“University is not cheap!” » Compared to a Premier League technician

Mihai Rotaru said what were the criteria on the basis of which he chose Filipe Coelho, an unknown technician, who was head coach only in the 2nd League.

He really wanted a foreign technician who was not a big name, considering that this profile would have a greater hunger to perform. Compared to Mikel Arteta, Arsenal's technician.

Mihai Rotaru: “That's how I chose Filipe Coelho”

Filipe Coelho, the new coach from Craiova University

“It's the profile we wanted. We've been penciling in for a long time what we're looking for if we part with the coach. The first condition, a foreign coach. Why? With a foreign coach we won the only trophies, two Cups, a Supercup and we fought in the championship, with Bergodi. Furthermore, I wanted a young coach, up to 50 years old, from a football that says something, from a coaching school that has produced names.

We didn't want a name, I believe that if a coach from the top 5 championships in the world comes to Romania, he does it for the money, because he has already performed. These were the main criteria. I had a long list, also from Germany, Portugal, Bosnia. We penciled in, we had discussions, he was our first choice, we had very good references, Mario Felgueiras didn't know him before.

We have very good connections in Portugal. When I brought Mangia after Gigi Mulțescu, the supporters were shouting after me in the street “Rotarule, you made fun of us, you kicked out Gigi Mulțescu and brought in this macaroni player”. Before, they used to say about Mulțescu “how to bring this dynamist?”. And Mangia was highly appreciated in Craiova. And he was no name, he had only coached 3 stages in Palermo.

This is my response to the supporters. I repeat, we won 3 trophies, all with foreign coaches. He was Paulo Bento's second in command for 7 years, it's something else, we know who Paulo Bento is. He was his right hand man. We have so many cases of seconds that proved, Mikel Arteta is an example. He is a product of the Portuguese school of football. He's a guy with personality, he's a leader, he knows how to lead the group.

He is a coach that we believe in and that we have chosen on a profile penciled before. It's not a second, it's Paulo Bento's assistant, it's a big difference. The Portuguese coaching school is definitely many classes above our school. I talked to him at night, after I finished with Mirel Rădoi. I have a very good vibe, I felt him extremely well, he is a guy who knows what he wants. He's not a choleric guy, but he's not quiet either.

The most important thing was to see the leadership ability, the human quality. He speaks English very well, he worked in the Emirates, in China, in South Korea. He is a coach who is in the conditions of Craiova, which is not a cheap team, he pays. We are doing well in this chapter. Craiova is not cheap. The staff is coming from tomorrow. The players, on Thursday morning, then there will be a discussion with the players, but half are at the national team,” said Rotaru, on Prima Sport.