Article by Ovidiu Minea – Published Thursday, March 12, 2026, 2:25 p.m. / Updated Thursday, March 12, 2026, 2:26 p.m.
Steaua Bucharest has a chance to qualify for the play-off of the 2nd Football League this year as well. With one round before the end of the regular season, the “militarii” are in 7th place in the ranking, tied on points with ASA Târgu Mureș, which is in 6th, the last position that leads to the first value group.
As at the end of the first part of the championship, the first tie-breaker criterion in case of equal points is no longer the goal difference, as it is during the season, but the direct results, the stars, who defeated the Muresians in the 6th round, with 2-1, have an advantage. Thus, if they pass the Polytechnic Iași on Saturday, on their own ground, the band from Ghencea will overtake ASA.
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Steaua – Poli Iași will be played on Saturday, March 14, from 12:30 p.m., in Ghencea
Beautiful stadium, gorgeous turf
Trained by a former great dynamist, Tibor Selymes, Poli wants to mess up Stella's plans.
“An extremely nice match awaits us, in a beautiful stadium, with superb turf and with a good team. We have to go with the pleasure of playing football and we have to show that we deserved more, we deserved in the play-offs. That must be the mentality with which we must approach the match.
It will be a tough match, because they still have chances for the play-offs. For sure, they will try to take advantage of this, but we are going there to take a point or points. A lot of people will watch the match. Steaua is a team with valuable players, but we also have some valuable players who can play at a better level,” said the coach.
Tibor Selymes, coach Poli Iasi
Selymes: “It's hard to imagine playing in this stadium away from home”
He was disappointed with Iași's performance in away matches:
“Outside we scored four goals, it's hard to imagine playing in this stadium away from home. I think that for this match the boys are ready and ready to wash away these sins. If we take a point or three at Steaua, it will be quiet for us before the seven play-out games.
I hope we have the attitude of the second half with Câmpulung, from the last stage. If we have the attitude from the first half, we will have big problems. There is no pressure on us, we have to get the most out of every match”.
Selymes avoided commenting on the controversy related to who is the real Steaua, Saturday's opponent or FCSB, mentioning, veiled, only the verdict of justice, which gave justice to the current second division.
Iasi needs Poli in the first league
The former member of the Golden Generation also referred to the future of the Polytechnic:
“When you start football, you think about playing in the first league and the national team. The city needs Poli to be in the first league, and so do the supporters. Iasi deserves to have a first league team. We hope to achieve this next year, it doesn't matter who.
6, 7, 10 thousand spectators come to the first league. No spectators come to the Second League, it's also ugly to play without spectators. Football is for spectators”.
A spectacular match awaits us, on the best pitch in League II. It will be a pride match for us. If we won in Dumbrăvița, it was a play-off final. And so, we hope to take point or points. We play well with the big teams, we have always been better, we mess with the small teams. I have no explanation for the poor and very poor away games, except for the Voluntari game. Otherwise, we made fun of ourselves.
– Alexandru Hrib, Poli Iasi player
League 2 standings
