game dynamics would have been different.
Baciu continued to reflect on the match, acknowledging that his team remained under pressure but maintained that he had no complaints regarding the players’ efforts, except for a critical error in the 67th minute that led to a goal from Joao Paulo, which he deemed unacceptable.
The coach reiterated, “A coach cannot be happy, and a staff cannot be satisfied when you create and organize well. The opponents didn’t really create any chances or surprise us, except for the last play of the game.”
Disappointment Yet Satisfaction in Team’s Efforts
“You draw, you control the game, and it felt like we were better, but making defensive mistakes and failing to capitalize on chances makes it very complicated. I am frustrated and upset because we squandered significant opportunities,” Baciu added.
He acknowledged the humiliation of the result but maintained that the team’s good aspects should not be overlooked during analysis. “It’s shameful! It’s clear that this score doesn’t sit well, but what can we do? It happens. The result will stay,” he commented, recognizing the need for improvement in crucial moments during European competitions.
Baciu concluded by highlighting the team’s promising start, mentioning that in the first 20 minutes, they executed their plan well, creating opportunities and scoring a goal, despite the absence of VAR. He accepted the harsh reality of the score but remained pleased with the overall play, stating, “If we don’t focus and convert our chances, we will continue to face difficulties.”
FCSB, who equalized shortly after the break, faced a challenging task after conceding a second goal, which further complicated their efforts to turn the match around.
Goalkeeper Ștefan Târnovanu faced four goals from eight shots on target last night, having allowed three from six in the first leg.
