Leo Grozavu (58 years old) was dismissed from FC Botosani after the Moldovans missed the play-off in this season of the Superliga.
According to the information obtained by Gazeta Sporturilor, the first name on Valeriu Iftime's replacement list is Marius Croitoru (45 years old), an older acquaintance of the Botošan residents.
Leo Grozavu left FC Botoșani: Marius Croitoru is the main favorite to take over the job
Missing the play-off brought the end of Leo Grozavu at FC Botoșani. After a long time Valeriu Iftime's team was in the top three teams in the championship, and even leaders in the ranking, in the end the Botošan players missed the play-off after having a terrible form since the resumption of the Superliga after the winter break: 8 games in the championship, a draw with Oțelul, a win with Metaloglobus and six defeats!
Leo Grozavu is in his fourth term at FC Botoșani. The first time he prepared the team between July 2007 and November 2008. He returned in January 2014 and led the team until September 2015. The third “dismount” was between April 2016 and June 2017. Leo Grozavu returned to Botoșani in January 2025, and his contract expired in the summer of 2027. In the last flash-interview, the one after defeat with Hermannstadt, score 1-3, Leo Grozavu conveyed that he is not thinking of making a shock to the team and leaving.
Marius Croitoru, who now works as a scout at FC Bacău, trained Valeriu Iftime's team twice: June 2019 – June 2022 and June 2023 – August 2023. Marius Croitoru also trained FCU Craiova (in two terms) and FC Argeș.
Marius Tailor
Petru Parfenov, a member of the club's Board of Directors and a co-shareholder in the company ELSACO, the main financier of Botoşani revealed a few days ago in a dialogue with GSP.ro that he is thinking about withdrawing the funding and changing the coach.
The team is the same, you can't change much. I don't know if replacing the coach is a solution, but any option is open at the moment. It is possible to stop with the financing, to bring in another coach, to play with young people, because we saw how well Ilaș or Bota came in. Maybe the experienced ones have reached a saturation point
– Petru Parfenov
Now FC Botoșani will try to save the season with a ranking in the first teams in the play-out to avoid relegation. At the moment, the Moldovans are in 8th place in the Superliga, with 42 accumulated points, one stage before the end of the season.
Up-to-date standings in the Superliga
