Gică Craioveanu and Marius Lăcătuș engaged in a tense exchange during a live broadcast regarding the performance of Vlad Dragomir (27), a midfielder for Romania’s national football team.
Craioveanu argued that Dragomir deserves more trust and playing time from coach Gheorghe Hagi, while Lăcătuș expressed skepticism, stating that Dragomir had not shown sufficient impact when he was a starter.
During four Nations League matches, Dragomir’s usage varied under Hagi. He played late in the match against Sweden in Stockholm, was a full-time player against Bosnia, missed the squad for the match against Poland, and participated for all 90 minutes in the return against Sweden.
Craioveanu believes Dragomir stands out as one of the few players on the team capable of maintaining a high pace throughout an entire match.
Craioveanu on Dragomir: “He’s the Only Player Who Can Endure”
This dialogue occurred on the show “Fotbal Club” on Digi Sport.
Gică Craioveanu stated: “The only player in the Romania squad who can sustain a very high pace for 90 minutes is Dragomir. He has played very little, made one notable shot during the match against Bosnia. If you don’t give him confidence…”
Marius Lăcătuș responded: “Are you suggesting he stood out in any way?”
To which Craioveanu replied: “And what about the others? He’s the only player who runs consistently.”
Lăcătuș countered, “When he played as a starter for the national team, he didn’t make a difference compared to the others.”
Craioveanu emphasized, “Do you feel the coach gives you an advantage when you are a starter? Your performance dips if you know the coach lacks faith in you. During the match against Bosnia, his first reaction was to look at Hagi for approval after he took a shot. That shows he lacks confidence in himself.”
Lăcătuș remarked, “I don’t see Gică as the type of coach who would impose himself forcefully on a player.”
Vlad Dragomir, currently playing for Pafos, has made 11 appearances for the national team without scoring. His market value is estimated at €2.2 million according to Transfermarkt.
Current Standings in Romania’s Nations League Group
