Article by Alexandru Tomuțiu – Published Saturday, March 28, 2026, 9:48 p.m. / Updated Saturday, March 28, 2026 10:08 p.m.
Adrian Mutu (47 years old), the all-time top scorer of the Romanian national team, tied with Gică Hagi, gave a harsh verdict after failure with Turkey, score 0-1.
Despite the fact that Turkey won by a single goal, Adrian Mutu believes that the difference between the two national teams was greater.
Adrian Mutu, about Turkey – Romania: “We talk like a small team”
“My impressions are simple: we met a team that controlled the game, even though I saw that many people say that Turkey beat us hard. I, being there and seeing everything live, I saw a team that controlled the game and knew what to do in front of a team that stayed on 16 meters. They walked the ball from one side to the other until they found spaces, and in the end they found them.
After the goal, we looked much better. If we look at it as a whole, Turkey controlled the match, knew what to do, and we didn't. We didn't manage to keep hold of the ball. Every time I recovered it, in 2-3 seconds I gave it back to them. Their pressure was much different than ours.
It was a match where one team attacked and the other defended. That's why you thought Turkey was slow, but it wasn't. We didn't have players who could hold onto the ball. When I hear someone say that we could have beaten, it seems wrong to me. They never rushed, they had peace in the game.
I played with a big team. We have to take advantage of the opportunities we have, to score at that bar. In Ianis' phase it was very difficult to do more. We talk like a small team. We could only play something else if we had players of their value. Tactically we moved well but their players made the difference.
The goal came from the left back, on an inside cover. So they played a different, modern football with players who were patient and the crowd was patient too. It seemed to me that they have confidence in their players. When you play a team that defends in their own box, you need time to score and beat them. It doesn't matter if it's 1-0 or 5-0. Romania should not have risked unless they had conceded a goal. Whatever we think, it is against us.
We didn't manage to keep hold of the ball. Every time we recovered the ball in front of our box. I understand Barligea, it's hard to be a striker and to be there, isolated. Instead of leaving for space, it was coming to meet. With the pressure they put on, we gave them the ball immediately. We should have held onto the ball more.
They were building, and after losing the ball they were pressing and quickly recovering it. We didn't manage to do that. In vain everyone says that Turkey was to be beaten. Turkey controlled the match head-to-tail”, said Adrian Mutu, on the show “Digi Sport Special”.
