Article by Robert Vîrdol – Published Wednesday, March 25, 2026 7:33 p.m. / Updated Wednesday, March 25, 2026 8:11 p.m.
Adrian Porumboiu (75 years old) spoke to Gazeta Sporturilor about match of the year, Turkey – Romania. The former great referee believes that the “tricolors” have a chance to move on and hopes that Mircea Lucescu (80 years old) will be inspired in Thursday's game.
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Turkey – Romania will be played on Thursday, March 26, from 19:00, match broadcast by Prima TV. If we win, we play the final for qualification against Slovakia/Kosovo on 31 March 2026
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Gazeta Sporturilor has 6 experienced reporters in Istanbul, who deliver the most important information, reports and a series of multimedia correspondence.
The Romanian national team is playing its last chance for the World Cup, and Adrian Porumboiu is counting on his qualities Daniel Birligea. He also sympathizes with Nicolae Stanciu, who he said will not be the incumbent.
Adrian Porumboiu: “I don't have a favorite player, but probably a glimpse of Bîrligea can make the difference”
“It's a very difficult match, but let's hope it will be good. The balance of power seems distant, you think about where the players are playing, but the value of the contract cannot dominate football. It is a reserved optimism, we would like to move on with all our hearts, the only thing that matters is to win in Istanbul.
I'm sorry for Nicolae Stanciu, he doesn't get the national team to play as a starter, he got this transfer to China. We have values that the Romanians do not know how to respect.
I feel sorry for Stanciu, he will probably enter the second half, he brought balance to the team. I'd love for him to come in, it's going to be one hell of a match. I don't have a favorite player, but perhaps a glimpse of Bîrligea can make the difference. It is a team of 11 players, the group wins. They play their careers too, money or anything else doesn't matter here.
The Turks have developed a lot and overcome all the barriers in front. It will be hard to win. Probably at 11 meters we could have chances, because the pressure is higher for them. If the whole team is welded everything will be fine, it's an all or nothing game.
As much as we are disturbed by what is happening in Romanian football, we have to leave it aside. Let's hope that Mircea Lucescu will be more inspired than ever!” said Adrian Porumboiu for Gazeta Sporturilor.
Letexier is a very good referee, I don't think there will be any problems, he knows the rules of the game well and I don't think we have anything to worry about, we want nothing more than good refereeing. We have no referee to fear
– Adrian Porumboiu
Adrian Porumboiu hopes that Romania will be inspired by FC Vaslui
Adrian Porumboiu
In the 2012/2013 season, FC Vaslui played in the third preliminary round of the Champions League against Fenerbahce. Adrian Porumboiu hopes that the “tricolori” will be inspired by that duel, which ended 1-1.
“Vaslui managed to lead Fenerbahce until the 90th minute, we were equalized in the last minute by a serious error from our left back, they equalized in the last minutes.
Vaslui was not at the level of Fenerbahce, but with a very good match he achieved the positive result. Why wouldn't it happen on Thursday too? About the return match… and there we held on well against them, we equalized at the beginning, but there was that missed penalty at 1-1 and it broke from there”, said Adrian Porumboiu.
