Constantin Gâlcă (53 years old), the coach Rapidhe spoke exclusively with the Sports Gazette about the season start, the players recovered in the competitive break, but also about the team's objectives.
Rapid took advantage of the competitive break to restore the lot. Răzvan Onea and Cristi Manea returned, and Drilon Hazrollaj is in recovery.
Costel Gâlcă has set clear objectives: qualification in European Cups, winning the Romanian Cup and, subsequently, the fight for the title, if these goals are achieved.
VIDEO. Costel Gâlcă: “Rapid aims to play in the European Cups and win the Romanian Cup!”
– Hello, Mr. Gâlcă! How's this break for Rapid and how do you see the match with U Cluj?
– Hello! The break came to us because we recovered the injured and, of course, a difficult match awaits us. A good team, a team that has experience and, especially at home, puts a lot of pressure on the opponent.
– What players recovered?
– For now, Onea and Manea have entered the team for several days, I am fine and we hope to recover Drilon Hazrollaj.
– How do you evaluate this start of the season for Rapid? Is he on the podium, satisfied?
– It is a good start, not very good, but good, because I took many points, we had moments in very, very good games and that gives us hope for the future.
– You have often mentioned the inconsistency it looks quickly, the fact that it only plays a better half. Is it mental or physical?
– We have to look a little. There were games where new players came in, players came after the injury, players who were not 100 % and from here and a little and inconsistency. If I mean the last match with UTA Arad at home, I made a very good and defensive, and offensive. After that, in the second half, I decreased the pace, but I managed the moments of play in defense and I am satisfied. Although we had much larger spaces than in the first half and we could score goals. The homogeneity is important, but also Constanta in the players' training is important, because it is not the same to come after an injury and to have constant and to play, to put the same 11 more matches.
– What are the clear goals of the Rapid? Can you beat the title?
– For now, our goal is to ensure the first European place, to win the Romanian Cup and, the faster we reach these goals, we can also aspire to the championship.
Costel Gâlcă, about arbitration: “We had some situations where we could receive 11 meters!”
– What is your opinion about the arbitration this start of the season? Very many people have been crying! Both the leadership of the Rapid and the FCSB. How do you see this situation?
– We had some situations where we could receive 11 meters. Of course, they didn't give them. The most important thing for me is the one from Galați, where we could take 3 points and it was much better. But there are decisions, the decisions that the referees make and those in the lime, which categorically affected us. Because one is to win 3-0 or 4-0 and one is to stay with 2-0 and maybe the opponent can score a goal and then the voltage is much higher.
– How do you think the explanations for these controversial phases? Did you want to be improved, to be more?
– Definitely! I trust the referees, I trust their decisions and we hope that in the future it will be much better.
– How do you comment on the less good start of rivals, FCSB and CFR? They didn't start well, how do you see this?
– Yes, they had many injured players and many matches this season, but they will certainly recover because they have very good players, a large lot and they will return there.
– Do you surprise you that Craiova University is in the first place?
– No, because he has taken many players and has a pretty good lot. He also demonstrated in the international matches and in the championship and then it was not a surprise to me.
– The fact that there are teams involved in Europe is an advantage for fast?
– It depends … If we look, some teams suffered a lot, such as FCSB, U Cluj and CFR, but the example of Craiova has shown that he can fight on several fronts.
