Article by Mihai Mironică – Published Saturday, February 28, 2026, 11:18 p.m. / Updated Saturday, February 28, 2026, 11:26 p.m.
The statement of the president of the LPF, Gino Iorgulescu, had a big, huge impact, as if “it would be a shame if FCSB does not reach the playoffs”. Service conspirators immediately painted a picture in which teams and judges will put their shoulders to the champion's jump in the top 6.
And then came the mundane reality that demolished this whole apocalyptic scenario. U Cluj easily beat Oțelul, even more easily than FCSB did in Galați. But this idea was built that, in Romania, only one team makes tops. Everything else is a life and death game.
Also, at Iorgulescu's signal, all the referees would have united for FCSB to be put in the playoffs. That's why, at FC Argeș with Farul, the controversial goal of Argeș was also awarded, and a Pitesti player who everyone says should have been eliminated was not eliminated either.
And we saw the same unanimity, for example, in the Prima Sport studio regarding the final phase of the Farul – CFR Cluj match. All 4 people in the studio said it was a penalty foul. And there were also the speedster Ovidiu Herea, and the glory of Olten, Aurel Țicleanu.
It is possible that it was offside, but those in the VAR room considered that it was not a penalty foul, they did not announce any offside.
I don't believe in the second penalty either
Where is the so trumpeted pro-FCSB conspiracy after Gino Iorgulescu's statement? Nowhere, for now. U Cluj and CFR Cluj qualified for the playoffs. U Cluj defeated a melted Steel. CFR Cluj was escorted by the referees to Ovidiu with the strange interpretation of the duel at the end of the game with Farul.
I don't agree either with Gică Popescu or Ianis Zicu who say that Farul should have received a shot from 11 meters also in the duel between Matei Ilie and Gustavo Marins. It was a dogfight where both the farist and the cheferist hit the ball and then hit each other head to head.
Andrei Cordea, two decisive assists in the match with Farul / photo: GSP Cristi Preda
A thief and 15 Ali Baba
Beyond the non-existent pro-FCSB conspiracy, when in fact it seems to be more of an anti-FCSB campaign with the pro-Argeș and CFR decisions in the last two rounds, remains the impressive series achieved by Daniel Pancu. 10 victories in a row in the same edition of the championship were not achieved even by the Champions League teams in the history of the Cluj club.
Conspiracyists from the other camp say that, in fact, it is the series of Iuliu Muresan, a president who, in the past, was at the center of huge scandals in which the CFR was accused of being helped by occult means. I don't subscribe to these pro-FCSB conspiracy theorists either.
The reigning champion will most likely experience the most humiliating moment in its history, the exile in the playout. It is a team that has weaker direct results with opponents such as FC Argeș or CFR Cluj.
Except that this picture of FCSB as the only suspect team of incorrect things in the first league is a false one. We saw this in this game at Ovidiu, and in others in this regular season finale. It is by no means the version with A Thief and 15 Ali Baba.
