After FCSB’s 3-2 win against FC Botoșani, where he provided the decisive assist for the winning goal, Octavian Popescu (23) voiced his frustration about being removed from the starting lineup. He stated, “I do not deserve this; I have been decisive in almost every match.” This article reviews his contributions this season.
Entering the match against FC Botoșani late on, Popescu made an immediate impact with a crucial assist. The FCSB midfielder dribbled through several opponents and set up Daniel Bîrligea, who scored the winner in the 90+6 minute.
Popescu’s Frustration Over Starting Position
Despite the victory, Popescu remained upset and left the field in a hurry. In a post-match interview, he elaborated on his feelings, saying, “I am disappointed not to be a starter and to have played limited minutes. It is only natural to be upset; as a footballer, you want to play as much as possible, not just 10 minutes. I hope to return to the starting lineup and help maintain our position at the top of the league.”
Popescu believes he has been instrumental in the team’s performance thus far, stating, “In the early matches, I think I was decisive in almost all of them. I do not deserve to be out of the starting eleven.”
Assessing Popescu’s Contributions This Season
Popescu started the season as a regular, featuring in the starting XI for four of the first five official matches. The only exception was a unique match against Miercurea Ciuc, where the coach rested most key players.
Starting from the sixth match of the season against Sepsi, Popescu found himself on the bench. In his absence, Juri Cisotti took over his position on the left flank, followed by Florin Tănase in the next match.
Before losing his starting spot, Popescu scored one goal and registered two assists in his first five appearances, being considered decisive in three of those matches:
- In the season opener against FC Argeș, he played 94 minutes and assisted Bîrligea with a free-kick cross for a header.
- Against Auda in the first leg of the second qualifying round of the Conference League, he contributed a goal to equalize the score at 1-1 after 91 minutes of play.
- In the second leg against Auda, he provided an assist from a corner for Joao Paulo’s header.
Despite his claims, Popescu’s overall impact in those games was mixed. He did not score or assist in some matches, including a 2-2 draw against Farul, where he played 80 minutes.
Performance Breakdown
MatchDribbles / SuccessesCrosses / SuccessesShots (on target)FCSB – FC Argeș 2-02/12/13 (1)FCSB – Auda 2-34/31/04 (1)Csikszereda – FCSB 0-26/51/03 (1)Auda – FCSB 4-14/22/23 (3)FCSB – Farul 2-23/12/01 (0)
After the match against Botoșani, Popescu has a total of four goal contributions this season. Comparatively, his competition for the left flank, Juri Cisotti, had not recorded any decisive contributions in his first five matches until last night when he finally assisted twice against Botoșani. Tănase, who started against Sepsi, has one goal and one assist to his name.
