Article by Marius Mărgărit – Published on Saturday, 04 April 2026, 11:38 / Updated on Saturday, 04 April 2026 11:39
In the last few hours, the information was circulated that Rapid intends to appoint Cristi Balaj to the management of the club. A “copy-paste” of the triple from CFR Cluj, after the appointment of Bilașco and the imminent bringing in of Bogdan Mara.
Rapid is changing the lines at the management level for next season, after the departures of Daniel Sandu, the head of the scouting department, Daniel Carciug, the marketing director and Mauro Pederzoli, the sporting director.
For the last one, who will take the same position at Brescia from the summer, a replacement has already been brought in, Marius Bilașco from CFR Cluj. Bogdan Mara, the current sporting director of the Gruia club, is also expected to arrive, most likely after the end of the current season. He has not made a decision yet.
Cristi Balaj, often seen at Rapid matches. The new president from Giulesti?
In the last few days it was discussed in the public space that the people of Giulești want to achieve even a hat-trick and to co-opt Cristi Balaj, former international referee and the one who held this position at CFR Cluj, as president, until the end of last year.
A variant fueled not only by the arrival of Bilașco and Mara, but also by the fact that lately Balaj has been seen very often in Giulesti, at Rapid matches, in the box of Gigi Corsicanu, the former gallery leader.
Those close to Dan Șucu claim that “there was never any question of Cristi Balaj coming. The fact that he is close to Corsicanu, that he comes to our matches, is not a criterion. Rapid has a president, Victor Angelescu, and there was no discussion about bringing Cristi Balaj in his place”.
However, the same sources do not exclude the option that, depending on the results of this season, Victor Angelescu will give up the position of president and remain in the club only as a minority shareholder.
Even Balaj denied the treaties
And Cristi Balaj denied the rumors that he was in negotiations to return to football, as president of Rapid.
“I also saw the information that appeared in the last few hours, but I did not have and there is no discussion in this regard at the moment. I respect the Rapid club very much, it is a team with tradition and extraordinary supporters.
That is precisely why I believe that the work of the people who are now there and who are doing their job very well should be respected. As far as I'm concerned, at the moment I'm focused on personal projects and I'm not considering an immediate return to football,” said the former head of Gruia, according to fanatik.ro.
