Ovidiu Ioanițoaia, the director of Gazeta Sporturilor, appeared on GSP Live on Friday to discuss the recent performances of Romanian football teams in European competitions. He highlighted the disappointing 1-1 draw of Universitatea Craiova against KuPS in Finland and the staggering 0-5 loss suffered by CFR Cluj at home against Tromso.
During the interview, Ioanițoaia admitted to being more upset with Craiova, stating that they should have secured a victory given their lead until late in the match. “Ferească Dumnezeu de mai rău, because under normal circumstances, we should still be in contention with Universitatea Craiova, which I believe is currently the top team in Romanian football and should not have returned from Finland without a win against the inferior KuPS,” he remarked.
He criticized the team for not capitalizing on their superiority in the match, saying, “Like all our teams, they played one good half and another that was unacceptable. I don’t know who is to blame. The artificial pitch clearly affected them, but I didn’t understand why they retreated in the second half. When we lead 1-0, we think we’ve done our job and we defend that score.”
Critique of Coelho’s Decisions
Ioanițoaia also expressed his confusion over the decisions made by Craiova coach Coelho. He stated, “Tromso taught us a lesson with CFR Cluj; they led 3-0 by the 28th minute and didn’t ease off until they had scored five goals. I don’t understand Craiova’s attitude. If Coelho is the issue, his name means ‘rabbit’ in Portuguese, and that’s not a very brave animal, to put it mildly.”
He questioned Coelho’s decision to substitute key players, particularly how Baiaram, who was having a good match, was taken off in the 58th minute. Despite the 1-1 result, Ioanițoaia remains hopeful for Craiova in the return leg, acknowledging their status as favorites despite previous disappointments against Levski Sofia.
In contrast, he addressed CFR Cluj’s disastrous performance at home, which practically eliminates them from European competition. “It was a disaster that surprised many. Tromso, ranked 19th in the FIFA standings, managed to humiliate CFR Cluj, who were eliminated by a lesser-known team like Hradec Kralove from the Czech Republic,” he pointed out.
Ioanițoaia voiced concerns over the chaos within the CFR Cluj team, mentioning significant departures from the club and questioning the management’s decisions. “It’s shameful to lose at home 5-0, regardless of the opponent. There are serious troubles at CFR Cluj, and the club’s current atmosphere is not conducive to success,” he added.
Optimism for Craiova’s Future
Hopes for the Romanian teams in European competitions largely rest on Universitatea Craiova’s ability to advance. Ioanițoaia noted that if they can overcome KuPS, they would secure a place in a European group stage. “We are at a low point, but we hope Universitatea Craiova can continue. They face a manageable opponent, granted they can advance past KuPS,” he said. “In normal conditions, Craiova should at least reach the Conference League group stage, unlike CFR Cluj, which seems to have bid farewell to Europe after a humiliating defeat to Tromso.”
“We used to laugh at Norwegians for being skiers and fishermen. Now, they beat us wherever they meet us. It’s embarrassing for a team to lose, especially at home, like CFR did against a Norwegian team” – Ovidiu Ioanițoaia, director of GSP.
