Article by Tudor Belivacă – Published Friday, March 27, 2026 8:46 p.m. / Updated Friday, March 27, 2026 9:00 p.m.
Constantin Budescuthe former Romanian international, commented on Romania's failure in Istanbul in front of Turkey, score 0-1, the game that put an end to the hopes of qualifying for the 2026 World Championship.
Constantin Budescu was present in Istanbul and integrated among the Romanian supporters. He was caught setting the tone for the songs before the match at Besiktas' ground. Upon returning to Romania, the “decarul” went live on TV and offered some conclusions about the game.
Constantin Budescu analyzed Turkey – Romania 1-0: “We played from equal to equal”
“We played from equal to equal. They said that we had no chance, that they were beating us, but the game was balanced. If we scored at that bar, we would definitely go to overtime. There I think we could have won, with a little luck. Yes, they had a bar too.
They were no better than us. They had some possession but not big chances. After the goal, we had a good reaction, and in the 80th minute we had that phase. If we pushed harder in the first half, maybe we could have scored first.
It is not pleasant that we are so many years away from a final tournament. We ran into a good team, but we didn't see much of a difference. We must hope again. Now we have to reset. We're starting over. We have nothing to do.
I would be happy if Mr. Hagi would come. He trained me and I know what he can do. It trains the players well. This change can help them and have a different face in future games. He will put pressure on the opponent, the game will change. That can only help us, now let him come.
I can't say two footballers who didn't do the right thing. The Turks pressed us very hard, we didn't have possession and players to stand out. Surprisingly, I coped with them. It looked a bit uglier on TV because they had possession and we didn't hold onto the ball. I say we rose to their level.
Many said that we have no chance, that they will beat us three, four to zero, that they have players at Real Madrid. They weren't who knows what either. I also followed Guler. Apart from that pass, it was like ours“, Constantin Budescu transmitted on the show “Digi Sport Special”.
We went by car, it was crazy with the plane tickets. We also decided to go all the way to the end and finding four tickets was difficult. I gave them a quick drive and now I'm coming back. It was ok. It was a pleasant experience at the stadium. I was happy. I haven't been in this position for a long time, I was also in the gallery. The kids liked it, that makes me happy. The result still had to be good. I was also surprised that my shirt still fit.
–Constantin Budescu, former Romanian international
