Bogdan Lobonț has officially declared his retirement from coaching, mere moments after he was nominated by Victor Pițurcă for a potential position in the Superliga. The former international goalkeeper previously served as the coach for Romania’s U20 national team and had a brief stint as an interim coach at Rapid.
Lobonț cited dissatisfaction with the high number of foreign coaches in the Romanian league as one reason for his decision. Pițurcă suggested four local coaches for the Superliga: Adrian Mutu, Adrian Iencsi, Bogdan Lobonț, and Florin Bratu. However, Lobonț firmly rejected the idea of continuing his coaching career, including turning down the opportunity to lead the Romania U21 team.
Bogdan Lobonț: “I No Longer Want to Be a Coach! It’s Simple”
Responding to questions about whether he would consider the U21 role, Lobonț asserted, “I no longer want to be a coach! It’s simple,” as reported by sport.ro. Throughout his career, he played for clubs like Rapid, Dinamo, Ajax, Roma, and Fiorentina, and mentioned that he appreciates the coaching experience he gained.
“I thank Mr. Piți for mentioning my name in his discussion, but coaching is not for me! I believe I can contribute much more from a different position. My coaching experience was beneficial, but now I feel much more prepared for what I want to pursue and have a deeper understanding of other dynamics,” he added.
Victor Pițurcă: “Is This Even Possible?!”
Victor Pițurcă expressed his disappointment regarding the situation, stating that he has great trust in Romanian coaches but laments that they are not given more opportunities in Romanian football. He pointed out the trend of lesser-known foreign coaches taking roles, questioning how it was possible for someone like Lobonț not to have the chance to coach.
“We have international coaches as well. For instance, Mutu is on the sidelines. Bratu had to leave for reasons I don’t know. Iencsi is coaching juniors. It’s outrageous that Bogdan Lobonț cannot coach. Is this even possible?!” Pițurcă said last week.
Lobonț’s Coaching Journey
Bogdan Lobonț began his coaching career in the 2018/2019 season with Universitatea Cluj in the second league. He later joined the technical staff under Cosmin Contra for Romania’s senior national team. From August 2021 to June 2022, he served as the head coach for the Romania U20 national team, and throughout 2023, he worked with Rapid as a goalkeeper coach, interim, and assistant coach.
His most recent role was at CSM Olimpia Satu Mare, where he served as technical director from January to October 2025.
