Craiova's road to the title » 10 decisive moments from the Superliga play-off

From the first stages of the regular season, Craiova positioned itself as the main favorite to win the title. The specialists said it, but also the betting houses. With small natural ups and downs, in the sea, Craiova's road was straight towards the title that the Oltenians would have wanted to talk about, but about which they did not have enough courage.

With small short circuits in the gear, from the untimely departure of Mirel Rădoi, in full championship, to the failure in the first stage of the play-off, with FC Argeș, or the drastic defeat from Cluj, with U, score 0-4, Craiova returned to the afloat line every time.

At the start of the play-off, Craiova entered with 4 points ahead of Rapid, two after half time, and after the first failure, with FC Argeș, right at home, the fight for the title became dramatic. But there were some key moments that the Oltenians knew how to manage perfectly, as well as situations in the competing camps, all leading to the triumph of the Oltenians, who brought the title back to Bănie after a drought of three and a half decades.

Only in 4 stagesout of 40 (including the last one) Craiova was not on the podium this season

1. Victory with Dinamo, after a half in inferiority

After a failed start in the play-offs, at home, with FC Argeș, the pressure became huge on Craiova's shoulders. The trip to Dinamo followed, another fire test, especially since the play-off had not started well at all. Etim's goal, right before the break, did not bring joy for a long time in the camp of Olten, who lost their captain, Nicușor Bancu, a few seconds later.

The white-blue defender committed a reckless foul on Sivis, hard entry on the Frenchman's ankle, at the end of which Bancu saw “red” directly.

With an extra goal, but a man down for one half, Craiova performed flawlessly, Coelho changed the system, and the Olten defense held out until the end, for three hard-earned points that proved, in the end, to be extremely important in the economy of the ranking.

2. The forced titularization of Laurentiu Popescu

Also in the match with Dinamo, at halftime, Craiova lost the holder between the goals, Pavlo Isenko. He came out injured and even if the problems did not seem serious, after returning from the cabins Laurentiu Popescu entered, the man who waited for his turn, but who when called to help did it every time.

After thorough tests, it turned out that the Ukrainian's injury is much more serious, that he needs surgery and that the season is prematurely ended for him. Popescu became the number 1 option and all in all bad luck turned into good luck, with the goalkeeper from Olt in great shape.

Popescu, with matches standing in the Superliga, shone in the Romanian Cup, being the main craftsman of Craiova's qualification to the final, after the penalties defended in Bucharest, with Dinamo, and then in the last act, when he decisively saved Iulian Cristea's shot.

3. Anzor's “rocket” in the match with CFR Cluj

In order to confirm the victory in Bucharest, with Dinamo, in the second stage, Craiova could not afford any more wrong steps at home, with CFR, an uncomfortable opponent, who could have hit Bănie at any time.

The emotions were in Bănie for more than a half, with Craiova unable to score in some places, but the “rocket” of the Georgian Anzor, sent as if from Tbilisi, in the 55th minute, unlocked the match and the white-blue road to a victory that was completed only 5 minutes later.

4. Vladimir Screciu's speech after the humiliation in Cluj

Craiova breathed after the victory at home, with CFR Cluj, but in Cluj, in the 4th stage, it was anesthetized by the other team from Cluj. For more than 70 minutes with a man down, after the elimination of Monday Etim, Craiova was stunned and pulverized, 0-4.

While others might have cried or wiped their wounds, Vladimir Screciu, Olten's second captain, but the first in that match, in the absence of Bancu, still suspended, had a powerful speech, exactly what Craiova needed at that moment, in order not to fall into the abyss.

I'm proud of my team. Too bad about that card, we are near Etim. We are three points behind. Six very important finals to come, I have confidence in my team. Even though the score was 4-0, I'm proud of my team.

It hurts a lot, it's a cold shower for us, but from now on we'll see. There are six finals and I have fantastic confidence in this team that we can take it all the way.

I'm really glad we showed attitude and I can't wait to look eye to eye now with the boys in the locker room and realize that only if we trust each other can we get it done. I feel that it's the right time and we'll see, we'll see. I feel like it's going to be good, I can guarantee that to the fans.

– Vladimir Screciu, immediately after the stinging failure with U Cluj

5. Carlos Mora's masterful intervention in the match with Rapid

With two failures in the first stages of the play-off, it was not easy for Craiova to come home, with Rapid, the team with which it had started the play-off shoulder to shoulder for the title.

Immediately after the break, Craiova took the lead, through Assad's goal, but beyond the success, much more important, for the outcome of the match, was the colossal intervention of Carlos Mora, which came 10 minutes later.

The Costa Rican winger popped up perfectly and blocked a ball he would normally have scored, leaving the scoreboard in his favour. Craiova held on until the end, even if it wasn't easy, but the points scored at home, halfway through the play-off, proved to be golden for the blue-and-whites.

6. The injury of Jovo Lukic, the top scorer of the championship

At the beginning of the play-off return, U Cluj, which in the meantime became Craiova's main opponent in the fight for the title, lost its most important man.

The Bosnian goal scorer Jovo Lukic, who had scored 3 goals in the first 5 stages of the play-off, came out injured from the warm-up before the match with CFR Cluj. He also missed the next game, with Argeș, and only got 30 minutes a week later, with Rapid. Since his return, however, he hasn't scored a single goal.

7. Basceanu's luminous pass under the eyes of Gică Hagi

Led home by Dinamo, Craiova won dramatically, in extra time, after a phase that sparked countless controversies, discussing an irregular position of Nsimba about 40 seconds before the goal.

But beyond the success of the Frenchman, it was worth noting the absolutely brilliant pass, in the lane, by the kid Luca Băsceanu, who saw his colleague perfectly. Barely entered the field, Băsceanu came out on the ramp, contributing 70% to the goal right under the eyes of the selector Gheorghe Hagi, the man who launched him in football.

8. The limit phase from the move from CFR, an offside as big as a nail

Another key moment in Craiova's road to the title, in this play-off, was the 51st minute phase, in the away game with CFR Cluj, from Gruia. With the score 0-0, during an attack by the Transylvanians, Andrei Cordea shot, and the ball hit the Craiove defender Adrian Rus in the hand inside the box.

Then a penalty would have been awarded for the hosts, but the phase was analyzed by VAR, where Lorenzo Biliboc was caught in a millimeter offside, the size of a fingernail, which made CFR not to receive the penalty kick. The match ended exactly as it started, 0-0, a huge point for Craiova in the title equation.

9. Filipe Coelho's tactical strategy

Defense brings the trophies. Criticized by many because his team plays cheaply, especially since the people of Olten always demand “champagne football”, Coelho issued to play the decisive matches with the defensive game as a priority.

This is how he played in the decisive week, with CFR, which he took out of the fight for the title, after 0-0 in Gruia, but also in the final of the Romanian Cup in Sibiu, with U Cluj.

And the choice of Coelho was seen statistically: 6 matches out of 9 in the play-off were without a goal conceded for Olteni.

10. Mihai Rotaru's decision

Beyond what happened on the field, a decision taken on the fly, in the middle of the play-off, also mattered in the title fight.

After the drastic failure with U Cluj, score 0-4, the owner Mihai Rotaru forbade the employees of the club to talk on TV or with the press, in general, in order to leave the team calm and avoid possible discussions.

Said and done, and Rotaru was the one who took the microphone on Sunday evening, after the triumph.

I lived with emotions, with hope, with trust. That's the point. Emotions press you in these moments. You know you're there and you have to make it. Finals are won, not played.

This city, this region, deserves to have a team that fights high and performs. The Oltean supporter is a supporter of the attitude, not the result. Since we got here, it means all the decisions were good. “We are the champions of Romania”, I told them in the dressing room.

– Mihai Rotaru, after winning the title