Pavel Badea made his calculations for the title: “I'm not afraid of Rapid and Dinamo!” » Warning from inside the team: “Huge chances were lost”
Article by Andrei Crăiţoiu – Published Thursday, January 29, 2026, 4:25 p.m. / Updated Thursday, January 29, 2026 4:29 p.m.
Craiova University leads the Superliga, but the road to the title is full of obstacles. Pavel Badea speaks openly about Olten's chances, the rivals in the play-off, the lost points that can weigh decisively and the hope that, after years of waiting, Craiova can return to the top of Romanian football.
The University of Craiova is in first place in the Superleague, but the battle for the title of champion will be fought until the last stage. Rapid and Dinamo are catching up, and the play-off is expected to be an explosive one.
Pavel Badea (58 years old), the former midfielder of the team, currently the president of the Craiova University Sports Club, speaks openly about the current competitive season and the chances of the team patronized by Mihai Rotaru to win the title, last time in the 1990-1991 season.
Pavel Badea: “I think that FCSB will catch the play-off”
At that time, Badea was on the field and was completing his double CV with the University.
“I say it with a little pain, because I wish we had much more success in these 35 years that have passed since the last event. Athis null, the premises are positive. We have just about everything it takes to finally have that success at the football level. Let's hope we will succeed”, said Badea, invited to “Ovidiu's Friends”.
The former midfielder knows that “it is difficult, because they are important competitors in the championship”, referring to “the revelations of Rapid, Dinamo”. “Let's hope that we will, however, be the ones who will be happy at the end. I am interested in Craiova University succeeding in fulfilling its objective,” the official from Bănie also declared.
Pavel Badea on the set of the show “Friends of Ovidiu”
“For the sake of spectacularity, I would like FCSB to be part of the six that go to the play-offs. But considering the game and also the results of the last period, I am skeptical. But I think FCSB catches the play-offs. Considering the value, the budget…”Pavel Badea also pointed out.
4 champion trophiesof Romania has the University of Craiova: 1973-1974, 1979-1980, 1980-1981, 1990-1991
“We should have at least 10-12 points more than second place”
Asked about the joy that Craiova will generate upon winning the title, Badea lives the moment with fear.
“We're there, we're in direct competition with Rapid, with Dinamo and others coming from behind. But I'm not afraid of Dinamo or Rapid. I'm more afraid of us, of what we can do to stop ourselves!”says Badea.
The former international believes that the Oltenians were also very unlucky in the first part of the season, when the team coached by Mirel Rădoi lost extremely important points in the battle for the title.
“We should have at least 10-12 points more than second place. But huge chances were lost. We had 3-0 in Arad in the first leg and it ended 3-3. We had a match with Rapidul in Craiova, they reached the goal once and scored a goal, it ended 1-1.
I played with Dinamo and we had 1-0, he gave a red card to a player that I think should not have been given. We lost to Arad at home, a team that reached the goal once. Moments that we didn't exploit, now we need continuity”, he explains on the set of the show.
“Luck doesn't train”
Regarding the arbitration problems that the Oltenians had, Pavel Badea admits them, but firmly says that “we must not find an alibi in arbitration”.
“It's important to have the chance factor on your side at certain moments. Luck doesn't train, that's what Sorin Cârțu says. Look at what happened in the European cups with Craiova this season. Bad luck and an alignment of the planets against us. A fantastic mishap that we had, but which we hope that, in time, the law of compensation will come“, Badea pointed out.
How the current standings in the Superliga look like
